Good Fat, Bad Fat!
Stick with the good and stay away from the bad!
Here is a simple list that rates fats from the top-ranking good-for-you Omega 3’s to the nasty “Forget-About-It” fats.
Top-ranking fats, Omega 3s
Best fats on the planet are the Omega 3s, which can add years to your life by dramatically reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. They may also stave off arthritis, depression, and some cancers, and might even tame menstrual cramps and postworkout soreness. Looking for clear, soft skin and great hair? Omega-3s do that, too.
Eat these frequently:
Fatty fish, such as wild salmon, sardines, herring, and tuna
Flaxseeds and flaxseed oil
Walnuts
More Good Fats: The Monos
All monounsaturated fats are kind to your heart because they raise good HDL cholesterol and lower bad LDL cholesterol (the kind that clogs arteries). The top monounsaturated is virgin olive oil, because it does more.It contains micro nutrients that are needed for hormone and enzyme production. Olive oil also boasts compounds that may fight breast and colon cancer as well as boost the cancer-fighting power of other foods.
Look for the monos in:
Olives
Virgin olive oil (be sure it's virgin; processing destroys nutrients)
Canola oil
Peanut and other nut oils
Nuts
Avocados
Pretty Good Fats: The Polys
Most polyunsaturated fats are heart-friendly but don’t have the star-power of other healthy fats. Poly fats contain fats contain omega-6s, which are healthy unless you get too many of them. Most Americans get up to 25 times more omega-6s than they need. Omega-6s should be eaten more sparingly because they can overwhelm the superstar omega-3s. Overall, try to get most of your polyunsaturated fats from omega-3 sources.
Find them in:
Corn, soybean, safflower, canola, sunflower, and cottonseed oils
Fatty fish (canned light tuna counts)
Bad Fats! The Sats
Saturated fats are trouble because they raise blood cholesterol to artery-clogging levels. In one study, eating a single slice of carrot cake and drinking a milkshake that were high in sat fat hindered the body's heart-protective functions. Loading up on saturated fats may also harm brain molecules that help form memories, raising the risk of dementia.
Think about skipping:
Meats, particularly with visible fat
Poultry skin, fat, and dark meat
Whole-milk dairy foods, including butter, full-fat cheeses, ice cream, sour cream
Most hard margarines (those in stick form)
Coconut and palm oils
Lard and shortening
Forget About It – Trans Fats
Trans fats are formed when liquid oils are zapped with hydrogen, turning them solid (like stick margarine). Processed foods that contain trans fats have nearly eternal shelf life -- ironically, that's why trans fats were invented: to keep food from going bad. But trans fats turned out to boost bad cholesterol, decrease good cholesterol, gum up arteries, and set off inflammation throughout the body, which can trigger a host of problems, from stroke to diabetes.
Completely avoid:
Be suspicious of any fast or processed food that's not labeled trans-fat-free (packaged-food labels must now list trans fats), including:
All deep-fried foods -- chips, French fries, onion rings, donuts, etc.
Many fast foods
Candy
Commercial baked goods -- cookies, pies, cakes, rolls, muffins, etc.
