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What Is The Difference Between A "Good Fat" And A "Bad Fat"?
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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.
To reiterate: 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.
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