Choosing Good Fats to Replace Bad Fats in your Diet

What are dietary fats? 

Think all fat is bad for you? This article gives you an idea about dietary fat, including how to choose good fats over bad fats in your diet. 

Fat is a type of nutrient, just like protein and carbohydrates. Your body needs some fat for energy, to absorb vitamins and to protect your heart and brain health. There is a myth that eating fat will cause weight gain, raise cholesterol and lead to a myriad of health problems, however not all fat is the same. In fact, healthy fats play an important role in helping you manage your moods, fight fatigue and control your weight. 

By understanding the difference between good and bad fats and how to include more healthy fat in your diet, you can improve how well you think and feel, boost your energy, and even trim your waistline.

Good Fats vs Bad Fats 

Since fat is an important part of a healthy diet, rather than adopting a low-fat diet, it’s more important to focus on eating more beneficial “good” fats and limiting harmful “bad” fats.

Unhealthy or “Bad” Fats

1. Trans Fat

Small amounts of naturally trans fats can be found in meat and dairy products but it is artificial trans fats that are considered dangerous. This is the worst type of fat since it not only raises bad LDL cholesterol but also lowers good HDL levels. Artificial trans fats can also create inflammation, which is linked to heart disease, stroke, and other chronic conditions and contributes to insulin resistance, which increases your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Primary food sources include:

- Commercially-baked pastries, cookies, doughnuts, cakes, pizza

- Packaged snack foods (crackers, chips)

- Stick margarine, vegetable shortening

- Fried foods (French fries, fried chicken, chicken nuggets)

- Anything containing hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil

2. Saturated Fat 

While not as harmful as trans fat, saturated fat can raise bad LDL cholesterol and can negatively impact heart health, so it’s best consumed in moderation. While there’s no need to avoid all saturated fat from your diet, it is recommended limiting it to 10% of your daily calories.

Primary food sources include:

- Red meat (beef, lamb, pork)

- Chicken skin, lard 

- Whole-fat dairy products (milk, cream, ice cream, butter)

- Tropical oils (coconut oil, palm oil) 

Healthy or “Good” Fats 

1. Unsaturated Fats

Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are known as the “good fats” as they are good for your heart, cholesterol, and your overall health. Adding more of these healthy fats to your diet may also help to make you feel more satisfied after a meal, reducing hunger and thus promoting weight loss. 

Monosaturated fat - food sources include: 

Olive oil, canola oil, avocados, tree nuts (almonds, peanuts, macadamia, hazelnuts, cashews)

Polyunsaturated fat - food sources include: 

Sunflower, sesame, pumpkin seeds, flaxseed, walnuts, fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel)

2. Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are type of polyunsaturated fat and are especially beneficial to your health. There are different types of omega-3s: EPA and DHA are found in fish and algae and have the most health benefits, while ALA comes from plants and is a less potent form of omega-3. 

Research has shown that a diet rich in omega-3s may help to prevent and reduce symptoms of depression, protect against memory loss and dementia,  reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer, reduce inflammation, joint pain and balance your mood. 

Best Food Sources of Omega-3s 

Fish sources: Salmon, Mackerel, Trout, Herring, Tuna, Sardines, Anchovies

Vegetarian sources: Sacha inchi seeds, Chia seeds, Algae, Flaxseeds, Walnuts, Canola

Tips for Adding More Healthy Fats to your Diet

• Eat omega-3 fats every day – choose fatty fish and plant sources

• Cook with olive oil – rather than butter, margarine or lard

• Take sacha inchi oil – good plant-based source for omega 3-6-9

• Add chia seed into diet – drinking water, smoothies, salad, pudding 

• Eat avocados – Snack, cook, bake to add nutritious and healthy fats

• Be nutty – Munch on a small handful of unsalted nuts and seeds

• Dress your own salad – create healthy dressings with olive oil

In summary, be smart about the amount and type of fat you choose. Choosing foods rich in healthier unsaturated fat instead of foods high in saturated fat, not in addition to them. It is important to note that a person’s total diet or overall eating pattern is the most important factor for disease prevention. A varied diet is more beneficial to good health than concentrating on individual foods.

Lara, Nutritionist Anna Hoo Clinic

References: 

1. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/307811#potential-health-risks-of-consuming-salmon

2. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/fat/art-20045550

3. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-super-healthy-high-fat-foods

4. https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-healthy-fat-foods

5. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fats/4-ways-to-get-good-fats-infographic

 

 

 

 

What is visceral fat? The 3 major causes and ways to reduce it.

 

What is visceral fat? The 3 major causes and ways to reduce it.

Think maintaining low body fat is important simply to maintain an attractive outlook?

While subcutaneous fat (the layer of fat that can be seen and pinched) is a hindrance, it’s the fat that you cannot see that is more worrisome. Visceral fat lies within the abdominal cavity and wraps around the internal organs including liver, stomach, intestines and pancreas.

While it’s hard to judge how much visceral fat a person has, a protruding belly and large waist are two signs. For accurate assessment, bioelectrical impedance machines can measure the amount of visceral fat in a person. 

Having too many visceral fat cells poses a serious health problem as they produce inflammatory markers. Over time, long-lasting inflammation leads to higher risk of chronic diseases including heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, stroke and cancer.

3 Major Causes of Visceral Fat

1.     Diet

A poor diet consisting of processed foods contribute to the buildup of visceral fat. Processed foods such as fast food, ready-to-eat meals, and baked confectionary are usually high in trans-fat, sugar and calories, while being low in essential nutrients, all of which contribute to fat increase. Besides that, a higher consumption of added sugar is linked to increased visceral fat. Fructose, a form of sugar that is mostly found in sweetened beverages, baked confectionary and fast food gets converted into fat by the liver, which ends up increasing visceral fat storage. 

2.     Sedentary Lifestyle

Fat gets stored when we consume more calories than we use. With poor diet control, having too little physical activity amplifies fat accumulation in the body. As the total body fat increases, visceral fat increases as well, as visceral body fat makes up an estimated 10% of total body fat in the body.

3.     Stress

Stress encourages the body to store excess visceral fat. When under stress, the body produces a hormone called cortisol. While cortisol is important in regulating the body’s processes and response to stress, excessive amounts increase visceral fat storage. Furthermore, stress encourages emotional overeating of empty calories, which further worsens visceral fat accumulation.

Fortunately, lifestyle adjustments can be made to lose existing visceral fat.

1.     Balanced, Whole-foods Diet

To keep daily calorie intake under control and to reduce intake of added sugars and trans-fats, focus on a whole foods diet consisting of plenty of vegetables and fruits, ample protein and complex carbohydrates in moderation. At the same time, limit intake of processed foods. Consuming vegetables and fruits will also increase soluble fiber intake, which lowers risk of visceral fat. Increasing soluble fiber intake by 10 grams daily may reduce the risk of visceral fat gain by up to 3.7%. Soluble fiber helps by increasing gut bacteria diversity for a healthy gut, as well as by increasing sense of satiety, which ultimately reduces total calorie intake. Aim for meal proportions of 50% vegetables and fruits, 30% protein, and 20% complex carbohydrates.

2.     Keep moving

Moderate to high intensity form of cardio exercises such as biking, tennis, hiking or running are especially effective in losing visceral fat.

To kick start, aim for 150 minutes of cardio exercises per week.

3.     Get a good night’s sleep

Lack of sleep is linked to higher levels of visceral fat. In fact, increasing sleep duration from less than 6 hours a day to at least 7 hours has been shown to reduce visceral fat gain by around 26%.

Aim for at least 7 hours of sleep daily. For a well-rested sleep, dim the lights and reduce screen time on electronic devices before heading to bed.

4.     Keep stress under control

Focus on managing stress levels by spending time on a hobby, practicing deep breathing and meditation, and seeking support from family and friends.

 

Zuanne, Nutritionist
Anna Hoo Clinic

Reference

1.     How to reduce visceral body fat (hidden fat). (2022). Retrieved 7 January 2022, from https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/how-to-reduce-visceral-body-fat-hidden-fat

2.     Hairston, K. G., Vitolins, M. Z., Norris, J. M., Anderson, A. M., Hanley, A. J., & Wagenknecht, L. E. (2012). Lifestyle factors and 5‐year abdominal fat accumulation in a minority cohort: the IRAS family study. Obesity, 20(2), 421-427.

3.     Parikh, S., Pollock, N. K., Bhagatwala, J., Guo, D. H., Gutin, B., Zhu, H., & Dong, Y. (2012). Adolescent fiber consumption is associated with visceral fat and inflammatory markers. The journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism, 97(8), E1451-E1457.

4.     Magee L, Hale L. Longitudinal associations between sleep duration and subsequent weight gain: a systematic review. Sleep Med Rev 2012;16:231–241.

5.     Chaput, J. P., Bouchard, C., & Tremblay, A. (2014). Change in sleep duration and visceral fat accumulation over 6 years in adults. Obesity, 22(5), E9-E12.

6.     Drapeau, V., Therrien, F., Richard, D., & Tremblay, A. (2003). Is visceral obesity a physiological adaptation to stress?. Panminerva medica, 45(3), 189-196.