THE SKINNY ON FAT

Here is the low down on FAT  Read through carefully......good fats will give you nice hair, skin and nails but bad fats can have a demising affect on our bodies when consumed regularly over time.

Education in KING.  Post by Andrea Guzzo, Body Exchange Fitness Coach.

Good Fat vs. Bad Fat

Unsaturated fats are known as the “good” fats. You want to choose unsaturated fats but be careful not to have too many. Unsaturated fats can lower cholesterol when substituted for saturated fats. Choose fish, flaxseed, wheat germ and walnuts more often – they contain heart healthy fats called omega 3 fatty acids

Monounsaturated Fats - are fatty acids that have a single double bond in the fatty acid chain some examples are;

Nuts/seeds and their butters

Non-hydrogenated margarines

Oil, Canola & Peanut Oil, Avocado

Polyunsaturated Fats - fatty acids in which more than one double bond exists within the representative molecule some examples are;

Non-hydrogenated margarines

Nuts/seeds and their butters

Safflower, Corn, Sunflower & Soybean oils

Omega 3 Fats - are members of a series of essential unsaturated fatty acids that have in common a final carbon–carbon double bond in the n−3 position

Fish

Flaxseed & Wheat germ

Soybeans

Walnuts

Saturated Fats are known as the “bad” fats. Choose a diet lower in saturated fats. You can decrease the amount of saturated fat in your diet by choosing lean cuts of meat, skinless poultry and low fat varieties of milk and dairy products. Limit coconut and palm oils, butter, lard and tallow and bacon & sausage. Limit egg yolks as they are high in saturated fat and cholesterol. .

Trans Fats are the “worst” fats. Trans fats are made by a process called hydrogenation. Look for the word “hydrogenation” or “vegetable oil shortening” on food labels. Some examples are;

Donuts and Pastries

Deep fried & Fast Foods

French Fries & Chips

Hydrogenated margarines

Many commercial cakes, cookies and crackers

Cholesterol is a fat like substance found in foods of animal origin, mainly meat, poultry, fish and dairy products. It is especially high in foods such as egg yolks and organ meats. It is not found in any food that comes from plants. It is recommended that you eat no more the 200mg of cholesterol per day.

Read your labels!