Consume Healthy Fat. It's Beneficial :
THE ISSUE OF FAT IN OUR DIET IS DEBATEABLE. Americans have received conflicting messages over the last few decades about whether to eat a low-fat diet, a diet rich in unsaturated fats, or a diet low in saturated fats. Every year, the public's access to information changes. We want to clear up some of the myths about fat in our diet because healthy fat is good for us. Unfortunately, many people who follow the Standard American Diet are hesitant to include healthy fat on their plate.
Before delving deeper into our fat discussion, let's start with a few basics to clear up some of the confusion about healthy fat:
Fats are an important nutrient to consume on a daily basis. Saturated and unsaturated fats found in both plant and animal whole food sources can be considered healthy fat.
The best fats to include are those that have been minimally processed and are closer to their natural state.
Smoking or overheating oils when cooking causes oxidation, which increases the risk of harm to the body. Because of differences in chemical structure, polyunsaturated fats are more likely to be oxidized than saturated fats.
Cholesterol is both a type of fat produced naturally by your liver and a type of dietary fat. There has been a lot of misinformation spread about the role of cholesterol in disease. Cholesterol-containing foods can, in fact, be included in a healthy diet.
Every person has unique nutritional requirements, including the types of fats to include in their diet.
Fat Nutritional Terminology:
Understanding the nutrition language of fats will help us navigate the conflicting messages we've received and communicate clearly about the various types of fats in food, including saturated, unsaturated, and trans fats.
To begin, fat is an energy-dense nutrient, containing nine calories per gram as opposed to four calories per gram from protein and carbohydrates. Fat is digested more slowly by the body than proteins or carbohydrates. Fat in your food can provide you with long-term energy, or what we like to call slow fuel, for the day, as well as help you feel satiated after eating. All of your cells are surrounded and protected by fat, and the fat you eat is incorporated into those cell membranes.
This is why it is critical to choose healthy fats and avoid harmful trans fats, as we will discuss shortly. Dietary fat aids the body's absorption of fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, D, E, and K. Natural sources of fat in the diet include both plants and animals, and may include some of the items listed in Table 2.1.
To understand the difference between saturated and unsaturated fat, a quick review of some basic biochemistry is required. It is the fatty acids that can be saturated or unsaturated, which is a chemistry term that refers to the number of double bonds that occur within the fatty acid chain. One or more double bonds can be found in unsaturated fat. The number of double bonds in a fat affects its physical properties. Unsaturated fat-rich oils, such as olive, flax, avocado, or sesame, are liquid at room temperature. When compared to saturated fats, such as butter, lard, or coconut oil, which are solid at room temperature, these are liquid.
MONOUNSATURATED FAT SOURCES:
Olive oil and olives Avocados Peanuts toasted sesame seeds Lard made from chicken fat
POLYUNSATURATED FATS RESOURCES:
Omega-3 fatty acid content is high.
Fish (salmon, trout, halibut, cod, and others) Sardines) Meats raised on pasture *Flaxseed *Chia seeds *Walnuts *Omega-6 fatty acid-rich
Oil derived from corn Oil extracted from soybeans Oil of safflower *High in omega-3 fatty acid precursors in conventionally raised meats.
SOURCES OF SATURATED FATS FROM ANIMALS:
Products derived from milk (whole milk, cheese, butter)
Bacon, sausage, and processed meats are all examples of processed meats.
Skin of poultry (duck, chicken, turkey) Meat with a high fat content
Yolks of eggs
SATURATED FAT SOURCES FROM PLANT:
The oil of coconut Palm oil from chocolate
Saturated Fatty Acids:
Saturated fats envelop and protect your brain while also providing energy to your heart. They provide necessary stiffness and integrity to cell membranes and aid in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E, and K. Inflammation, high cholesterol, and heart disease have all been linked to a high intake of poor quality saturated fat (from conventionally raised animal products) and a low intake of fiber and antioxidants from fruits and vegetables. Eating saturated fat in moderation alongside unsaturated fat as part of a whole foods diet is beneficial. Animals and plants both provide saturated fats in the diet. Saturated fat is a good choice for cooking at higher temperatures because it is more chemically stable.
An Unwanted Fat:
You've heard us say it before: eat healthy fat. It is beneficial to the body. However, one type of fat should be avoided: trans fat.
Scientists have discovered that bombarding unsaturated fats with hydrogen atoms produces trans fats, which are far from a natural, low-processed fat.
Trans fat was developed to extend the shelf life of food by making it less susceptible to rancidity. In the fast food industry, this fat is frequently used for frying and stabilizing packaged food products. The bottom line is another reason why industrial food producers use trans fat. To make these trans fats, they use cheaper, lower-quality oils that are prone to oxidation. This results in a cheaper food product for the consumer, but at the expense of your health.
Trans fat contributes to inflammation in the body and has been linked to heart disease and Alzheimer's disease.
Because of the strong link between heart disease and unhealthy brain changes, all major medical governing bodies, including the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association, agree that trans fats should be avoided completely in the diet. The fifth chapter, Reading Food Labels, will assist you in identifying potential sources of trans fat in food.