Good fats and bad fats: what is the difference?

The nutritionists and doctors have preached for years that low-fat diet is the key to weight loss, control cholesterol and prevent health problems. It is true whether we understand them?

In fact, much more important is not the amount of fat that we eat, but its quality. So-called bad fats raise cholesterol levels and increase the risk of certain diseases. While good fats protect your heart and maintain overall health. Good fats, fatty acids such as omega-3 essential for physical and emotional health.

Let us examine the kinds of dietary fat

Recently there has been a real boom on foods that are low in fat: non-fat milk, yogurt, ice cream, sweets and cakes, even a guest on the shelves of our grocery stores. It would seem, choosing low-fat foods, you should lose weight if you do not, then at least do not get better. However, most people will say that this method does not work. What is the reason?

In spite of the terrible word "fat", they are not always the enemy of your waist. The bad fats such as saturated fats and trans-fats, really guilty of a huge number of unhealthy things, such as weight gain, blockage of the arteries and so on. But the good fats, such as monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats and omega-3 have the opposite effect.

Healthy fats play an important role for controlling mood, they are responsible for the development and preservation of your mental abilities, fighting fatigue and even help with weight control.

You do not need to give up the fat, you need to learn how to make healthy choices and good to replace bad fats that promote health.

Myths and facts about fats

Myth: All fats are the same and are harmful for you.

Fact saturated fats and trans fats are harmful to the human body because they increase blood cholesterol levels and increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. However, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are beneficial, as responsible for lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk of developing heart disease.

Myth: In order to maintain health and weight control, it is necessary to reduce the amount of fat consumed to a minimum.

Fact: The types of fats that you eat, rather than the total number in your diet, that's what matters, when it comes to health. Your goal should be, to eat more good and less bad fats.

Myth: Low-fat foods are healthy .

Fact: The words "low fat" on the product packaging does not mean that you can eat whatever you want, without affecting your waistline. Many low-fat foods are high in sugar, refined carbohydrates and lots of calories.

Myth: A diet low in fat is the key to successful weight loss.

Fact: The popularity of low-fat products does not lead to a reduction in the number of people suffering from obesity. Weight loss is not based on reducing the consumption of fat, while reducing the number of calories. Good fats, on the contrary, help to cope with hunger and prevent overeating.

Myth: does not matter to health, where fat accumulates.

Fact: Where are formed your body fat is essential for health. Risk increases if your body accumulates fat around the abdomen. A large number of fat on the abdomen helps to ensure that it goes deep into the skin and accumulates around the abdominal organs. This is many times increases the risk of diseases such as diabetes.

Types of fats: Good fats vs. bad fats

There are four main types of fat:

• monounsaturated fat
• polyunsaturated fats
• saturated fats
• trans fats

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which are known as "good fats", a beneficial effect on general health.

Good fats:

Monounsaturated fats:

• Olive oil
• rape oil
• Sunflower oil
• Peanut butter
• Sesame oil
• Avocado
• Olives
• Nuts (almonds, peanuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, cashews)

Polyunsaturated fats:

• Soybean oil
• Corn oil
• safflower oil
• Walnuts
• Sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds
  flaxseed
• Fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, trout, sardines)
• Soy milk
• Tofu

Saturated fats and trans fats known as "bad" fats because they increase the risk of heart disease and increased cholesterol.

To distinguish good fats from the bad, you can not just looking at reference books, but also in appearance: at room temperature, saturated fats and trans fats, as a rule, are in a solid state (for example, butter and margarine) and good fats - a liquid (olive oil or corn oil).

Bad fats:

Saturated fats:

• Pieces of meat with fat (beef, lamb, pork)
• Chicken with skin
• Dairy products are high in fat
• Butter
• Cheese
• Ice cream
• Palm oil and coconut oil
• Fat

Trans fats:

• Commercial baked goods (cookies, donuts, muffins, cakes, pizza dough)
• Packed snacks (crackers, microwave popcorn, chips)
• Margarine
• Vegetable fat
• Fried foods (French fries, fried chicken)
• Candies

General recommendations for choosing healthy fats

If your diet is rich in bad fats, you should do everything possible to reduce their number, replacing them with good ones. You need to review their individual habits. In general, recommendations for choosing healthy fats are as follows:

• Try to eliminate trans fats from your diet. Check the product label. Avoid commercial baked goods.Also, limit your consumption of fast food.
• Reduce your intake of saturated fat by eliminating red meat and dairy products based on whole milk.Try replacing red meat to beans, nuts, poultry and fish. Choose low-fat dairy products.
• Eat foods with omega-3 every day. Good sources are fish, walnuts, flax seeds, flaxseed oil, canola oil and soybean oil.

What norms fat intake?

How much fat the body needs depends on your lifestyle, weight, age and, most importantly, health. In the most general terms the following rules are recommended:

• Of the total number of calories you get per day, 20-35% should come from fat.
• The marginal rate of saturated fat in your diet should not exceed 10% of the calories (200 calories for a 2,000 calorie diet)
• The marginal rate of trans fat should not exceed 1% of daily calories obtained.

How to get rid of saturated fats in the diet?

• Eat less red meat (beef, pork or lamb) and more fish and chicken
• Go to the lean meat, prefer white meat that contains less saturated fat.
• Bake, broil or cook a meal on the grill. Discard the pan.
• Remove the skin from chicken and trim as much fat from meats as possible before cooking.
• Avoid breading.
• Choose low-fat dairy products, cheese - mozzarella.
• Use liquid vegetable oils such as olive or sunflower oil instead of lard and butter.

Getting rid of trans fats in the diet?

Trans fats - normal fat molecules that are twisted and deformed during handling. During this process, liquid vegetable oils are heated and react with hydrogen. This makes them more stable and less prone to damage, which is very good for food manufacturers and is very bad for you. Trans fats contribute to the emergence of serious health problems, from heart disease to cancer.

To limit the use of trans fats:

• When buying, read the labels. If the product has hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, then leave it on the shelf.
• When buying margarine, choose one that does not contain trans fats. The presence of partially hydrogenated oils and are undesirable.
• Cut the extent possible, the use of commercial bakery products, as well as all that is fried.
• Avoid fast food.

How to get the good fats?

So, you know, that should avoid saturated fats and trans fats ... But how to get healthy fats?

The best sources of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and fish.

• Cook with olive oil. Use olive oil for cooking, including frying, and not oil, margarine or fat. For baking, try canola or vegetable oil.
• Eat more avocados. Try to put them in sandwiches or salads. Along with the delivery in your body is healthy fat, avocados can help to extend the feeling of satiety.
• Like nuts, and olives.

Damaged fats when good fats are bad

Good fat may be poor when exposed to heat, light, oxygen or other factors. Polyunsaturated fats are the most vulnerable. Oils with a high polyunsaturated fat content (e.g. linseed oil) to be stored in the refrigerator. They are also afraid of falling light.

Never use oils, seeds, nuts once they have deteriorated smell or taste.