All About Fat: What to Avoid and What is Okay
Posted in Health Headlines
Dieting is one of the number one topics that we think and talk about most often these days, especially for people who live in North America. Perhaps this is because it has become such a health issue for us, because America is the fattest country in the entire world! I guess we should be thinking about it, especially because people are dying every day as a direct and indirect result of obesity. One of the things we hear and talk about a lot is the different types of fats and which ones to avoid.
When we hear about fat, we tend to think about the fat on our bodies – the kind of fat that we want to lose! However, the subject of fat covers a lot more than just body fat – it also covers what kinds of fats contribute to unhealthy body fat, and what types are good fats. Yes, there are good fats, and if we can learn to avoid the bad kinds and eat the good fats, we will be on the road to better health and smaller bodies.
The country of Denmark has recently banned trans fats. Let’s stop there for a minute. A country actually banned a type of fat? That is taking it to the extreme right? Especially since we in America eat trans fats every day, and a lot of our regular foods contain amounts of trans fats. However, maybe it takes something extreme to effectively make changes towards healthier lifestyles and choices. Maybe if America were to ban trans fats we would be a lot healthier. Who know? Maybe that one choice alone would take us down a couple of notches on the world’s fattest countries competition!
Trans fats are mostly found in fast foods such as burgers and fries, and in junk foods like chips, cheezies, and the like. All of the foods that we are addicted to in out Western society. Unfortunately, all of these foods also taste really, really good, and we will not want to give them up so easily. However, I am sure that the people of Denmark still enjoy some junk foods every now and again – they just eat things that are trans fats-free now. There are some junk foods out there that don’t have any trans fats, and take some extra time in your shopping to search these foods out the next time you have a craving for soe chips.
Omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids are all classified as good fats, and they are really healthy for your body. They also aid in weight loss, and healthy skin and bones. These fats are found in fish (salmon is one of the best sources) nuts (like almonds) and some beans. You don’t have to go overboard with these fatty acids, and completely change all of your eating habits to get them. All you have to do is have fish 1 or 2 times per week, and change some of your snacks to include healthily prepared nuts.
