Good and Bad Fats
>> Mar 23, 2013
It is easy to succumb
to the common belief that all fats are bad. However there is a substantial
difference between good fats and bad fats. Healthy consumption of good fats can
actually help to lose weight along with other health benefits. Bad fats not only
prompt weight gain, they can contribute to catastrophic health issues.
HEALTHY FATS
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Healthy Fats include:
·
Nuts
·
Seeds
·
Avocados
·
Extra-virgin
Olive oil
·
Flax
seed oil
·
Coconuts
BAD FATS
Bad fats, saturated
fats, are the ones to be avoided. Artery-clogging fats are likely to be more
solid at room temperature. Indulging on bad fats raises your LDL (low-density
lipoprotein) which can harden your arteries and prompts atherosclerosis.
Too many bad fats can also result in:
·
Diabetes
·
Heart
disease
·
Obesity
Products containing saturated fats include:
·
Milk
·
Cream
·
Butter
·
Hard
cheese
·
Red
meat
·
Coconut
& Palm Oil
REPLACING BAD FOR GOOD
There is a simple
formula to avoid over-consumption of saturated fats and that is swapping the
bad fats for good fats. Here are five lifestyle changes that you can apply to
your everyday diet.
1.
Cut
back on red meat and replace with fish.
2. Use
liquid plant oils for cooking and baking. Oils such as Extra-virgin Olive oil
and canola oil are rich in unsaturated fats. Use these oils in your salad
dressings to assist in nutrient absorption.
3.
Eliminate
alcohol and sugary drinks. Replace with water or fresh juices
4. Cut
back on dairy products. Replace cream with skim milk, ice-cream with Sheep’s
yoghurt and butter with margarine or coconut butter
5. Eliminate
trans fat. In the supermarket, read the label to find foods that are trans fat
free. The label will say ‘0’ on the line for trans fat.
HARD FATS
It is evident to see the difference between a
healthy layer of plump fat and an excessive amount of fat. Visceral Fat (hard fat) is located deep within
the abdominal cavity between internal organs. Older men in particular have high
amounts of Visceral Fat.. This is prompted by an over-consumption of calories
and saturated fats. The reason this is so evident in older men is their higher
intake of alcoholic beverages containing saturated fats. Beverages such as
beer, Piña Colada and Horchata all contain bad fats.
SOFT
FATS
Soft squishy pudge is
filled with unsaturated fats. When your body fats make a transition from hard
to soft, it actually means that you’re losing weight. Soft fats are not a negative thing to have
framing your figure.
Start your lifestyle change today. Tell us
which bad fats are you eliminating from your diet and what good fats will you
be replacing them with.
Author Bio:
Article by Jessica Josh about Dr G's which is one of the leading weight loss centres in Sydney.
Jessica is a freelance writer from Australia who loves writing about
nutrition and health related topics. Head over to the website for more
info about nutrition.