Eating Good Fats

Last week we identified that eating fat isn't always the bad guy in the waistline wars. Bad fats, such as saturated fats and trans fats, are guilty of the unhealthy things all fats have been blamed for - weight gain, clogged arteries, and the like. But good fats such as the monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, and omega-3s have the opposite effect. In fact, healthy fats play a huge role in helping you manage your moods, stay on top of your mental game, fight fatigue, and even control your weight.

The answer isn't cutting out the fat - it's learning to make healthy choices and to replace bad fats with good ones that promote health and well-being. Read the nutrition labels. Become a trans fat detective and take a first step to eliminate trans fats and saturated fats from your diet.

Here are some examples:

Good Fats: Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are known as the "good fats" because they are good for your heart, your cholesterol, and your overall health.

     Monounsaturated fats:  olive, canola, sunflower, peanut, and sesame oils; avocados; olives; almonds; nuts like peanuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, cashews; peanut butter.
     Polyunsaturated fat:  soybean,corn and safflower oils; sunflower, sesame and pumpkins seeds;  flaxseed; fatty fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, trout, and sardines; soymilk; tofu.

Bad Fats:  Saturated facts and trans fats are known as the "bad fats" because they increase your risk of disease and elevate cholesterol.

     Saturated fat: high-fat cuts of meat, chicken with the skin; whole-fat dairy products; butter; cheese; ice cream; palm and coconut oil; lard.
     Trans fat:  Commercially-baked pastries, cookies, doughnuts, muffins, cakes, pizza dough; packaged snack foods; stick margarine; vegetable shortening; fried foods; candy bars.

Sounds complicated.  Let's start with a couple easy practices.  Read labels and avoid anything that has "partially hydrogenated oil" in the ingredients. Keep in mind that in the United States, the primary source of trans fats comes from commercially-prepared baked goods and snack foods. Avoid fast food. Do not be deceived by "low-fat" or "fat-free" claims. Replace these with more healthy fat choices.  Cook with olive oil. For baking, try canola or vegetable oil. Eat more avocados. In a sandwich, try using a quarter of an avocado instead of a slice of cheese.  It's yummy and really boosts the nutrients.  Reach for the nuts. Snack on olives.

Remember our theme of small changes that can add up to big improvements.