What’s the Difference Between the Different Types of Fat
It would be pretty easy to eat foods without no fats at all in them. Unfortunately, you probably wouldn’t be eating very healthy. According to the Mayo Clinic, we need to consume fat to ensure our body functions properly.
Yeah, it’s weird to read that you need to eat fat when you are trying to lose it. The big key is that you do not eat too much and you pay attention to the type of fat you are consuming. Not all fats are created equal.
Saturated Fat - This one will be known as the arterly blocker fat. It is the main dietary cause of higher LDL (”bad”) cholestrol according to the American Heart Accociation.
Hydrogenated Fat - This one is saturated fat’s buddy. It also leads to higher LDL cholesterol.
Trans-fatty Acids and Hydrogenated Fats - These fats are another “bad” fat. According to the American Heart Association, you should only have 1% of your daily calories coming from Trans and Hydro fats. So, if you consume 1,500 calories a day (like I have been shooting for), you should only consume less than 1.5 grams of trans fats.
Polyunsaturated and Monounsaturated Fats - Here are the “good” fats that can be found in fish, nuts and some plant oils. These types of fat can actually help lower your bad cholestorol.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids - I first heard of this fat when I read an article about the top ten happy foods to boost your mood. It’s another “good” fat that can help lower your bad cholesterol and possibly reduce your risk of heart disease.
I have a hard time remembering things sometimes, and what I like to do is to associate words with other words to help me remember something. So I am going to try it here so when I’m purchasing foods I can pay more attention to the nutritional label.
S (Saturated)
H (Hydrogenated)
T (Trans)
SHT = Add one letter, and what do you get? A bad word. Bad word = Bad for your cholesterol.
M (Monounsaturated)
O (Omega 3)
P (Polyunsaturated)
MOP = Mop is a good word. Good because you are cleaning up the gunk (plaque) that can block your arteries.
Now that I’ve done this, I will probably always remember the SHT fats LOL.
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Yep, fat of the healthy variety, in controlled amounts, is actually a vital part of our diet. So are carbs by the way, for all the Atkins folks out there.
Gal