I have shared posts on Carbohydrates (http://teamtransform.com.au/carbohydrates-good-bad-and-the-role-they-play-in-my-diet/) and Protein (http://teamtransform.com.au/protein-not-just-for-body-builders/), but I haven’t yet touched on FAT!

This macro-nutrient comes in both ‘Good’ and ‘Bad’ types, and often it’s the latter that is high in the average person’s diet, and lacking in the other.. Today’s post will touch on both types of fats, the essentials, and what we need to stay clear of.

 

To begin with there are four major types of fats:

• Monounsaturated fats
• Polyunsaturated fats
• Saturated fats
• Trans fats

Monounsaturated fats and Polyunsaturated fats are known as the “good fats” because they are good for your heart, your cholesterol, and your overall health.

Saturated fats and Trans fats are known as the “bad fats” because they increase your risk of disease and elevate cholesterol.

With so many different choices of fats it can get confusing as to what you should be including in your daily nutrition, especially when there are a lot of diets that suggest NO FAT. But the simple fact is don’t stay away from fat all together, just eat good fats instead! If you are concerned about your weight or heart health, rather than avoiding fat in your diet, try replacing Saturated fats and Trans fats with good fats. This might mean replacing some of the meat you eat with beans and legumes, or using olive oil rather than butter.

Here is 3 FAT TIPS to get you started;

• Try to eliminate Trans fats from your diet – Check food labels for Trans fats. Avoiding commercially-baked goods goes a long way. Also limit fast food (that should be a no-brainer right?)
• Limit your intake of Saturated fats – You can do this by cutting back (not eliminating) on red meat and full-fat dairy foods. Try including beans, nuts, poultry, and fish whenever possible, and switching from whole milk and other full-fat dairy foods to lower fat versions.
• Eat Omega-3 fats every day – Good sources of ‘Omega-3’s’ include fish, walnuts, ground flax seeds, flaxseed oil, canola oil, and soybean oil.

Omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are an essential type of Polyunsaturated fat. We require them for good health, however our bodies can not produce them ourselves, thus we need to get them from food sources. While all types of Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated fats are good for you, omega-3 fats prove to be especially beneficial.

Research has shown that they can:

• Prevent and reduce the symptoms of depression
• Protect against memory loss and dementia
• Reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer
• Ease arthritis, joint pain, and inflammatory skin conditions
• Support a healthy pregnancy

Incorporating unsaturated fats into your daily diet

• Cook with olive oil – Use olive oil for stove-top cooking, rather than butter, stick margarine, or lard. For baking, try canola oil or vegetable oil.
• Eat more avocados – Try them in sandwiches or salads or make guacamole. Along with being loaded with heart and brain-healthy fats, they make for a filling and satisfying meal.
• Reach for the nuts – You can also add nuts to vegetable dishes or use them instead of breadcrumbs on chicken or fish.
• Snack on olives – Olives are high in healthy Monounsaturated fats. But unlike most other high-fat foods, they make for a low-calorie snack when eaten on their own. Try them plain or make a tapenade for dipping.
• Dress your own salad – Commercial salad dressings are often high in Saturated fat or made with damaged Trans fat oils. Create your own healthy dressings with high-quality, cold-pressed olive oil, flaxseed oil, or sesame oil.

Reduce Saturated Fats

When focusing on healthy fats, a good place to start is reducing your consumption of Saturated fats. Saturated fats are mainly found in animal products such as red meat and whole milk dairy products. Poultry and fish also contain Saturated fat, but less than red meat. Other sources of Saturated fat include tropical vegetable oils such as coconut oil and palm oil.

Simple ways to reduce Saturated fat:

• Eat less red meat (beef, pork, or lamb) and more fish and chicken
• Go for lean cuts of meat, and opt for more white meat, which has less saturated fat.
• Bake, boil, or grill instead of frying.
• Remove the skin from chicken and trim as much fat off of meat as possible before cooking.
• Avoid breaded meats and vegetables and deep-fried foods.
• Choose low-fat milk and lower-fat cheeses like mozzarella whenever possible; enjoy full-fat dairy in moderation.
• Use liquid vegetable oils such as olive oil or canola oil instead of lard, shortening, or butter.
• Avoid cream and cheese sauces, or have them served on the side.

Eliminate trans fats from your diet

A Trans-fat is a normal fat molecule that has been twisted and deformed during a process called hydrogenation. During this process, liquid vegetable oil is heated and combined with hydrogen gas. Partially hydrogenating vegetable oils makes them more stable and less likely to spoil, which is very good for food manufacturers—and very bad for you.

No amount of Trans fats is healthy. Trans fats contribute to major health problems, from heart disease to cancer.

Sources of Trans fats include:

• Baked goods – cookies, crackers, cakes, muffins, pie crusts, pizza dough, and some breads like hamburger buns. (yes, all the good stuff I know)
• Fried foods – doughnuts, French fries, fried chicken, chicken nuggets, and hard taco shells (….. yep, more of your favourites)
• Snack foods – potato, corn, and tortilla chips; candy; packaged or microwave popcorn
• Solid fats – stick margarine and semi-solid vegetable shortening
• Pre-mixed products – cake mix, pancake mix, and chocolate drink mix

 

In Summary; Replacing bad fats with good fats will ultimately do you a world of good and bring about a wealth of positive changes and health benefits. However, while we need good fats, it’s important to remember that even too much of a good thing can be bad. Fat is a macro-nutrient, and as such everyone has a required daily intake relevant to them. Replacing the bad fats with good fats in your diet will help your overall health, but in terms of calories in vs calories out you can still be taking in too much. If your goal is to lose weight / decrease body fat, just be mindful of how much you are having and make sure it’s relevant to you. As a general rule to follow, aim to have around a thumb-length of fats included in each meal. If you are getting your good fats from sources such as fish, legumes etc, take into account the fat content and only add additional fats if needed. 

I leave you with this table below of Good Fats vs Bad Fats. You can use this as a guide when planning your next meals. 🙂

GOOD FATS
Monounsaturated fat	Polyunsaturated fat
§  Olive oil§  Canola oil §  Sunflower oil §  Peanut oil §  Sesame oil §  Avocados §  Olives §  Nuts (almonds, peanuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, cashews) §  Peanut butter	§  Soybean oil§  Corn oil §  Safflower oil §  Walnuts §  Sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin seeds Flaxseed §  Fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, trout, sardines) §  Soymilk §  Tofu

BAD FATS
Saturated fat (reduce these)	Trans fat (eliminate these)
§  High-fat cuts of meat (beef, lamb, pork)§  Chicken with the skin §  Whole-fat dairy products (milk and cream) §  Butter §  Cheese §  Ice cream §  Palm and coconut oil §  Lard	§  Commercially-baked pastries, cookies, doughnuts, muffins, cakes, pizza dough§  Packaged snack foods (crackers, microwave popcorn, chips) §  Stick margarine §  Vegetable shortening §  Fried foods (French fries, fried chicken, chicken nuggets, breaded fish) §  Candy bars