YOU certainly have heard about a healthy lifestyle with a diet low in fat. This does not mean you should avoid fat completely. However, our bodies need fat. Moreover, not all fats are bad. So you need to do is be smart in choosing the type of good fat.
Most foods contain different types of fat, including saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, monounsaturated fat and trans fat. Among these fats, there is nothing better than others. To learn more, the following description of the healthy fats and unhealthy.
healthy fats
If you want to choose the fat, the best option is fat-saturated fats, unsaturated fats either single or double. This type of fat, when used to replace other types of fat, can reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in the blood.
Omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat, very beneficial for heart health. Omega-3s appear to decrease the risk of coronary heart disease. In addition, these fats also protect against abnormal heartbeats and help lower blood pressure.
To help you choose the food, the following are the types and sources of healthy fats:
Monounsaturated fat. Can be obtained from olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, avocados, nuts and seeds.
Polyunsaturated fat. Can be obtained from vegetable oils, soybeans, nuts and seeds.
Omega-3 fatty acids. Can be obtained from fish such as salmon and mackerel, flaxseed, flax oil and walnuts.
harmful fats
Saturated fats and trans fats are less healthy type of fat. They can increase your risk of heart disease by increasing levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Cholesterol we get from food is basically the same as the fat, but cholesterol is found in animal foods. Intake of dietary cholesterol will increase cholesterol levels. But, it does not significantly increase compared with saturated fats and trans fats.
Here's a dangerous type of fat along with the source:
Saturated fat. Found in animal products (such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products, and butter) and coconut oil.
Trans fats. Present in hydrogenated vegetable oil, burnt products (such as crackers and cookies), as well as fried foods.
Cholesterol from food. Found in animal products (such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products, and butter).
Limitation of daily fat intake
Based on the recommendations of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as quoted situsmayo clinic, fat intake should not exceed 35% of your total daily calories. That is, if you follow a diet 1800 calories a day, your fat intake should be no more than 70 grams / day. (The trick: multiply 1,800 by 0:35 to get 630 calories, and divided by 9, the number of calories per gram of fat, to get 70 grams total fat). You also have to remember, this is the maximum limit. In addition, most of these fats should come from sources of monounsaturated and doubles. According to the USDA and HHS, limit saturated fat should be less than 10% of total daily calories and cholesterol less than 300 milligrams a day.
Tip choose the best fat
Limit intake of fats in your diet but do not try to eliminate fat completely. Focus on reducing foods rich in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol. Instead choose more foods that contain unsaturated fats. You can consider the following ways when choosing:
• It is better to replace butter with olive oil
• Use olive oil when making a salad but it is better to use canola oil when baking.
• Better to choose a handful of nuts as a snack instead of potato chips or crackers other processed products.
• Better add the avocado into your sandwich than cheese.
• It is better to eat fish such as salmon and mackerel are rich in monounsaturated and omega-3, compared to meat.