All About Good Fats

For anyone that is getting serious about weight loss, the #1 enemy in waging this war is usually fat. After all, it’s fat that is the first thing to go when you start exercising, and it’s fat that usually takes a person with a trim, fit figure, and starts making them look less attractive and healthy.

But not all fat is bad. And of course, you need some fat, if you don’t want to look like a prisoner or war, or a victim of famine. So if not all fat is bad, what is good fat, and how can you get more of that—and less of the bad stuff—into your diet?

Fat In Your Foods

Fat is not just about what’s in your body. There is fat in your food as well, whether that is something direct and obvious, like a fat on meat, or the fats in plants, or plant derived foods, such as nuts. But not all fat is created equal. There are some fats that do what you might expect, such as make you gain weight, but there are other fats that, in the right amounts, are actually quite healthy for you. Let’s take a look first at the bad stuff.

Saturated and Trans Fats

These are fats commonly found in meat, dairy, and eggs, or vegetable fats that are liquid at room temperature like coconut oil or palm oil. This type of fat is, unfortunately, all too common, and very difficult to avoid if you’re not paying attention to your diet. Rising cholesterol levels, as well as weight gain, are inevitable consequences of eating too much of this fat.

Poly and Unsaturated Fats

These types of fats can actually decrease your cholesterol levels and are commonly found in sources like fish (not fried!) as well as nuts. Omega-3 fatty acids, in particular, are getting a lot of attention because of their positive health benefits. If you’re a fan of unsalted nuts—and even dark chocolate!—you can have a tasty source of healthy fats available to add to your diet!