Understand Your Fats and Fiber
According to the “Face the Fat’s” section on the American Heart Association web site bad fats are saturated and trans fats and the better fats are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Fish and Omega-3 oils are the best fats.
Saturated fats are triglycerides that contain only saturated fatty acids. A few examples of foods that contain large amounts of saturated fat are animal fats such as cream, cheese, butter, ghee, lard, and fatty meats. Also included are certain vegetable products such as coconut oil, cottonseed oil, palm kernel oil, chocolate, and many prepared foods. Unsaturated fat is a form of fat that is liquid at ordinary temperatures. Its opposite is saturated fat, which holds a more solid form.
Fats can also lead to high levels of cholesterol and heart disease, possibly cancer and weight gain as well. Although the dangers tend to link with saturated fats, the most common unsaturated fats come from oily fish such as herring, tuna, sardines, salmon, vegetable oils and nuts. Trans-fatty acids (trans fats) are more saturated than natural vegetable oils, solid at room temperature and more similar to saturated fat than to unsaturated fat. Food manufacturers prefer trans fats because they are more stable than vegetable oils and can extend the shelf life of food products. Consuming trans fats increases the risk of heart disease. Hydrogenated fat is solid or semi-solid at room temperatures. It is found in hard and semi-soft margarine and in vegetable shortenings. These products are then used in processed foods like baked goods and we then use them on our healthiest foods like baked potatoes, steamed vegetable and oatmeal when we put butter on them.
Lipids contain things like fats, fatty acids and cholesterol. The function of lipids is mainly for storage of energy. Carbs and protein also provide energy but it is a lot less than what is provided by lipids. The digestive system needs fiber to function properly and to reduce the risk of disorders such as constipation and diverticulitis1.
Dietary fiber comes from plants and cannot be