Fats… what are they?

SaraSlank | October 11, 2009 | 0 Comments

Often times we think that all fats are the same thus should be eliminated on our diet, but did you know that our body needs fat to be able to function well? Not all fats are the same and some should actually be taken to improve our body’s functioning. Discover these good fats and stay away from bad fats by reading this article further.

Types of fats… the good and the bad!

We need fat on our body, and that is absolutely true. There are many benefits of fat on our body and some of them are:
It keeps our body full of energy
It provides linoleic acid, a fatty acid that is needed for growth and healthy skin of a person
It helps absorb fat soluble vitamins like vitamins A, D, E and K.
Fats makes us feel fuller
Fats keeps our hunger always at bay

Most of all we cannot simply deny the fact that fats makes our food more tasty, delicious and flavorful.

Lose weight by eliminating bad fats and taking good fats!

As said earlier, we need fats on our body to be able to function well. But not all fats are good, many of them are bad fats which brings heart diseases and weight problems to us. So better check this list to know what fats should be taken and what fats should be eliminated.

1.Saturated fats – these fats contain minerals and some vitamins but the downside of it is that it can cause heart diseases. Saturated fats can actually clog our arteries leading to heart diseases and most commonly stroke. Saturated fats can also raise our bad cholesterol in the body, so you need to avoid them as much as possible. Sources of saturated fats are:
Animal products
Meat
Dairy
Eggs
Coconut
Palm
Palm kernel oils

2.Trans fats – trans fat can raise our bad cholesterol in the blood significantly, and lower good cholesterol in the blood respectively. It is obvious that trans fat is not good on our body and therefore should not be taken. Commonly, trans fat is being used to extend the shelf life of processed foods like cookies, cakes, fries and donuts. Also, all items with hydrogenated oil or partially hydrogenated oil most likely contain trans fat.

3.Unsaturated fats – there are two types in general

a.Monounsaturated fats – it can lower our bad cholesterol and maintain our good cholesterol. It can be found on olive oil, nuts, peanut oil, canola oil and avocados.
b.Polyunsaturated fats – these fats can help lower our bad cholesterol but should be taken with moderation as it can also lower good cholesterol when taken in excess. It can be found on safflower, sesame, corn, cotton seed and soybean oil.

4.Omega 3 fatty acid – the healthiest fat of all time. It can help reduce our bad cholesterol level and boost our immune system greatly. It can be found on oily fishes like cold water fishes and also found on flax seed together with walnuts.

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