Do You Know Your Fats?

Do You Know Your Fats?

Fat has been on the hit list for quite some time and there are those who have tried to eliminate fats completely from their diets. Is this healthy? Are we supposed to have fats or not? What is a good fat or a bad fat? How do we recognize them?

Here’s a simple look to help you get to know your fats.

Fat is a nutrient that is important to our overall health. We need it to maintain healthy skin and hair, to help our bodies grow and develop and it provides us with a source of energy. Including the right kind of fats in our diet can actually protect our health, keep us feeling satiated and help in the absorption of important vitamins from our foods.READ MORE...

That said, there are fats that are better than others. According to the National Institutes of Health, you should limit your fat intake to 25 to 35 percent of your total calories each day.

Unsaturated Fat, while still high in calories, can be part of a healthy diet; moderation and portion control is the key. Good sources are as follows:

-Olive, canola, sunflower, corn, soybean and safflower oils

- Nuts like walnuts, cashews, almonds and peanuts

- Fish such as salmon, tuna, whitefish and trout

For many of us, it is fairly easy to change oil and to implement fish. Nuts, however, can be a little more challenging because we may be prone to wanting to eat more than a portion. So, try packaging them into individual sized servings and then eat them one at a time, slowly and purposefully.

Saturated Fat is found mainly in animal products and a few plants. It is the fat that can increase your risk for heart disease and clog your arteries. Saturated fat should be limited for this reason.

- Butter

- Cheese (full-fat)

- Oils such as coconut, palm and palm kernel

- Butter

- Fatty meats such as

- Whole milk

Trans fats are also bad for your heart and should be limited or eliminated. A word like shortening, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil identified in the list of ingredients can indicate the product contains trans fat. Product labeling standards require food containing trans fat must be listed in the Nutrition Facts. Trans fats are often found in the following:

- Baked goods such as doughnuts, cakes, cookies, muffins, crackers and chips

- Stick or solid type margarines

- Vegetable shortening

- Fried foods

In short, fats are a food group that is essential to our nutrition. The only thing we need to do is make better selections and use them in moderation as part of a healthy nutrition program.