Dietary experts recommend a number of food products that help you develop your body with proper weight and shape. For obese people there are fat burner foods, and if you are lean then foods to gain healthy fats are available for you. It’s all about the difference between good fat and bad fat.
We are frequently taught that fats are bad for human health. But after so many clinical researches, nutritionists have found that all fats are actually not bad, there are some good fats or healthy fats too. The optimum body weight comprises of a considerable amount of fat.
A low-fat diet is good for health, as it offers you high strength for fighting off certain healthy conditions and maintaining the cholesterol level. Bad fats are dangerous to health and they are known to increase cholesterol level, heart diseases and chances of stroke. The intake of fatty foods is mainly responsible for adding bad fats to your body. In this way, the presence of good fat is desirable to protect your health.
Fat:
Fat is a source of energy made up of fatty acids (building blocks). It can be classified as saturated, unsaturated and trans-fat. All types of fat give the same number of calories i.e. 9kcal/g that means an excess of any fat can promote weight gain.
• Unsaturated fats
Unsaturated fats are considered as a healthy fat. They are divided into monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat; both are received from the healthy diet. Both mono and polyunsaturated fats can be used in the place of transfat and saturated fats in the body. Unsaturated fats decrease the chances of heart disease and improve blood cholesterol level and blood sugar level.
Unsaturated fats are found in vegetable oils, monounsaturated oils, virgin olive oil, peanut oil, sesame oil and some processed oils like soybean oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, cottonseed oil and safflower oil. They are also recommended as a good fat burner if taken in an ideal amount.
Omega-3 fatty acids are a polyunsaturated fat that is good for memory and healthy pregnancy. This fat can reduce the risk of stroke, heart disease and cancer. It’s also recommended to prevent depression, bipolar disorder and mood balance. It can ease inflammatory skin conditions and joint pain.
• Trans fats
There is an urgent need to remove trans fat content from daily diet, as this fat is considered to be a bad fat. It’s responsible for many health-related problems like obesity, clogged arteries, and diabetes. Moreover, it can elevate LDL cholesterol and lower down HDL Cholesterol.
Meat and dairy product naturally have a small amount of trans-fat, but artificial trans fat is not very good for the overall body functions.
• Saturated fats
Saturated fats have merits as well as demerits like saturated fat in coconut oil, milk, salmon, etc. Are healthy fats but, at the same time the saturated fat in fatty foods like pizza, French fries, sausage, salami etc. Increase the risk of cancer and coronary diseases.
Dietary guidelines for fat:
As per the dietary guidelines from top nutritionist and dieticians, the average adult should consume 20% to 35% daily good fats and less than 10% saturated fat.
Sources of Good fat:
Avocado
Avocado contains an average of 30-gram fat. It is rich in monounsaturated fat and a little amount of polyunsaturated fat.
Nuts
Almonds, peanuts, macadamia, hazelnuts, cashews, and pecans – all these are rich in monounsaturated fat. They also help you to maintain calorie level in the body.
Fatty foods
Fatty foods like fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, trout, sardines, etc.) are rich in polyunsaturated fat, that’s good for cognitive functions. It also proves to have problem-solving abilities and offers a healthy dose of fats. These fatty foods are the best source of omega-3 too.
Olives
10 large olives contains 5 grams of monounsaturated fat.
Flax
Flaxseeds are rich in polyunsaturated fat, one spoon of flaxseed contains 4 grams of polyunsaturated healthy fat.
Eggs
One egg contains 5 grams of unsaturated fat that helps your body groom well.
Sources of bad fat:
Fried food items
All the fried foods are not found to be very good for health as they affect the cholesterol level in the body. Foods like French fries, fried chicken, breaded fish, nuggets etc. Can raise the level of bad cholesterol and also stimulate the risks of heart diseases and strokes.
Pre-mixing products
Products like cake mix, pancake, chocolate mix, etc. contain bad fat.
Snacks
Readymade snacks like crackers, candy, potato chips, nuggets, etc. are notorious to augment bad fats.
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Baked foods
Baked food like cookies, muffins, piecrusts, burger buns, and pizzas have potential to increase bad fats.
Processed meat products
Avoid processed meat, takeout foods and packaged meals to prevent the pounds of saturated fat.
Conclusion:
It’s important to focus on gaining an optimum amount of healthy fats. To attain a good and disease free health, one should eliminate trans fat from the diet as well as consider the fat burner foods whenever necessary. Try to take good fat like fish, olive oil, high-quality dairy products, nuts and other sources of unsaturated fats for a healthy physique.
