How To Eat the Right Fats

Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are usually soluble in organic solvents and insoluble in water. Fats can be either liquid or solid at normal room temperature depending on their structure and composition. Although the terms “fats”, “oil”, and “lipids” are all used to refer to as fats, “fats” is normally used to refer to fats that are solids in normal room temperature, while “oil” is normally used to refer to fats that are liquid inside normal room temperature. “Lipids” is a term normally used to refer to both liquid and solid fats, along with further related substances.

Fats are very important for many forms of life because of its chemical structure and physical properties. Serving both metabolic and structural functions, fats have an important role on human diet. Excess of fats is also dangerous since it can lead to high cholesterol. Saturated fats are more commonly found in foods that come from animals such as pork, beef, poultry and dairy products. These fats are healthy when eaten moderately. Unsaturated fats are most commonly found in fish, corn, olives, soybean and sunflower. Unsaturated fats are most helpful for your health and may even lower your cholesterol when you consume them.

Below are guidelines to eating fatty foods (what to avoid, what to do and what not to do):

Good fats

• Peanut butter
• Soybean
• Nuts
• Corn oil
• Olive oil
• Avocados
• Canola oil
• Sunflower, sesame and pumpkin seeds

Bad fats (when consumed excessively)

• Palm oil
• Milk
• Cheese
• Cream
• Butter
• Ice cream
• Mayonnaise
• Organ meats
• Marbled meats
• Sausage

Eat healthier fats rather than not so healthy fats. Eating healthier fats can be helpful for you to avoid having high cholesterol and harmful or deadly diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, gall bladder disease, osteoarthritis and gout.

Maintaining a balance in eating such saturated fats. Maintaining a balance in eating saturated fats can be a healthy way to keep your body fit.

Practicing healthy ways of cooking. Cooking in a healthy manner like grilling, pressure cooking and stir frying. These healthy cooking manners minimize the fats and speed up the cooking time to preserve more nutrients.

Knowledge about fats. Having the right knowledge about fats can help you choose which food is healthy for your body. Knowing the food you eat can help you prevent from eating too much of food classified as unhealthy when eaten excessively.

Will power. Determination is always the best way to solve and correct wrong things. Willingness and determination is one of the most effective ways to avoid or control the balance of eating fatty foods

Knowing what fats can do to your health is an advantage for us to maintain a balance in eating them. Knowing what it does when we eat too much of it can help us avoid harmful and deadly illnesses or diseases such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, sleep apnea, cancer and some mental problems. Maintaining a balance in the amount of eating such fatty food is a healthy way to keep our body fit to promote a healthy lifestyle.

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How To Use Healthy Fats in Your Cooking

By using healthy fats in your cooking, you can lower your family's blood cholesterol, provide them with a great source of long-lasting energy, and make foods taste great. Since healthy polyunsaturated fats, such as omega-3 fats, can go rancid from oxygen plus heat, you need to know how to choose the right fats for your recipes. The goal is to use a variety of healthy fats without damaging them.

1. Use olive oil for frying at high temperatures. Olive oil contains mostly monounsaturated fat, which will lower your blood cholesterol, and is not very easily damaged by heat. Store olive oil at room temperature. Peanut oil and canola oil are also okay for frying, but since they have more of the polyunsaturated fats that are damaged by high heat, it’s probably best to use once and discard. (Don’t pour used oil down your drain or you might need a plumber!)
2. Use olive oil, walnut oil, or any plant oil for salad dressing. Of course, extra virgin olive oil makes great-tasting salad dressing, but since you won’t be cooking your dressing, you can also use the most unsaturated oils. Try omega-3-rich walnut oil with a little lemon juice and salt for a simple, wonderful dressing for lettuce or endive topped with a few toasted walnut pieces. Omega-3 fats have all the benefits of other unsaturated fats, plus they help lower blood pressure and reduce blood fat. Make sure the walnut oil you buy is roasted or toasted to bring out the flavor.
3. Use canola oil for baking. You can substitute oil for butter in banana bread, muffins, and some cakes. I use canola oil for baking, since its mellow flavor works well, it is rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fats, and baking won’t subject these valuable fats to the high temperatures of frying.
4. Store the most unsaturated oils in the fridge, e.g. sesame oil and walnut oil.Toasted sesame oil is a good source of healthy polyunsaturated fats. Just be sure to store it in the fridge so it doesn’t go rancid. The strong smell of toasted sesame will keep you from noticing the smell that tells you when oil has gone bad. Other oils to store in the fridge are walnut, sunflower, safflower, corn, and for long storage, canola oil.
5. Try free-range or grass-fed meats because of their healthier fats. When animals are free-range or grass-fed, their fat will be lower in total fat and saturated fat, and higher in omega-3 fats, compared to the usual grain-fed animals. Try free-range bacon, e.g. from Niman Ranch, and see how much softer (read "more unsaturated") the fat is than typical bacon fat.
6. Save butter, cream, and coconut oil for when you really need them. As much as I hate to say this, dairy fat is not good for you. So save butter, cream cheese, and cream for those times you really need them, like freshly whipped cream with vanilla on your plum tart or butter on your corn. Keep use of coconut oil to a minimum, for instance when you need to make a yummy Thai dish.
7. Read ingredient lists to avoid partially hydrogenated oils. Partially hydrogenated oils contain the evil trans fats, which increase your bad cholesterol (LDL) and lower your good cholesterol (HDL). Don’t believe claims on the front of a food package or on the Nutrition Facts Chart. If one of the ingredients is partially hydrogenated corn oil/peanut oil/soy oil, etc., it contains trans fat. Be particularly wary of margarines, spreads, non-dairy toppings, frosting, and cake mixes.

You can probably see by now that there is a spectrum of fats ranging from the very healthy plant oils to the intermediate animal fats to the worst--the fake-made in a factory--partially hydrogenated oils. Use as much olive oil as you like for sautéing and frying, and as much olive oil and walnut oil as you like for salads. Stay away from donuts and fried foods in restaurants and read labels to make sure your cookies and cereals are free of partially hydrogenated oils. If you do all this, studies have shown that you can eat meat without it adversely affecting your blood cholesterol. Even better, try to find free-range chicken, beef, and pork so that you can eat these incredibly nutrient-rich foods without feeling guilty about saturated fat.

Caution:

• Read ingredient lists to avoid partially hydrogenated oils!
• Store walnut and sesame oils in the fridge.
• If your shelled nuts aren't stored in the fridge, take a whiff every so often and throw them away if they smell rancid!

Quick Tips:

• Use toasted walnut oil with lemon and salt for a simple salad dressing.
• It's fine to store olive oil in the cupboard.

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The Dangers and Benefits of Fats

For years you heard that limiting your fat intake was the best way to lose weight and avoid health problems. However, dietary fat is actually an essential nutrient that your body needs for daily function. Fats should be included as part of a healthy diet, but be cautious because not all fats are created equal. The American Heart Association recommends that 25 to 35 percent of your daily calories should come from fat.

Types of Fats

• When it comes to fat intake, it is the type of fat that really matters. Bad fats, such as saturated fat and trans fat, can increase your risk of certain health diseases, while good fats, including monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, can protect your heart and contribute to your overall health. Getting the right mix of fats is important. The American Heart Association suggests that from your total daily fat intake, 7 percent of calories or fewer should come from saturated fats and less than 1 percent from trans fats. The rest of your fat intake should come from monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats.

Dangers of Fats

• Saturated fats and trans fats are known as the "bad fats" because they can raise your cholesterol level. An increase in your cholesterol level puts you at a higher risk of heart disease, which is one of the top killers of both men and women. Unhealthy fats also play a role in obesity and cancer, according to "Today's Dietitian." They need to be consumed in small amounts or avoided entirely.
• Benefits of Fat

• Polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats are considered "healthy fats" because they can lower your cholesterol level, which reduces your risk of heart disease. Healthy fats also play a role in managing your mood and helping you to stay alert, according to MayoClinic.com. Protection of your body and organs is a key benefit of fat, and some vitamins and minerals need fat to work properly in your body. Omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat, reduce the risk of diabetes and protect against irregular heart beats and high blood pressure.

Tips

• Concentrate on healthy fats when eating, as cutting fat from your diet is not the answer for good health. Start by replacing bad fats with healthy fats, such as olive oil, and foods containing healthy fats, such as avocado and nuts. If you are trying to lose weight, the key is cutting calories and exercising, not eliminating fat, which can help you feel sated longer. An easy way to determine the type of fat in your food is to look at the fat on your plate. If the fat is a solid, it typically contains bad fats -- butter and shortening are examples. Foods made up of mostly healthy fats are generally liquid at room temperature, such as olive or canola oil.

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Saturated Fats Are Primarily Found in What Groups?

Your body needs some saturated fat for a variety of biological processes, but it makes more than enough for these purposes. When you get too much saturated fat from your diet, it increases the level of bad cholesterol in your blood, which makes arteries stiff and thus increases your risk of heart disease. Saturated fat comes from any food of animal origin and also many processed foods. By knowing which ones are particularly high in saturated fat, you’ll be better able to control your intake.

Meats

• While any cut of beef will have saturated fat, ribs and fatty beef chuck roast are the worst offenders. Three ounces of each could have over 9 grams of saturated fat. Some lamb shoulder cuts and pork spareribs are up there, too. A 3-ounce serving of either of these meats each contain 8 to 9.5 grams of saturated fat. By opting for beef sirloin or pork loin instead and trimming the visible fat, you’ll cut your saturated fat intake by at least half.

Dairy

• Milk, cheese, ice cream, butter and other dairy foods are well known for their high saturated fat content. An 8-ounce serving of whole milk or whole-milk yogurt each have around 4.5 grams of saturated fat. Cheddar, Camembert, Muenster and blue cheese each provide approximately between 5 and 7 grams of saturated fat per ounce. Even that seemingly harmless bowl of plain vanilla ice cream contains more than 7.5 grams in a half-cup serving. You’ll get 7.3 grams of saturated fat from just 1 tablespoon of butter. If you use margarine in place of butter, you’ll only get 2 grams of saturated fat or less per serving.
• Junk Foods

• Heavily processed junk foods are hidden sources of lots of saturated fat. If you’ve ever had a handful of white or milk chocolate chips, you consumed around 15 grams of saturated fat from that half-cup serving. A small 2.75-ounce wedge of cheesecake has approximately 8 grams of saturated fat. If you’re a donut-eater, you’re getting more than 5.5 grams of saturated fat from a single glazed donut. Even many chocolate candy bars have over 7 grams of this bad fat in each bar. You’ll get 12.5 grams of saturated fat from 4.75 ounces of plain potato chips or more than 3 grams from the same amount of French fries. These are foods you really don’t need in your diet anyway -- they’re full of calories and don’t offer a lot of fiber, vitamins or minerals.

Maximum Amount

• As long as you’re generally healthy, up to 10 percent of your total daily calories can come from saturated fat, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 advises. So if 2,000 calories a day is normal for you, for example, you can have as much as 200 calories from saturated fat. Since fats have 9 calories in a gram, this equates to no more than about 22 grams of saturated fat daily. But if you have a family history of heart disease or have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, keep your intake of saturated fat intake less than 7 percent of your total daily calories. This equals 140 calories or 15.5 grams for a 2,000-calorie daily diet.

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How to Combine Good Fats & Good Carbohydrates

You can approach food combining in a number of ways; combining good carbohydrates with good fats is a common method, according to Kathryn Marsden, author of "The Complete Book of Food Combining." This type of food combining is designed to help manage your weight. When you consume carbohydrates, your pancreas releases insulin, a glucose-regulating and fat-storage hormone. When you consume bad fats along with bad carbs, your body releases excess insulin, making your body more prone to storing fat. With some instruction and practice, you can implement food combining as a weight-management tool.

Tips For You

1. Familiarize yourself with low-glycemic carbohydrates. Low-GI carbs are digested slowly, preventing a sharp insulin spike. Non-starchy vegetables are excellent choices to combine with healthy fats, and the options are plenty. Choose from artichoke, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, beets, bok choy, eggplant, leeks, mushrooms, rhubarb and greens. Non-starchy vegetables are high in fiber and exert very little impact on insulin levels, making them the safest option for this type of food combining.
2. Avoid combining starchy carbohydrates with fat. Unlike their non-starchy counterparts, starchy foods trigger an immediate and sharp insulin release. Since insulin is a fat-storage hormone, you risk storing fat when your insulin levels are high in conjunction with consuming a fatty meal. Avoid white rice, breads, cookies, cakes, pizza, white potatoes, ready-to-eat cereals, white pastas and other foods made with bleached white flour.
3. Incorporate a variety of beans into your food-combining diet for well-rounded meals. Unlike other starchy carbohydrates, beans are protein-rich. Their protein content slows down digestion, causing very little impact on your insulin levels. This makes them safe to combine with healthy fats. Butter beans, chickpeas, kidney, pinto and navy beans, lentils and soybeans are all good options.
4. Eliminate saturated fats such as those found in fatty cuts of meat, processed and junk foods. Consuming unhealthy fats with unhealthy carbs is a double whammy. Instead, combine low-glycemic carbohydrates with healthy fats such as those found in fish, seeds and nuts. Get to know healthy fats found in oils such as olive, sesame, hemp, hazelnut, grapeseed, almond, walnut, safflower, sunflower, flax and avocado. Stay away from hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, as well as saturated fat-rich oils like palm and cottonseed.

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How Do Fats Get Digested After Your Gallbladder Is Removed?

It is estimated that 20 million Americans suffer from gallstones -- calcified cholesterol pebbles that form in the gallbladder -- but up to 80 percent will not experience any symptoms, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Physicians commonly recommend gallbladder removal if you experience severe pain and inflammation related to gallbladder disease. Once your gallbladder is removed, your body can still digest fats from your diet, just not as efficiently.

Gallbladder Function

• The gallbladder is a small sac located on the right side of your body below your liver. It holds bile, a substance that helps your body digest fat from the foods you eat. When you consume foods that contain fat, your gallbladder contracts, releasing the bile into your intestines. If you have gallbladder issues, you can experience sharp pains in your side as a result of eating fatty foods.

Gallbladder Removal

• Your liver actually produces the bile, but when your gallbladder is removed there is no place to store the bile. Your liver continues producing bile in the absence of a gallbladder, but instead of being stored in a concentrated form, it drips slowly from your liver into your small intestine. When you eat a fatty meal, the bile that is already in your intestines helps break down the fat.

Fat Digestion After Surgery

• When the gallbladder is present and functioning, it releases bile in one big gush in response to a meal that contains fat. Without your gallbladder, there is a smaller amount of bile in the intestines. This means that while you can still consume fat, you may not be able to consume large fatty meals because there is only a small amount of bile in your intestines at a given time.

Gallbladder Removal Diet

• While there isn't a specific diet to follow after gallbladder removal, physicians and dietitians typically make general recommendations to avoid problems after someone has undergone a gallbladder removal. Because your body can only break down small amounts of fat at a time, avoid high-fat, fried and greasy foods. MayoClinic.com recommends eating smaller, more frequent meals. Consuming smaller meals helps assure a better mix of available bile. In addition, you should also gradually increase your fiber intake to help reduce constipation.

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A List of Good Fats Vs. Bad Fats for Losing Weight

Although fat grams contain more than twice the number of calories as grams of protein and carbs, fats are essential components of any healthy diet -- including weight-loss plans. Some foods that contain healthy fats can even boost satiety, making it easier to control you calorie intake for effective weight loss. However, choosing unhealthy fats increases your risk for chronic diseases, such as high cholesterol and heart disease.

List of Healthy Fats

Eating healthy fats, in moderation, during weight loss fulfills your dietary fat needs without increasing your chronic disease risks. Examples of heart-healthy fats include plant-based oils -- such as olive, canola, walnut, soybean and flaxseed oils -- nuts, seeds, nut butters, avocados and olives. Nuts and seeds are rich in heart-healthy fats as well as fiber and protein, which increase satiety more than carbs or fat, so they are an ideal choice when you’re trying to shed pounds.

Fats to Avoid

Bad fats are those that increase your chronic disease risk when consumed in excess. These include saturated animal fats -- found in butter, lard, whole milk, ice cream, cream, cheese and high-fat meats like bacon. Plant-based fats that have been hydrogenated and contain trans fat -- found in margarines, shortenings, fried foods and commercial baked goods -- also increase your risk for heart disease, so avoid them when you’re trying to healthfully lose weight.

Weight-Loss Calorie Needs

The amount of healthy fats you should eat during weight loss depends on your calorie needs. Eating 500 to 1,000 fewer calories than your usual intake helps you lose 1 to 2 pounds weekly. However, women need at least 1,200 calories daily and men require a minimum of 1,500 calories per day to safely lose weight without the need for medical supervision. The USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that fats make up 10 to 35 percent of your daily calories.

Recommended Portions

Healthy fats are grouped in the oils food group. If consuming 1,200 calories a day, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend aiming for four 1-teaspoon portions of oils; if following a 1,600-calorie weight-loss plan, shoot for 5 teaspoons from the oils group daily. A 1-teaspoon portion equals 1 teaspoon of a plant-based oil, eight large olives, one-sixth of an avocado, 1.5 teaspoons of nut butter or one-third of an ounce of nuts or seeds, according to ChooseMyPlate.gov.

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