Fats

There are four kinds of fats: monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, saturated fat, and trans fat. Monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat are the "good" fats. It is generally accepted that consumption of saturated fat should be kept low, especially for adults. Trans fat (which means trans fatty acids) is the worst kind of fat, far worse than saturated fat. Fats contain 56% more calories per gram of food than carbohydrates and protein do

CHOLESTEROL

Cholesterol is a fatty, solid, waxy substance. Cholesterol can be both good and bad, so it's important to learn what cholesterol is, how it affects your health and how to manage your blood cholesterol levels. There are types of cholesterol in the body HDL (high density lipoproteins) and LDL (low density lipoproteins). LDL cholesterol - has been labeled the 'bad cholesterol' because it contributes to narrowing of the arteries. HDL scours the blood for excess cholesterol and returns it to the liver for reprocessing and excretion. This reduces blood cholesterol levels in the body, therefore HDL is labeled 'good cholesterol'. Foods that can assist to decrease cholesterol levels in the body include soluble fibre-rich foods (e.g. oats, barely, fruit, and soybeans)

SAFE BLOOD CHOLESTEROL LEVELS

The Australian Heart Foundation recommends that a person's blood cholesterol level be no higher than 5.5 millimoles per litre (coronary heart disease is rare below a blood cholesterol level of 4.5 millimoles per litre).

SATURATED FATS

Saturated fats originate from animal sources and are typically solid at room temperature. They increase LDL cholesterol levels thereby increasing the risk of coronary heart disease. Saturated fats are simply fats that contain mostly saturated fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids are found mainly from animal fats (including dairy products). Only two vegetable fats are saturated: palm and coconut oil. Typically, we get the greatest proportion of our saturated fat intake from 'invisible' fats in prepared or processed foods, like: sausages, bacon, salami, cakes, cookies, pastries, chocolate and cheese. Saturated fat is usually solid at room temperature.

WHY IS SATURATED FAT HARMFUL?

In simple terms, saturated fat is a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes. It's worth remembering that the body can manufacture its own saturated fat so we don't actually need to include ANY saturated fat in our diet..

Sources of Saturated Fats ~ Fatty meat and chicken, high fat processed meats and sausages, deep fried foods, full fat dairy products, milk, cream, butter and chees, solid frying fats, cakes, biscuits, parties, pies, chocolate

POLYUNSATURATED FATS

Polyunsaturated fats are found in a variety of plant and animal-based foods and generally liquids at room temperature. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are better than saturated fatty acids because (like monosaturated fats) they lower bad cholesterol (LDL). However, diet research indicates that (unlike monounsaturated fats) polyunsaturated fat also lowers good cholesterol (HDL). Polyunsaturated fat is an essential element in our diet because it includes the essential fatty acids omega 3 and omega 6. They are essential because the human body cannot manufacture them, and must obtain them in the diet.

Good Sources ~ Vegetable oils, Soy products, polyunsaturated margarine, Nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, brazil nuts), seeds (pumpkin, safflower, sunflower, sesame), Fish and Seafood (eg salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel, herring)

MONOUNSATURATED FATS

Monounsaturated fat is considered to be probably the healthiest type of general fat. Monounsaturated fats can assist to lower cholesterol levels without reducing HDL cholesterol levels as well. Monounsaturated fat is believed to lower cholesterol and may assist in reducing heart disease. Like polyunsaturated fat it provides essential fatty acids for healthy skin and the development of body cells. The high consumption of olive oil in Mediterranean countries is considered to be one of the reasons why these countries have lower levels of heart disease. Monounsaturated fat is also believed to offer protection against certain cancers, like breast cancer and colon cancer. Monounsaturated fats are typically high in Vitamin E, the anti-oxidant vitamin which is usually in short supply in many Western diets.

Sources ~ Monounsaturated margarine, Olives, olive oils, canola oil, macadamia nut, avocado, Nuts (peanuts, almonds, cashew, hazelnut), Peanut Butter, Rapeseed oil, Pumpkin seed, sesame seeds,

TRANS FATS

Trans fat is found mainly in deep-fried fast foods and processed foods made with margarine or shortening. It's created by a process called partial hydrogenation which is an industrial process used to make perfectly good oil, such as soybean oil, into perfectly bad oil. The process is used to make oil more solid, provide longer shelf-life in baked products, provide longer fry-life for cooking oils, and provide a certain kind of texture or "mouth feel." The big problem is that partially hydrogenated oil is laden with lethal Trans fat. Partially hydrogenated oils are commonly found in processed foods like commercial baked products such as cookies, cakes and crackers, and even in bread. They are also used as cooking oils (called "liquid shortening") for frying in restaurants. One of the reasons that partially hydrogenated oils are used is to increase the product's shelf life, but they decrease your shelf life.

Trans fats cause significant and serious lowering of HDL (good) cholesterol and a significant and serious increase in LDL (bad) cholesterol; make the arteries more rigid; cause major clogging of arteries; cause insulin resistance; cause or contribute to type 2 diabetes; and cause or contribute to other serious health problems