Dietary Fat is Key to Staying Healthy
Able to select foods based on the type of fatty acids they contain and discover the hidden fat in them, we avoid a number of diseases.
A simple classification of fats will help the work of knowing what to avoid and what to consume to benefit our health.
We usually eat fat may be visible or hidden in food. The visible would be the easiest to avoid, as we are aware of their intake.
In this group we can name to use for cooking oils, shortening, butter, margarine, bacon, cream, creams, etc.
Distinguish between hydrogenated vegetable fats, saturated fats and animal fats is the key to know when choosing a healthy food.
Instead hidden or invisible fats are those that remain present in the food we can not see with the naked eye, so we must be careful and be alert to this type of fat.
These fats are present in almost all foods: meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk and dairy products, cold cuts, nuts, etc..
This group is important to distinguish between healthy fats like those contained in nuts, egg yolk and fish, the rest.
Classification as solid fats and liquid areSolid fats are rich in saturated fatty acids (harmful to the body) from food of animal origin and maintain the room temperature solid state. This group includes fats from meats, poultry skin, cream, butter, bacon, etc.
At this point it is appropriate to clarify that when liquid fats such as oils, are subject to an industrial process of hydrogenation, where the unsaturated fatty acids in the initial oil content, are transformed by this process into solid fats at room temperature and saturated such as margarines.
Most advertisements for food such as vegetable fat named for him, but cease to be and lose their beneficial properties due to the process that solidifies and saturated. Many of these ads are somewhat misleading.
Liquid fats are those rich in unsaturated fatty acids (health benefits), are liquid at room temperature and belong to this group all oils.
We must also make a clarification, as coconut and palm oils are of plant origin, but contain a high proportion of saturated fatty acids, so consumption is not recommended.
Therefore we must select those foods whose labels are not given nutritional or ingredients such oils, or contain a high percentage of trans or saturated fats.
The words hydrogenated vegetable fats, saturated fats, animal fats, are key to know when choosing a healthy food.
So if the food label or package containing those words, discard the regular consumption of this food will help us enjoy better health.
How are fats formed?
Fats in general are composed of a mixture of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, obviously varying the proportion of each other.
This is where we need to understand, which is that proportion which we control, ie consume more unsaturated over saturated, and the latter are those that raise blood cholesterol levels by promoting the risk of developing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, obesity, etc.
We have commented on many notes that there are countless studies which show that a diet high in total fat and saturated fat predominated “bad”, are determinants of serum cholesterol level, ie increase it. This increase is associated with cardiovascular disease, obesity, the development of certain cancers, increased blood pressure, circulatory disorders, lithiasis (kidney) Bladder, etc.
The dietary fat
Addressing the issue of dietary fat has always been an important topic as complex as it is always important to warn about over-consumption. But we must also warn of the consequences of a diet very low in fat, where:
* Does not cover the energy needs
* Routine activities are decreased
* There is a progressive weight loss
* There adaptive metabolic changes
* Is an alteration in reproduction in the case of women
* Stops the growth of children
Basic rules that will help us make the best choice:
* To avoid the above-named coconut and palm oils, being rich in saturated fatty acids, and all foods that contain them.
* Avoid solid fats and animal products (lard, butter, bacon).
* Avoid solid vegetable fats (margarine).
* Avoid eating fried foods, and reheating the oil, as this type of cooking, the fatty acids undergo a transformation that may be carcinogenic.
* Choose dressings (dressing or condiment) with low fat content. The best dressing: 1 tablespoon olive oil, or yogurt-based sauces.
* Select all skim milk and derivatives.
* Be alert to the use of hidden fats in food.
* Discard food labels containing: a high percentage of saturated fat, or where it contains the words: hydrogenated vegetable oil and animal fats (at this point we make a clarification, the majority of industrial and processed foods contain this type of fat therefore recommend reducing the consumption of these products).
* Always prefer unsaturated fats: nuts, oils, fish, avocado, over saturated fats.
Therefore, it’s all about educating, awareness and have the habit of reading the nutritional labels on the foods we eat.
When selecting the type of fat, our council will be to always prefer the raw liquid vegetable oils to solid fats and animal.
Credit to: Marco Licata