What Is The Difference Between A Good Fat And Bad Fat?
As a low carb dieter, your diet is undoubtedly high in fat. And
if you’ve done research on the different types of fats, you
probably heard the two big buzz words surrounding fats
today–”good fats” and “bad fats.” Up to that point, you may
have thought all fats were bad–or good, but only for low carb
dieters.
In this article, I am going to go over which fats are “good” and
which fats are “bad”–and how much of each you should consume
with your low carb diet.
Let’s start with “bad” fats.
1. Saturated fats. As a low carb dieter, you will run into these
often. Saturated fats are in fatty meat cuts, cheese, milk, and
poultry with skin. Many low carb diets, such as Atkins, have
suggested in the past that dieters consume saturated fats, but
most now insist that dieters consume more “good fats.”
Saturated fats increase bad cholesterol (LDL), which can cause
heart disease and certain types of cancer. If your low carb diet
is high in saturated fats, you should consider scaling this back
to a level that satiates your cravings, but doesn’t jeopardize
your health.
2. Hydrogenated Fats (trans-fats). Hydrogenated fats are
man-made, but they take on many of the traits of saturated fats.
They are specifically re-engineered to stay hard at room
temperature.
You can find hydrogenated fats in sweets and cookies, which you
most likely will not be eating on your low carb diet; however,
you can also find it in any margarine products, so it is
important to check the ingredient labels on food products before
you purchase them.
Now, for the “good” fats:
1. Monounsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats are natural fats
that lower “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and prevent “good”
cholesterol (HDL) from getting lower. As a low carb dieter, you
will probably encounter a lot of monounsaturated fats in the
form of canola oil, olive oil, peanut oil, and nuts
Not only are these sources carb-free or low carb, but most of
them are also high in protein, promote good heart health, and
may reduce the risk of some cancers.
2. Polyunsaturated fats. Polyunsaturated fats are also natural
fats. They come in two major groupings: Omega-3 and Omega-6
fatty acids. As a low carb dieter, you can find Omega-3 in most
types of fatty fish, such as salmon and trout; Omega-6 fatty
acids can be found in most seed oils.
Omega fatty acids help to reduce bad cholesterol, promote brain
health, and reduce incidence of sudden death from heart attacks.
As a low carb dieter, you will encounter a lot of fats. It is
important that you eat saturated fats to satiate your hunger and
prevent cravings, but you should also focus primarily on “good”
fats–poly and monounsaturated fats–to increase your “good
cholesterol,” lower your bad cholesterol,” and prevent certain
types of cancer.
