Are Fats good or bad?

A popular notion among individuals keen on losing weight is that they need to lose their body fat to get the perfect figure. But is fat the main problem? The answer is definitely no. Even though most people think that losing fat will necessarily reduce their cholesterol level and will make them fit, actually fat is as important to the body as vitamins. There are either good fat or bat fat. Now it is exactly what kind of fat we are eating that determines our body weight. Some food items have an excess of good fat whereas some have excess of bad fat.

What is Good Fat?

Good fats are mainly unsaturated fats that do not get accumulated in the body. Since, they contain omega-3 fatty acid that is an essential requirement of the body for the purpose of cell building and to prevent blood clotting, they are perceived as an excellent way to keep you healthy. These fats are either polyunsaturated or monounsaturated and hence fall under the good fat family. They are found in various sources of food like seeds, fish like tuna or salmon, vegetable oil, nuts and other food items. It is imperative to consume good fat on a regular basis since they prevent any kind of heart diseases, averts risk of health and improves the prevailing health condition.

 What is Bad Fat?

As already mentioned, since unsaturated fat fall under the category of good bad, the saturated fat will obviously fall under this particular category. Trans fat and saturated fat both need to be avoided for a healthy life since they invite a lot of health problems. They cause the normal cholesterol level to increase significantly, create health hazards and make the heart prone to risks like an attack or stroke. In short, one must ensure to avoid this fat and if possible, totally cut it down from the diet.

What should you eat?

There are various food items that act as an excellent source of good fat. For once, Avocados top the list since they contain a high amount of monounsaturated fat, fibers, potassium, folate and Vitamin E that significantly reduce the cholesterol level of the body. You can even include fatty fish that have an abundance of omega 3 fatty acid, olive oil or just olives that are a reservoir of monounsaturated fat and flaxseed that include ALA or alphalinolenic acid and have lots of fibers. Talking about foods, walnuts are an excellent source of omega 3 fats as well. It is the only nut to contain so much of good fats. In short, one must ensure to add or one or all of the above items in the diet to ensure healthy living.While deciding on whether a particular food item has good fat or bad, you might be confused owing to the calorie content of the particular food item. But you must remember that many food items with excellent goof fat have equally high level of calories as well. Hence before deciding to include anything in your health diet, make sure that the calorie content is not a unit more than twenty-five percent of the fat.