Generally, you probably want to get rid of fat and avoid eating meals that will increase the amount of fat stored in your body. It is, however, unfortunate that a large percentage of people talking about fats do not really know what it means. To some, it is that bad food type that shouldn’t be included in meals at all, which is not true, and this makes many people miss out on the amazing benefits stored in fats.
Fats greatly influence your energy level, brain function, and overall health. With these exciting benefits, are you now free to take fats as you wish? Absolutely not! This is because not all fats are healthy enough to provide you these benefits. You need to know your fats and I’ll be discussing them below:
1. Trans Fats
Trans fats aren’t healthy for you, as they are created in an industrial process that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them solid . This will make them harden the arteries and might result in heart failure, which can lead to death.
These fats are found in processed foods, snack foods, cookies, margarine, and salad dressings. It is important that you check the ingredients for the hydrogenated oils used in any processed foods you purchase, just to be on the safe side. On a final note, trans fats are not healthy for you. Stay away as far as you can.
2. Monosaturated fats
These fats are found mostly in vegetable oils like olive and rapeseed oil. They are also found in avocados and nuts. This is definitely good for your health, as it helps to lower the bad LDL cholesterol and maintain the good HDL cholesterol. To get the best out of this, keep an eye out for unprocessed sources.
3. Polysaturated fats
Polysaturated fats can be divided into two groups: omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, of which both are needed in the body. It is also vital that there is a balance between these two, by eating more of omega-3 and cutting down how much omega-6 you take in, as it has been shown to increase the risk of heart disease if taken excessively.
4. Omega-6 fatty acids
This includes vegetable oils, avocado, and conventional poultry and eggs.
5. Omega-3 fatty acids
This includes organic poultry and eggs, salmon, chia, walnuts, tuna, cod liver oil, and so on. This is just the best you should have in your diets, as they help to lower the risk of heart disease, and also keep you healthy.
Now that you know your fats, ensure you stick to what is right for your health.
