The big FAT deal about FATS!!

Gram for gram fat has about twice the calories as carbohydrates or protein. This is why you see so many people worrying about the amount of fat that they eat. This is also why you have seen over the years so many diets and diet plans that have focused on fats.

But, here is the deal…. not all fats are completely bad. This is ESECIALLY true if they are eaten in moderation. Before I got into all of this diet, exercise and general health stuff, I was fairly confused about proteins, carbs and fats. Well, here is the skinny on fat.

There are basiclly three kinds:

1. Unsaturated fats- these don’t raise your LDL (bad) cholesterol but just a little and can improve the HDL (good). Walnuts (a personal favorite), fish (very big for me not only during the challenge but all my life), olives, and vegetable oils (canola, corn, peanut, safflower, soybean and sunflower).

2. Saturated fats-  raise LDL cholesterol significantly- fats from animal sources primarily make up this category (meat and dairy) but also includes some vegetable oils (palm and coconut)- I have to tell you, it is SCARY how much palm and coconut oil is in candy…. just check it for yourself, it seems like it is in EVERYTHING in the convenience store.

3. Trans fats- this is kind of a new one…. well, at least I had never heard of it till just a few years ago. Trans fats are the worst because not only do they raise the LDL (bad) but they lower HDL (good)- just try to avoid these all together…. this is becoming easier because so many food manufacturers are starting to see that consumers are keying on the lack of this poison. This is going to include things like- some margarines (especially hard ones) and many processed foods (cookies, crackers, do-nuts)—- notice the Mississippi spelling!!

And that is the BIG FAT DEAL!

This entry was posted on Monday, March 29th, 2010 at 11:10 am and is filed under Diet. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

3 Responses to “The big FAT deal about FATS!!”

Anonymous Fat Girl Says:
March 31st, 2010 at 12:55 pm

There are so many people that think that all fats are bad. It’s very interesting our our culture has ingrained that in people’s minds. That and “sugar free”… Most items really aren’t sugar free. Good post.

Diane Fit to the Finish Says:
March 31st, 2010 at 3:29 pm

Great job in distinguishing between the kinds of fats. It’s a really important concept to understand.

Carla Says:
March 31st, 2010 at 6:18 pm

I have felt much better with a bit of the right kinds of fat in my diet. I love to use olive oil, and I eat a few different kinds of nuts regularly. I am trying to stay away from packaged foods!

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