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FAT CHANCE- The skinny on Fat!

Steve July 11, 2014

The preconceived notion is that “fat” is bad for us.  Well, that is correct and incorrect.  There are the negative altering fats and health boosting fats.  No matter what you do in your life and what your goals are, if you can harness the power of heart healthy fats into your daily regimen you will thrive!  Keeping it simple keeps our decisions sound and easy.

Fat ChanceStarting with what to avoid- unhealthy fats.  Trans fatty acids are poison.  These fats increase the hardening of your arteries and negatively affect your metabolism.  Trans fats lurk in packaged cookies, crackers, chips and in many fast food meals- especially fried foods.  When reading a food label, be on the lookout for terms like partially hydrogenated or just hydrogenated vegetable oils.  If either is at the top of the ingredient list or listed before healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, save your money and don’t buy the product.

Saturated fat causes the build up of fatty tissue along the lining of your arteries and increase blood cholesterol levels.  Avoid or severely limit foods with these fats: red meats, full-fat dairy products, vegetable shortening and butter.  You can often identify Saturated Fats they tend to be solid at room temperature, with the exception of tropical oils.

In contrast, polyunsaturated fats are your heart healthy allies with decrease aging affects and are required for normal daily function.  Along with increasing your cholesterol profile, polyunsaturated fats assist building in cell membranes.  The two types of polyunsaturated fats: omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids help lower triglycerides.  It has been proven that omega-3s help prevent and even treat heart disease and stroke and can be mainly found in fatty fish (Salmon and mackerel) but can also be sought out in flaxseed and walnuts.  Omega-6 fatty acids also lower the risk for heart disease.  High levels of linoleic acid, an omega-6, are in such vegetable oils as safflower, soybean, sunflower, walnut, and corn oils.

And then there are your monounsaturated fats- the best fats.  Found in olive oil, avocados, most nuts and fish, these happy fats boost the healthy cholesterol in your blood and your ticker young.  These fats should be used as much as possible along with polyunsaturated fats to replace the bad saturated fats and trans fats.

Knowing what you now know, make your CUT in the decisions you make in eating your daily Fat!

 


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