When looking to trim inches from your waste and melt away excess pounds, turning to a balanced diet full of nutrition is just the first step. But to actually lose weight effectively, you should learn to decipher what is really good and what is bad for you to eat. This includes learning about which fats are considered "bad" fats.
Dietary Fats
The word "fat" my scare people off, but it's actually needed for your survival. Your body receives energy through foods by way of carbohydrates, protein and dietary fat, and more than one type of dietary fat exists. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are considered "good" fats, as they do not raise blood levels of low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, also known as "bad" cholesterol. The American Heart Association explains that it's possible that these good fats may even lower LDL levels. If you're on a diet, or just trying to stay healthy, the "bad" fats you want to avoid are saturated and trans fats.
Solid Fats
Saturated as well as trans fat can be referred to as solid fats because they become solid when at room temperature. Some examples of solid fats include butter, margarine and pork fat.
Saturated Fats
Saturated fat is the main dietary cause of high blood cholesterol. This kind of fat may raise total blood cholesterol and LDL, which can result in health issues such as cardiovascular disease, heart attack or stroke. High saturated fat intake can also lead to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, according to MayoClinic.com. Animal sources such as beef and pork contain saturated fats.
Trans Fats
Trans fatty acids, synthetic trans fats, industrial trans fats or simply trans fats are definitely considered "bad" fats. Though they can be produce naturally from animals, Mayo Clinic explains that they mainly derive from partial hydrogenation of unsaturated fats. Hydrogenation is a chemical process that produces fats that aren't as likely to go bad or spoil as quickly as natural fats. This process also makes cooking these fats easier, but trans fats are one of the worst offenders. Not only can they increase LDL levels, but they may be able to decrease HDL levels, otherwise known as high-density lipoprotein or "good" cholesterol. Butter, crackers, some baked goods like donuts, as well as chips are notoriously high in trans fats.
Recommendations
The American Heart Association's Nutrition Committee advises limiting your fat intake to lower than 25 to 35 percent of your total calories daily. Out of the fat total, saturated fat should be at less than 7 percent, trans fat should be less than 1 percent, and the rest of your fat intake should come from both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Look to foods like seeds, fish, fish oil, raw nuts and vegetable oils for good fats. Do keep in mind that if you're on a diet, some of these foods such as nuts, may contain high amounts of calories and should be eaten in moderation (e.g., a typical serving of walnuts is 1 to 1.5 oz. daily).
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