Low Fat Diet – Know the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Fats in your Diet!

Low fat diet is in high demand. But understanding the fat content in the diet is important. What are the good fats, the bad fats and the worst fats for your body ? Here is the answer to your doubts of a low fat diet. The key to lose weight is not reducing fats- choosing the good ones and limiting the bad ones.

Fats that are Good : Unsaturated Fats:

Monounsaturated Fats

Monounsaturated fats also known as MUFAs are found to increase the good HDL cholesterol, reduce the bad LDL cholesterol and prevent blockage of arteries by reducing the buildup of plaque.

Foods such as avocado, olives, olive oil, peanut butter, peanut oils, eggs, almonds, cashews and sesame seeds contain MUFAs.

Polyunsaturated Fats: Also known as PUFAs, have been shown to prevent an increase in the serum cholesterol and are considered anti atherogenic.

These fats contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in dark green leafy vegetables, nuts, vegetable oils like canola, soya beans and flaxseeds and oily fishes like salmon, herring, mackerel, tuna and sardines. Omega-6s are in corn and safflower oil, corn-fed chicken and beef.

Fats that are bad: Saturated Fats

Saturated fats raise the cholesterol level and increase the risk of heart diseases.

They are found in meat and poultry, in dairy products like cream, butter, and also in palm oil, coconut and coconut oil. They are usually solid at room temperature. Eat limited amounts as part of a healthy diet  and always try to consume healthier sources.

The Very Bad Fats: Trans Fats

Trans fats are unsaturated fats that are chemically altered to increase the shelf life of packaged foods.

These fats increase LDL and reduce the good HDL cholesterol and increases inflammation in the body.

Trans fats are found in shortening, margarine, doughnuts, french fries, and processed foods such as crackers, cookies, chips, and cakes. Make it a point to check the food label on the package to check for trans fats. The FDA allows food manufacturers to claim that a product contains “zero trans fats” if one serving of it has 0.5 grams of trans fats or less. This means that if you consume more than one serving you could be getting one gram or more of trans fat.

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