Guide To Good Fats And Good Carbs

During the 19th century, the English had a proverb that read, "Every cloud has a silver lining." This sentiment applies to the plight of fats and carbs in the U.S. Emerging from the claims that fats and carbs are bad comes the knowledge that some fats and carbs can do good things for the body. In fact, some play an essential, productive role in a healthy diet.

Definitions

Because of its insolubility in water, fats hang around in the bloodstream, where they meet up with other fats and aggregate into clusters that form plaque, which becomes a blockage that can lead to multiple forms of heart disease. Those most guilty of this, the hydrogenated fats, have artificially added hydrogen. Also known as trans fats, their development created margarine and other fats that are solid at room temperature. Amid the anti-carb hype from the Atkins Diet and South Beach Diet, carbs met a similar fate as trans fats. Carbs, composed of chains of starch molecules, have simple or complex arrangements. The simplest form of carbs becomes sugar in the body very quickly, unlike complex carbs, which take longer to break down. Sugar feeds the body's cells, but too much of it causes some not to make it to the cells and join their fat neighbor, remaining in the bloodstream and causing diabetes.

Significance

According to the CDC, 14 million people visit emergency rooms with heart disease every year. The CDC also estimated in 2007 that 35 million people over the age of 20 have type 2 diabetes. Calling some fats and carbs "bad" understates the danger of two of the nation's biggest killers. It's up to the consumer to know which types have negative effects on the body and which ones benefit health.

Good and Bad Fats

Classified as the good, the bad and the ugly, fats have a bad reputation. The "ugly" fats, the hydrogenated trans fats, are so ugly that you should avoid them altogether. They prove dangerous if eaten in abundance. Hydrogenation is often used on soy, cottonseed and canola oils. Also watch for these fats in processed foods such as crackers, cookies, doughnuts and pies. Not quite as ugly, the "bad" fats, the saturated and polyunsaturated fats come from animals. Eat them periodically. Besides ingesting them from meats, these appear in mayonnaise, salad dressing, sunflower oil and corn oil. If eaten in abundance, these fats can cause a rise in LDL, the "bad" cholesterol. Moderate use, however, enhances your immune system. Look for "cold-pressed" versions of corn, flaxseed, hemp, pumpkinseed, safflower, sesame, soybean and sunflower oils. Lastly, "good" fats come from vegetables and include omega-3 and omega-6 fats and monounsaturated fats. Essential to life, the good fats come from nuts, seeds and extra-virgin olive oil. They represent a small part of the diet.

Bad Carbs

Most simple carbs equal sugar equals fast conversion equals bad carbs. Stay away from candy, baked sweets, processed foods high in sugar and fruit juices. Have these on special occasions only.

Good Carbs

Switch from eating white bread, rice, cereals and other bad carbs to good whole grain versions. Other foods rich in good carbs include beans and legumes, oatmeal, Kashi Golean, All Bran, barley, bulgur, buckwheat, quinoa and wheat berries. Low-fat and fat-free dairy products contain good carbs, as do nuts, berries, apples, citrus fruit, peaches, plums and pears. Vegetables contain complex carbs in the form of fiber and should make up a large part of your diet.