Do you know your good fats?

Content by: Guy Lawrence

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Ask anybody what is that one thing which they wouldn’t want to be friends with when on a weight loss spree and the first thing that they are certain to say is ‘fats’.

Often given a bad name, the truth of the matter is that there are some fats one can’t live without. While some may pose grave risk of cardiovascular diseases, others may shield your heart too. And today we are going to find out just that… the difference between good and bad fats and why some fats are super essential for a healthy you. You heard us right, all fats don’t spell evil.

Understand the concept of dietary fats
Ask any dietician what are the three things essential for energy in your body and he/she won’t fail to mention dietary fats along with proteins and carbohydrates. Dietary fats support end number of functions in our bodies. They fall into three categories:

Saturated fats – The Not So Bad Fats. Animals are the primary source of these kinds of fats, saturated fats are found in beef and full-fat dairy products. Too much consumption of saturated fats leads to narrowing of the blood vessels, increasing your blood pressure levels and LDL level.

Unsaturated fats – aka The Good Fats. In order to eat a heart-healthy diet, unsaturated fats are a must for you. Basically divided into two categories – monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Fish, corn oil, olive oil, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, hazelnuts and pecans have high level of unsaturated fats in them. Oily fishes like salmon, trout, mackerel, tuna and sardines are full of omega-3 fatty acids. These are the good varieties of fats unlike the bad saturated fat you find in most meats. These fishes must constitute a part of your heart-healthy diet. Omega-3 fatty acids also lower “bad” LDL levels, decrease blood pressure and lower levels of blood fat called triglycerides by 25%-30%. Omega-3 fatty acids may also slow down the growth of plaques in the arteries and condense inflammation throughout the body.

Read the full article here.

Increase your good fats with 180 Superfood.

Guy Lawrence

This article is brought to you by Guy Lawrence. Guy is a qualified fitness trainer with over 10 years of experience in the health industry. Guy worked at the UTS Fitness Centre in Sydney Australia where he specialised in exercise nutrition and obtained his Certificate in Exercise Nutrition and Certified... Read More
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