Lipids are the family name for fats. I really wanted to talk about fats because there are different kinds of fats. Some are good and some are bad. I want to distinguish what are considered bad fats from good fats. We do need fats for our body, but they need to be the right kind of fats. One important thing you should know is that fats provide nine calories per gram.
Good fats-Unsaturated Fats
Unsaturated fats have been considered the more heart friendly fat because they are easier for the body to break down and utilize, thus minimizing cholesterol deposit in the arteries of the heart. These are soft or liquid at room temperature. Unsaturated fats vegetable products like safflower, sunflower, canola, corn and olive oils. There are two other kinds of unsaturated fats:
- Omega-3 fatty acid- is an unsaturated fat found in fish like trout, tuna, salmon, and herring.
- Omega-6 fatty acid-unsaturated fat found in vegetable oils
Bad Fats-BEWARE!
Saturated fats are found mainly in foods of animal origin, such as meat, eggs, animal milk, lard, butter, cheese, as well as palm coconut oils. Too much saturated fats are associated with heart disease and some cancers. I have a history of heart disease in my family, so I read the label on most packages to see how much saturated fats are in foods I buy.
Trans fats are worse than saturated fats in my opinion. I learned that trans fats will not only raise bad cholesterol, but it will also lower your good cholesterol!!! That is so bad!!! READ THE FOOD LABELS!!!! The Dietary Guidelines advise that less than 1% of total calories come from trans fats a day! BEWARE: My Food products with less than .5 grams of trans fat are labeled as “trans fat free”.
Anything hydrogenated
Here is a video I found on youtube that explains hydrogenation better than I can.
Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, including margarine, vegetable shortening and peanut butter have flooded the market. Stay away from these, because hydrogenated fats that are even worse for the heart and arteries than saturated fats. I was really disappointed when my dietician told me about how must peanut butter is hydrogenated.
Well I hope I got my point across about good fats and bad fats!
I love this post! I've also done some research over the different kinds of fats, but you explained this in very "easy to follow" language. It's a good thing I love seafood and all of the other healthy foods you mentioned that contain unsaturated fats.
ReplyDeleteIf you're looking for a peanut butter without hydrogenated oils, go for a natural kind! I constantly have a jar of "Smucker's Natural Creamy Peanut Butter" in my fridge. It is made without hydrogenated oils, and has 0 grams of trans fat! It contains 4.5 grams of polyunsaturated fat and 8 grams of monounsaturated fat per serving, which are the healthy unsaturated kinds of fats! :)
Thanks for the idea Emily! I probably will give that a try because I love peanut butter!
ReplyDeleteKara,
ReplyDeleteFirst I just want to say how much I love your choice in your blog's background design!! It caught my attention right away. I also enjoyed reading your most recent post and I liked how well organized it was. It was very easy to follow and visually appealing!! Very interesting information that I will definitely keep in mind when grocery shopping and Emily thanks for the "peanut butter" comment, I may steal that suggestion. Kara I look forward to the coming weeks and learning more about the products I'm putting into my body! Thanks!!
I'm so glad that my blog may benefit you Jennifer! I'm very flattered that you like my background. I can not wait to learn about everyones blog because we all have interesting topics!
ReplyDeleteI love that you added a youtube video! I think for my next blog I am going to do the same. Where did you find your background!? I have been looking for some really cool ones, but can't find any!
ReplyDeleteI found it under templete, and its in the awesome inc category.
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