| What Are the Good and Bad Fats? | | | | The Two Types Of Bad Fats |
| For many years I have been under the | | | | Saturated Fat |
| assumption that there is only one type of fat and | | | | Saturated Fat is a very familiar term to most |
| that was the unhealthy kind. While researching an | | | | people, but many people don't know much about |
| article on diet tips I was surprised to learn that | | | | it or where it comes from. When thinking |
| there are different kinds and not all of them are | | | | saturated fat think animals and products made |
| unhealthy. Our body needs fats as part of a | | | | from animals. Most meats (especially red meat), |
| balanced diet, so I am providing a list of what are | | | | dairy, eggs, and some seafood are very high in |
| the different types of fats and what foods are | | | | saturated fat and LDL cholesterol |
| closely linked to that type of fat. I separated | | | | Trans Fat |
| them by Good Fats and Bad Fats. Hopefully you | | | | I was far less familiar with trans fat as I was with |
| will learn something about fats that you never did | | | | saturated fat. Basically, trans fat is not a natural |
| before just like I did. | | | | fat. It is actually developed when commercial food |
| The Two Types of Good Fats | | | | preparer's hydrogenated their foods for delivery |
| Monounsaturated Fats or MUFA's for short. | | | | and longer self life. Most fast food is filled with |
| MUFA's are vital to a diet because they raise | | | | trans fats, and a lot of your grocery store quick |
| good cholesterol (HDL) while lowering the bad | | | | meals as well. I don't want to pick on any one |
| cholesterol (LDL). These types of foods also helps | | | | company so try reading the nutritional contents |
| with fat burning metabolism. Foods most | | | | before buying a product at a store or eating fast |
| commonly linked to MUFA's are peanuts, walnuts, | | | | food. However, think prepackage or processed |
| almonds, pistachios, avocado, canola, and olive oil. | | | | food, like microwave meals, popcorn, most chip |
| Polyunsaturated Fats | | | | products, hard stick margarine, vegetable |
| My mother used to never want to eat fish | | | | shortening, and so on. |
| because she said they were full of cholesterol and | | | | If you want to avoid the bad fats then I suggest |
| fat. She was right but what she did not know | | | | trying to cook using canola oil or olive oil, buy |
| was that fish were full of the good kind called | | | | fresh foods as much as possible, avoid fast food |
| polyunsaturated fat. Besides fish soy, corn, | | | | and prepackaged meals, trim of fat on meats, |
| safflower/sunflower oils, and fish oil are linked to | | | | and avoid processed food. |
| have Poly's in them. | | | | |