Trying to be a mindful and healthy consumer, you feel good about your last trip to the grocery store. Most of the foods you purchased were in your mind, healthy and low in fat. Picking up a pack of new low fat muffins, you read the label. The package only has four grams of fat per serving; you buy it thinking you made a good choice.
However, what you didn't realize is, two grams of trans- fat, and two grams of saturated fat in the muffin are actually a really poor choice and a recipe for future health problems.
In order to avoid unhealthy eating, one must first understand fats. Not all fats are created equal. It is important to know what the difference is, and what they can and can not do in regards to your health. Fats are considered a form of food energy. There are three types of dietary fats: Saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated.
Saturated fats are those fats that are found primarily in foods of animal origin like red meat, whole milk, hot dogs lunch meats, cheese. All animal fats contain cholesterol. The consumption of high saturated fats have a large link to heart disease and strokes.
Polyunsaturated fats come from vegetable sources and are considered a healthy fat but in the correct form they can be beneficial. There are two main types of polyunsaturated fats; Omega-3 fats and Omega-6 fats.
Omega-3 fatty acids include cold-water fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines, and other seafood such as oysters and scallops, flax seed and flax seed oil, and walnuts are good sources. However, most Americans do not consume enough of these essential fats.
Omego-6 fatty acids are corn oil, cottonseed oil, margarine, soybean oil, sunflower seeds, as well as mayonnaise and salad dressings made with those oils. Any foods made with these types of oils, or fried in those oils. However the majority of people eat too much of this type of fat compared to the Omega-3 fats, which can cause to inflammation in the body resulting an increased risk of chronic disease such as diabetes, heart disease and arthritis.
Monounsaturated fats are fats that are usually liquid at room temperature but solid when refrigerated. Examples are sunflower oil, safflower oil. which were originally not a good source of fat. However, look for "high oleic,." on the label, which is a healthy version of these two oils with up to 81% monounsaturated fat.
Other examples of monounsaturated fats are found in olive oil, canola oil, avocados, ,almonds, peanuts, most nuts (raw not roasted or salted.) Also half the fat in beef is monounsaturated.
We move on to Trans fats which are in a category all their own. The manufacturing process called hydrogenation takes monounsaturated and polyunsaturated oils and turns them into unhealthy saturated fats. While this technique helps to improve the texture and extends the shelf life on food, trans-fats are linked to coronary artery disease and some cancers.
People who consume most trans-fatty acids have a 50 percent greater risk for heart attacks than those who consume the least.
What is best when is comes to the consumption of fat?
First, avoid saturated and trans-fat as much as possible because both can raise your "bad" cholesterol.
Pay attention to ratios. Eat a diet high in Omega-3 fats. While it is okay to eat Omega-6 fats the ratio should be 4:1 Omega-3 to Omega-6.
Lastly, read packages. Pay attention to the type of fat that is in the foods you are buying. Just because it is low in fat does not mean it is healthy for you. Moderate your overall fat intake because any fat is high in calories. For better health and weight loss, the recommendation is 20 to 30 percent of your daily caloric intake from fat.
Remember a smart shopper is usually a healthy consumer!
AT A Glance
More about Fats: http://www.webmd.com/diet/tc/types-of-fats-topic-overview
Heart Healthy Foods:http://www.healthfinder.gov/prevention/ViewTool.aspx?toolId=2
Low Fat on a Budget;
http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/mealplanning/a/lowfatbudget.htm
