Learn About Healthy Fats to Include in Your Diet

Most foods contain fats. The different kinds of fats are:

• Saturated
• Polyunsaturated
• Monounsaturated
• Trans fats

Some kinds of fats are better and necessary for your health. Other kinds of fats should be avoided. Knowing which fats to include in your diet and which fats to leave out is the key to the proper balance of fats in your diet. It is not necessary to completely eliminate all fats from your meals. You need to learn how to make healthy choices and enjoy them in moderation.

The body needs fat to function properly. Review the following benefits of including fat in your diet:

• It is an energy source
• Fat is a nutrient used in the production of cell membranes and hormone-like compounds called eicosanoids
• The eicosanoids are necessary to help regular blood pressure, heart rate, blood vessel constriction, blood clotting and the nervous system.
• Fat carries fat-soluble vitamins such as Vitamin A, D, E and K from food into your body
• Fat helps maintain healthy hair and skin
• Fat protects vital organs
• Fat helps keep your body insulated
• Fat provides a sense of fullness after meals

As you can see from the list above including “healthy” choices of fat is very necessary to maintain good health.

On the flip side, too much fat can be harmful. Large amounts of high-fat foods add unwanted calories that lead to weight gain and obesity. You want to avoid obesity as much as possible. Obesity carries higher risk for diabetes, heart disease, cancer, gallstones, sleep apnea and osteoarthritis. Too much of saturated fat or trans fat can increase your blood cholesterol levels and your risk of coronary artery disease.

The healthiest options when choosing fats are:

• Monounsaturated fats
• Polyunsaturated fats

When you use monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in place of other kinds of fats you lower your risk of heart disease.
Omega-3 fatty acids is one type of polyunsaturated fat that may be especially beneficial to your heart. Omega-3 fatty acids may also help protect against irregular heartbeats and help to lower blood pressure levels.

Foods high in monounsaturated fat are:

• Olive oil
• Peanut Oil
• Canola oil
• Avocados
• Most nuts

Foods high in polyunsaturated fat are:

• Safflower oil
• Corn oil
• Sunflower oil
• Soy oil
• Cottonseed oil

Foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids are:

• Salmon
• Mackerel
• Herring
• Sardines
• Flaxseeds
• Flax oil
• Walnuts
• Small amounts are found in soybean and canola oil

Saturated and trans fats are less healthy kinds of fats. They increase the risk of heart disease.
Sources of less healthy saturated fat:

• Red meat
• Poultry
• Butter
• Whole milk
• Coconut oil
• Palm oil
• Tropical oils

Less healthy trans fat that comes from adding hydrogen to vegetable oil through a process of hydrogenation are listed below. Trans fat is used to help make food more solid and les likely to spoil. Trans fat sources include:

• Commercial baked goods
• Crackers
• Cookies
• Cakes
• Fried foods like doughnuts and French fries
• Shortenings and some margarines

Daily recommendations for fat intake:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services recommend fat make up no more than 35 percent of your daily calories. The most of this should come from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated sources.

Source: Mayo Clinic

Disclaimer: *This article is not meant to diagnose, treat or cure any kind of a health problem. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Always consult with your health care provider about any kind of a health problem and especially before beginning any kind of an exercise routine.

This article is FREE to publish with the resource box. Article written 2-2007.

Author: Connie Limon. Visit us at nutritionandhealthhub.com nutritionandhealthhub.com and sign up for our weekly nutrition and health tips. Nutrition and Health Hub is a collection of articles available for information, education and FREE reprints for your newsletters, websites or blog. Purchase a high quality grade of Fish Oil Supplement at fishoilsite.com fishoilsite.com

Tags: cholesterol, diet, french fries, Hair, Heart, obesity, sleep

Related posts

• You Can Be Old But Your Heart Must Be Young (0)
• Weight Loss: Supersize Me (0)
• Tips To Prepare Favorite Meal On Low GI Diet (0)
• The Subconscious Diet Can Help Protect Your Child From Type 2 Diabetes (0)
• The Need For Exercise (0)

Tags: cholesterol, diet, french fries, Hair, Heart, obesity, sleep