What are the two types of fat? Where do you get them from? Why should you consider the nature of the fat? When is the best time to eat fats? How do you avoid the bad ones? Are you looking for answers to these questions?
You need to understand the different types of fat to understand which ones to consume in what amounts and when should you probably avoiding them and regulating the intake.
What Are The Types Of Fat?
There are some good fats which are essential for our body to function and to keep up the balance of nutrients. There are some other fats which are not harmful when consumed in the required amount to keep the body away from threats.
The three types of fat are Unsaturated fats, Saturated fats and Trans fat.
Having said that it is important to identify which are the one that are good for you and which are the ones that are bad.
Dietary Fat And Cholesterol
While cholesterol is a greasy and fatty, wax-like substance that your body needs to work properly. All by itself, cholesterol isn’t very awful like the general understanding.
Be that as it may, when you get a lot of it, it can negatively affect your wellbeing. Likewise, with dietary fat, there are good and bad kinds of cholesterol.
On the other hand, dietary fat plays a vital role in your cholesterol levels. HDL or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol is the “good” sort of cholesterol found in your blood. LDL low-density lipoprotein cholesterol is the “bad” kind.
The key is to keep LDL levels low and HDL high, which keeps you safe against coronary illness and stroke. Then again, elevated amounts of LDL cholesterol can obstruct veins and low HDL can be a marker for expanded cardiovascular hazard.
As opposed to the measure of cholesterol you eat, the greatest impact on your cholesterol levels is the sort of fats you devour. So instead of tallying cholesterol levels, it’s imperative to concentrate on replacing bad fats with good fats.
What Are The Good Fats?
Unsaturated fats, which consist of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, are the ones that are fluid or in a liquid state at room temperature. Their source is generally from plant oils and are hence classified as “good” fats.
Monounsaturated Fats
Monounsaturated fat molecules are not saturated with hydrogen particles. This means each fat molecule has just enough space for one hydrogen iota when we speak technically. The word monounsaturated can be split into two words – mono meaning single unsaturated meaning accommodating not more than one hydrogen particle.
Monounsaturated fats may bring down LDL or low-density lipoprotein which is bad cholesterol, and keep up HDL or high-density lipoprotein, which is good cholesterol. In any case, only if saturated fat consumption is decreased, cholesterol levels may stay unchanged.
Polyunsaturated Fats
On the contrary, polyunsaturated fats contain various spaces around each polyunsaturated fat molecule and are not saturated with hydrogen iotas. The word polyunsaturated can be split into two words – poly meaning many and unsaturated meaning not accommodating hydrogen particles.
Nutritionists state that polyunsaturated fats are good for our health, particularly those from fish, known as Omega-3 polyunsaturated fats. The other sort of polyunsaturated fats are omega-6 unsaturated fats.
These are for the most part found in vegetable oils and handled sustenances. An over the top admission of Omega-6’s may sometimes lead to inflammation.
Where Can You Find Good Fats?
Omega-3 unsaturated fats keep you guarded against coronary illness by bringing down blood cholesterol levels and also inflammation. Some experts also state Omega-3 polyunsaturated unsaturated fats may likewise help diminish the manifestations experienced by individuals who experience the ill effects of joint inflammation, joint issues when all is said in done, and some skin illnesses.
Some of the resources of monounsaturated fats are plant-based oils. For example, olive oil from olives, nut-based oils like peanut butter oil and avocados too.
The sources of polyunsaturated fats are Oily fish like sardines, mackerel, trout, salmon, and herring, grapeseed, soybean, and sunflower oil. Nuts, seeds, and pastured eggs can also contain omega-3 fatty acids.
What Are The Bad Fats?
Trans fats are artificially made, they don’t naturally occur in any plant or animal-based food. Trans fats are made in a modern procedure that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them increasingly strong. They are also otherwise called somewhat hydrogenated oils. This is the reason why they are considered bad fats.
Trans fats are not essentially required by the human body and they definitely do not promote good nutrition. The consumption of trans fats builds up LDL cholesterol level and brings down degrees of HDL cholesterol. Thus, it is a possible danger of emerging coronary illness and stroke at a higher rate when compared to the other types of fat.
Specialists state that trans fats from mostly hydrogenated oils are more dangerous for your well being than naturally occurring oils.
Where Can You Find Bad Fats?
The reason why the consumption of Trans fats has turned out to be popular for the food industry is that they are simpler to produce and involve a lesser cost in manufacturing. Another reason is their shelf life and the good taste they offer.
Since trans fats can be utilized repetitively by commercial fryers, they are also present in junk food outlets and restaurants.
According to the Harvard School of Public Health, trans fat consumption is related to 50,000 gruesome heart attacks every year. They are likewise connected with an expanded danger of creating type 2 diabetes.
The Third Type – Saturated Fats
These fats are not as harmful as trans fat mentioned above but do have an effect on health. Saturated fats are the ones that have each carbon molecule saturated with one Hydrogen molecule each.
Having said this, when saturated fats are consumed in moderation, the hazardous effects can be minimized on the body.
The majority of the saturated fast are from animal sources like lamb, fatty beef, poultry with skin, and some vegetarian resources like butter, lard and cheese.
When Is The Best Time To Eat Fats?
A lot of people believe that fats are not necessary for the diet. But it is important to note that the presence of fats in the diet makes the metabolism better and is a required nutrient to the body.
But anything over the top is always harmful to the body. There is always a right time to consume fats so that they get to the part of the body where it is required.
Experts suggest that fats are better consumed in the primary meal of the day – breakfast. Always aim to include as much fat as required by the body in your breakfast meal. These could be the nut butter or avocados in your delicious morning salad full of nutrients.
The reason why you should consume fats in the morning meal is that the fats consumed in this meal get used up throughout the day. It is also important to note that they should not be consumed in excess by giving in to your cravings.
When fats are consumed in excess amounts later in the evening or at night they are really bad. Fats end up taking at least 2-4 hours to digest at night because the body is at rest. Therefore, if you eat high amounts of fat at dinner, the body will probably won’t have much required to use the energy in it and will move it to a stored state in the body.
So if you are looking at having that cheese sandwich, butter eggs or the full-fat coconut milk, add it to your breakfast for sure!
It is important to consider how much trans fat you are consuming in a day. Otherwise, also, its consumption should be limited to 1% of the total calories you have in a day to stay away from its bad effects.
If you suffer from chronic illnesses or conditions like diabetes, PCOS or coronary ailments, it is suggested to nil down your trans fat consumption. Obesity is also another ailment to consider, although does not just occur due to overeating trans fat. It does get affected by the consumption of it and this has to always be limited to avoid extremities.
How To Avoid Bad Fats In Your Diet
The best way to control the consumption of fats is to plan to eat them once a week or two. Yes, you do have cravings, but catering to your cravings every now and then could be dangerous for your body.
So plan that lip-smacking dessert day or eating your fries to the cheat day that you plan carefully depending on your diet. A guide to plan your cheat days effectively can be beneficial for long term health benefits.
Rather than fanatically matching fat grams, go for an eating routine rich in an assortment of vegetables, fruits, nuts, and beans, with at least two weeks after week servings of fatty fish, taking in just enough dairy and not overdoing it, and a modest quantity of red meat.
The main essential to follow on is limiting your intake of saturated fats with the above-mentioned foods. While doing this, make sure you do not replace the saturated fats with sugary foods or refined carbohydrates.
This may mean replacing fried chicken with grilled or barbequed chicken, swapping out a portion of the red meat you eat with different sources of protein, for example, fish, chicken, or beans, or utilizing olive oil in the place of a buttery spread.
The Best Diet To Follow To Cut Down Fats
Following a Mediterranean Diet can likewise help guarantee you’re getting enough good fats in your eating routine and constraining the awful ones.
This diet has gained popularity since the second half of the 20th Century because of the advent to alarmingly increasing cases of people suffering from coronary ailments.
It has proven to be one of the best ways to deal with the consumption of fat because it includes a lot of good fats and is a holistic meal with all the required nutrients.
The reason why this diet is considered best because it includes a variety of foods from vegetables and fruits to whole grains and healthy fats. Weekly intake of meat and seafood is an additional benefit of this diet because it reduces the intake of heavy amounts of meat.
This diet encourages the consumption of white meat and seafood over red meat, that helps in avoiding the intake of trans fat and saturated fats. Another additional plus point about this diet is that dairy consumption suggests at a moderate level.
And for the cherry on the cake, it a much-loved diet around the world because it permits the consumption of the super-rich red wine in meagre portions once in a while.
Other tips to reduce fat intake
- Attempt to take out trans fats from your eating routine. Check food labels before purchasing them for trans fats. Restricting monetarily heated products and inexpensive food can go far.
- Eat omega-3 fats each day. Incorporate a variety of fish sources along with plant sources, for example, flaxseed oil, canola oil, walnuts, ground flax seeds, and soybean oil.
- Cook with olive oil. Utilize olive oil for stovetop cooking instead of butter, stick margarine, or lard. For cooking, you could rather attempt canola oil or peanut oil.
- Eat more of avocados. Attempt them in sandwiches or plates of mixed greens or make guacamole. Alongside being stacked with heart-and mind sound fats, they make for a filling meal too.
- Reach out for the nuts. You can add nuts to vegetable dishes, use them rather than bread crumbs on chicken or fish, or make your very own spread with different nuts, seeds, and dried natural product.
- Snack up on olives. Olives are high in solid monounsaturated fats and make for a low-calorie nibble. Attempt them plain or make a tapenade for plunging.
- Dress your very own serving of mixed greens. Trade it with a serving of mixed greens dressings are frequently high in undesirable fat or included sugars. Make your very own sound dressings with olive, flaxseed, or sesame oils.
It is important to consider that not all fats are bad. The human body acquires energy from three main sources – carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Each of these are required in different amounts for different functions of the body.
Excellent