Before carbs were singled out as dietary villains, it was fat that was ostracized. As a result, a billion dollar industry sprung up to tout guilt-free, fat-free food choices. Soon dieters were guiltlessly stuffing themselves with fat-free cookies and dousing their salads with fat-free dressings. Cutting out dietary fat was viewed as a sure-fire way to lose body fat. That logic was and is fat out wrong!
The fact of the matter is a calorie is a calorie is a calorie, whether it comes from fat, carbs or protein. It’s not only unnecessary to avoid fat in your diet, it’s vital that you include it. But just like with carbs, all fats are not created equal. In total, there are four kinds of fat: two kinds are a must have; one you should make an effort not to overdo, and the fourth, you should avoid like the plague.
Here’s the skinny on fats: The four kinds are: saturated fat; Trans fat; monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat. You’ll find saturated fat in whole-fat dairy products like whole milk, cream, butter, cheese, full-fat yogurt and ice cream as well as in red meat, chocolate, coconuts, coconut milk and coconut oil. The bad news is that saturated fat increases bad cholesterol and contributes to artery clogging. The good news is that research shows that eating some saturated fat is okay. Just don’t overdo it.
Surprisingly, diets like the popular Atkins Diet advocates that dieters eat as much red meat as they like even though the saturated fat found in red meat is known to be a cause of heart disease.
Here are three easy tricks that will help you cut back on your intake of saturated fat:
1. Choose lean red meat, and eat it only an average of once a week.
2. Keep your red meat servings to the size of a deck of cards.
3. Choose lower fat versions of dairy products.
The one kind of fat that is an absolute dud is Trans fat. When it comes to Tran’s fat there is no middle ground; steer clear of it altogether. Tran’s fat is vegetable oil that has been heated with hydrogen in order to transform it into solid fat such as margarine or vegetable shortening. Also on the list of Trans fat (unless these foods specifically say they are Trans fat-free) are partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, most deep fried foods and many commercial baked goods.
Manufacturers love Trans fats because the hydrogenation process extends the shelf life of food, but too much Trans fat in your diet will cut your shelf life short. Trans fat is worse for you than saturated fat; it raises bad cholesterol and has been linked to both heart disease and diabetes. No amount of Trans fat is good for you.
But don’t despair, the last two kinds of fat are good for you and are actually essential; in fact they’re a must have! These are the so-called “unsaturated fats,” which are monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat. Both are not only safe to enjoy, they actually cut your risk of heart disease. Monounsaturated fats are found in olive oil, canola oil, peanut oils, avocados and nuts. You’ll find polyunsaturated fats in seeds and oil made from corn, soybeans, safflower, cottonseed, fish and poultry.
Two specific kinds of polyunsaturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids are particularly healthy; they regulate blood clotting and can prevent heart disease, stroke, and a variety of other conditions. On top of that, they make your skin positively glow and keep it from wrinkling.
Most people get their fair share of omega-6 fatty acids because of an increased use in the United States of the vegetable oils that contain them, but most people don’t get the necessary amounts of omega-3 fatty acids.
To stock up on omega-3s, eat fatty fish, such as salmon and tuna on a regular basis and fill up on flax seeds (flax seeds must be ground and raw for the oil to be absorbed). I find the easiest way to ensure that I’m getting my fair share of omega-3s is to sprinkle some ground flax seed on top of my cereal or oatmeal in the morning or to add it to delicious fruit smoothies.
