Facts On Fat
Fat is often given a bad rap when in fact some types of fat are essential to a healthy body.
Do you know the difference between “good” or healthy fat and “bad” or unhealthy fat in our blood and in our food?
It can get rather confusing.
Check out the following fat facts and test your knowledge.
“Good” Fats in our Blood
High Density Lipoproteins (HDL) are:
• Found in the blood and take cholesterol away from the tissues and back to the liver for reprocessing or excretion.
• Protective against heart disease since they rid the tissues of cholesterol.
“Bad” Fats in our Blood
Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL) are:
• Found in the blood and take cholesterol to the tissues.
• Harmful because they raise the risk of heart disease.
Triglycerides are:
• Compounds that are found in the blood and transport fat in the blood.
• Harmful because they raise the risk of heart disease.
• Increased by too much sugar or alcohol in the diet, so sugar and alcohol are restricted in the treatment of high blood triglycerides.
“Good” Fats in our Food
Monounsaturated Fats are:
• Liquid at room temperature.
• Found in nuts and some vegetable oils such as canola, olive and peanut oil.
• Healthy because they lower blood cholesterol levels, especially LDL
Polyunsaturated Fats are:
• Liquid at room temperature.
• Found in some vegetable oils like sunflower and safflower oil.
• Classified as healthy because they lower LDL cholesterol and because they provide “essential fatty acids”, which the body cannot produce.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids are:
• Essential for normal growth, brain function and other important roles.
• Found in fatty fish (salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel and others) canola oil, sunflower oil and flax seeds.
• Known to decrease blood clotting and lower blood triglycerides, thereby decreasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
“Bad” Fats in our Food
Saturated Fats are:
• Solid at room temperature.
• Mainly found in animal fat (fat in meat, chicken skin, milk, butter, and cheese).
• Unhealthy since most (but not all) raise LDL cholesterol in the blood, thereby raising the risk of heart disease.
Trans Saturated Fats are:
• Made when oils undergo a process called hydrogenation to make them more solid and easy to spread at room temperature.
• Found in some types of crackers, potato chips, other snack foods, and baked goods.
• Known to raise LDL (bad) cholesterol, thereby raising the risk of heart disease.
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Flexibility & Stretching
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