After much debate and lots of conflicting information it has slowly started coming to light that eating fat isn’t as bad as we were first lead to believe. Years and years of inaccurate propaganda convincing us that fat is our sworn enemy have left us believing we should be chomping through carbs for our energy. As a result our insulin levels have been shooting through the roof and consequently people have blown up like a nation of balloons. Yip, that’s right I am actually rooting for fat here, researchers are finally coming back to conclusion that we have been horribly misled. Research shows that we should be actively consuming fat to help with weight loss as well as muscle gains, cholesterol and a host of other issues we find ourselves challenged with in this day and age.
Dietary fat plays an extremely important role in the function of our bodies, it helps with body temperature regulation, immune system boost and maintaining healthy cell function. Large parts of the human brain are actually fat and many vitamins are fat soluble which means fat is needed for them to be absorbed by your body. That said not all fats are equal, just like any good blockbuster movie there are the good guys and the bad guys.
There are 4 fats that we will look at and you should know the difference between.
- Saturated Fats
Are fats that are solid at room temperatures and mainly come from animal products such as meat and dairy, but can also be found in some plant and vegetable based products like Coconut Oil and Palm Oil.
- Polyunsaturated Fats
Usually liquid at room temperature and are known as either Omega 3′s or Omega 6′s. Omega 3′s can be found mainly in fatty fishes like salmon and some plant based sources like walnuts, and Omega 6′s mainly come from vegetables and other nuts and seeds.
- Monounsaturated Fats
Mainly come from vegetables and nuts. A good example of monounsaturated fat is Olive oil.
- Trans Fat
Trans fat is not a naturally occurring fat and is often referred to as hydrogenated fat or partially hydrogenated oils. It is created when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil to make it mare solid. Fast food companies, some restaurants and bakeries use this fat because they are cheap, taste good and last longer than natural fats. Deep driers are ideal for this type of fat.
So which are the good fats and which are the bad fats?
Trans fats are the the super bad fats, so bad that they have been banned in several countries around the world and from being used in certain foods like baked goods. They have been known to reduce the good cholesterol levels and increase the bad cholesterol levels in your body, causing all kinds of health risks such as hearth disease and strokes. There is also evidence to suggest that composition of trans fats interfere with the communication signals in the brain. This can increase cellular degeneration and mental performance.
Trans fats can be found in most fried foods like fries, doughnuts, fried chicken, in fact just about anything you can think of that’s fried or baked including many other foods. According to regulation very low amounts of trans fats can be present in foods if they total no more than 0.5g / serving and they don’t even have to declare it as existing in that product. Scary!!
Saturated fats are a very touchy subject and there are two very different sides to the story. On the one hand doctors believe they raise blood pressure, increase cholesterol, and can lead to heart disease. On the other hand and as a lot of new evidence is starting to suggest is that saturated fat is not then enemy we once thought it was. There is a catch thou, a high saturated fat diet does not go well with a high intake of carbs. Carbs release insulin into your body and effectively block your body from releasing fat from the cells to be used as energy. If you have a high intake of fat and carbs you may well get fat (I will be writing a full article on this soon).
Monosaturated fats are good for you and are believed to reduce cholesterol, help to manage diabetes and regulate blood pressure. Polyunsaturated fats are good for inflammation, help to maintain a health immune system and aid in the prevention of heart attacks. These two fats are also great for satiety, which means they help to make you feel fuller for longer after eating a meal. They are in fact dietary fats and can aid fat loss and muscle growth.
Make sure you know the difference between the different fats and implement them correctly in your diet. Cutting out all fats could be worse for you than eating them. Cook with olive oil, eat plenty of nuts and seeds and cook up some fish because its loaded with all the good stuff. You will look and feel much healthier.
-Richard
Tags: bad fats, cholesterol, Diet, fat, fatty food, good fats, health, Nutrition, saturated fat, trans fat
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