Which fats are good for you?

 

Which fats are good for you?

Good fats, bad fats, saturated, unsaturated, trans-fats – which fats are good for you?

For decades we have heard that fats should be avoided at all cost. Fat has always allegedly, been the problem in our diets. It has been blamed for high cholesterol levels, blood pressure and heart disease as well as the obvious weight gain that we so desperately try to avoid.

Since then a lot has changed. The ‘experts’ now agree that a little fat in your diet doesn’t do as much harm as once thought and that we should all be having a bit more of the good fat variety in our diet. They have discovered that weight gain, high cholesterol and blood pressure, risk of heart disease and diabetes are actually exacerbated by sugar and refined carb intake than by fat. Now they say that it is sugar that makes you put on weight and excess weight is associated with the above conditions. Bottom line. Sugar makes you fat, fat doesn’t.

Now don’t run away with this and think that you can happily eat your cream cakes and that they will do you good! Firstly cakes contain sugar and lots of carbs so that’s a no-no, but also the cream in your cakes is not the type of fat you want to be eating. That fat will make you fat and very unhealthy.

So which fats are good for you?

Fat
Fat comes in two forms: Saturated and unsaturated. As a rule of thumb you should try to eat more unsaturated fat and less saturated fat and avoid trans fats as much as possible. (Trans fats are artificial fats that are formed when oil goes through a process called hydrogenation, which makes the oil more solid in room temperature known as hardening).

Here are some examples of saturated and unsaturated fats.

Saturated fats are found in:

• fatty cuts of meat
• meat products, including sausages and pies
• butter, ghee and lard
• cheese, especially hard cheese
• cream, soured cream and ice cream
• some savoury snacks and chocolate confectionery
• biscuits, cakes and pastries

Saturated fats are solid at room temperature.

Although a few saturated fats are now not deemed as bad for you as once thought, care still should be taken to not over consume these as they can raise cholesterol levels. Depending on the diet you’re having, whether healthy or unhealthy, you may not benefit from having too many saturated fats if you are eating other foods that can also raise cholesterol levels.

How can you lower your intake of saturated fats?
You can choose to buy leaner cuts of meat, remove chicken skin and drop the mayo. BEWARE some foods that say ‘low-fat’ have added sugar and salt to make them more tasty.

Unsaturated fats are found in:

• oily fish such as salmon, sardines and mackerel
• nuts and seeds
• olive oil
• avocados

Unsaturated fats are liquid in room temperature.

Unsaturated fat, especially in the form of monounsaturated fat, helps transport and absorb vitamins such as Vitamin A and Vitamin D. It helps to clean up the arteries of bad fats (cholesterol). It helps with brain cognition and memory, improves moods (we could all use that sometimes!) and has been known to alleviate depression. Fat is responsible for hormone production. Fat makes you feel satiated (feeling full) and having a correct amount of healthy fat in your diet means you will not binge as much.

How can you have more unsaturated fats?
Drizzle olive oil over you salad and veg. Eat a handful of nuts a day. Eat olives or half an avocado. Choose oily fish at least twice a week.

Thank goodness that the ‘experts’ have finally realised the benefits of fat and that it is essential that we keep good fats and small amounts of saturated fats in our diets.

Believe me we need fats. It’s sugar and processed carbohydrates that we do not need.

So keep healthy fats on your plate and ditch the sugar!

DISCLAIMER: I must emphasise that fat will make you fat and unhealthy, even the good type of fat if you overeat it. It only works as part of a healthy diet. So please take care not to over consume fats of any kind! 

Have a great day.

Sally x

Any questions? Want to book a 1:1 consultation?
Please email info@sallyhumphries.com or call 07983 033 310

Next week: Why you are bloated