Fat gets a bum rap! Most people immediately think that it is bad for their body. At the same time, many people think that the more fat you eat, the more of it you have to eliminate during weight loss. However, contrary to popular belief, not all fat is bad. In fact, there are both good fats and bad fats. To take it a step further, your body actually requires a certain amount of good fat be included in your diet to keep you healthy!
The first thing to realize is that fat comes in many different forms and from many different sources. The some of the major types of fat include monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, saturated fat, and trans fat (saturated fat with trans-isomer). Which of these qualifies as “good fat”? The fats that your body needs include monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. Beyond delivering energy to our bodies and helping to maintain heart health, they also work to keep our skin soft. The good fats can be found in olive oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, avocados, and different varieties of nuts.
U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2005 Dietary Guidelines advises that adults get at least 20% to 35% of their calories from theses good fats.
The bad fats include saturated and trans fats; over-consuming these fats is known to cause a number of health issues, including heart disease. Saturated fat can be found in junk food but also in meat like beef, lamb and pork. Processed foods such as fast food, microwave dinners, packaged snack foods and margarine often contain trans fat. In order to hide the amount of trans fat in their products, food manufacturers will reduce the serving size on the label. To sidestep this trap, look at the ingredients on the package; if it contains “hydrogenated” oils, then there is a good chance that the product contains trans fat.
With the exception of trans fat, each type of fat is necessary for a healthy diet. Unfortunately, many people go overboard by either eating way too much of these fats or by trying to cut them out entirely. Your best bet is to work on moving your eating habits away from processed foods and toward more produce. While they contain saturated fat, high quality meats are a great source for protein and other nutrients. You can also try eating more oatmeal and other sources of healthy fat like oily fish.
SlendHer was created to help you develop a slimmer, fitter body the right way. You don’t have to starve yourself, spend half the day in the gym, or jump on the latest diet craze to make it happen! We will help you wade through the nonsense, half-truths, and marketing spin so that you can adopt a lifestyle that will give you the body you want while making you and your family healthier and more confident in your daily life.
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