For years we heard that a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet would keep us healthy and help us lose weight. And many of us jumped on the bandwagon, eliminating fat and high-cholesterol foods from our diets. Well, unfortunately, we were doing it all wrong.
Instead of eliminating fat completely, we should have been eliminating the "bad fats," the fats associated with obesity and heart disease and eating the "good fats," the fats that actually help improve blood cholesterol levels. Before we examine the good fats and bad fats, let's talk about cholesterol.
Cholesterol - It's been ingrained into our brains that cholesterol causes heart disease and that we should limit our intake of foods that contain it, but dietary cholesterol is different than blood cholesterol. Cholesterol comes from two places-first, from food such as meat, eggs, and seafood, and second, from our body. Our liver makes this waxy substance and links it to carrier proteins called lipoproteins. These lipoproteins dissolve the cholesterol in blood and carry it to all parts of your body. Our body needs cholesterol to help form cell membranes, some hormones, and Vitamin D.
You may have heard of "good" and "bad" cholesterol. Well, high-density lipoproteins (HDL) carry cholesterol from the blood to the liver. The liver processes the cholesterol for elimination from the body. If there's HDL in the blood, then less cholesterol will be deposited in the coronary arteries. That's why it's called "good" cholesterol.
Low-density lipoproteins (LDL), carry cholesterol from the liver to the rest of the body. When there is too much in the body, it is deposited in the coronary arteries. This is not good. A build-up of cholesterol in our arteries could prevent blood from getting to parts of our heart. That means that our heart won't get the oxygen and nutrients it needs, which could result in heart attack, stroke, or sudden death. So, if your LDL is higher than your HDL, you're at a greater risk for developing heart disease.
It may come as a surprise, but recent studies have shown that the amount of cholesterol in our food is not strongly linked to our blood cholesterol levels. It's the types of fats you eat that affect your blood cholesterol levels.
Bad Fats - There are two fats that you should limit your intake of-saturated and trans fats.
Saturated Fats - Saturated fats are mostly animal fats. You find them in meat, whole-milk products, poultry skin, and egg yolks. Coconut oil also has a high amount of saturated fat. Saturated fats raise both the good and bad blood cholesterol.
Trans Fats - Trans fats are produced through hydrogenation-heating oils in the presence of oxygen. Many products contain trans fats because the fats help them maintain a longer shelf life. Margarine also contains a high amount of trans fats. Trans fats are especially dangerous because they lower the good cholesterol, HDL and raise the bad cholesterol, LDL. Unfortunately, most products do not tell you how much trans fat it contains, but you can find out if it's in a product by looking at the ingredient list. If the ingredients contain hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated oils, then it contains trans fats. Fortunately in 2006, manufacturers will be required to list the amount of trans fat in their products on the nutrition labels, so it will be easier for you to find.
Good Fats - Some fats actually improve cholesterol levels.
Polyunsaturated Fats - Polyunsaturated fats are found in sunflower, corn, and soybean oils. These oils contain Omega-6, an essential fatty acid. However, most people get enough Omega-6 in their diet and instead need more Omega-3. Omega-3 is a fatty acid found in fish and walnuts.
Monounsaturated Fats - Monounsaturated fats are found in canola, peanut, and olive oils.
Both types of unsaturated fats decrease the bad cholesterol, LDL and increase the good cholesterol, HDL.
Now, just because the unsaturated fats improve your blood cholesterol levels, you don't have the go-ahead to eat all of the olive oil, butter and nuts you want. Fat of any kind does contain calories, and if you're trying to lose weight, eat fat in moderation, and stay away from saturated fats.
Arnel Ricafranca
Fitness Expert/Personal trainer
Founder of Fitness VIP
Online personal fitness trainer
http://www.fitness-vip.com
If you would like additional support and coaching along the way - I strongly suggest you take a peak at my online "member's only" site at http://www.fitness-vip.com - as what we have for you there can definitely help you make progress fast.
Sign up for my fitness newsletter and receive my five special reports ($50 value).
SPECIAL REPORT #1:
6 Keys To Getting Maximum Results In Minimum Time With Your Home Exercise Equipment
SPECIAL REPORT #2:
The 8 Keys to Golf Fitness Success
SPECIAL REPORT #3:
How to Build The Perfect Athlete For Any Sport: The 6 Secrets of Successful Sport-Specific Conditioning
SPECIAL REPORT #4:
Solving the Supplement Mystery: Is There A Magic Pill Out There For You?
SPECIAL REPORT #5:
16 Tips For Looking And Feeling Better Than You Have In Years:
Get it now at http://www.fitness-vip.com
shuttle from O'Hare Brocton .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareFinally - you are alone. No one else is around.... Read More
Did you know that how and when you eat is... Read More
Lousy Reasons to Lose Weight"I want to be a size... Read More
Recently, I was reading about a diet plan where you... Read More
1. Drink 8-10 glasses of water each dayOkay, for many... Read More
You gain weight when your calorie intake is more than... Read More
Weight Loss is something that many Americans struggle with. In... Read More
If you're serious about losing weight and getting fit, you... Read More
A calorie is the unit used to measure the energy... Read More
The latest trend in the area of weight loss is... Read More
America is a nation of self-disclosers, amiably acceptant of our... Read More
Your health is your responsibility. As a human being, you... Read More
Close kept secrets to weight loss: Give me 9 days... Read More
There are a lot of "crash" diets out there that... Read More
In recent years, carbohydrates have been labeled as the nutrition... Read More
Like millions of men and women, I started resolving to... Read More
Can You Lose Weight Where You Want?If you have excess... Read More
Include in your diet things that contain more water like... Read More
The goal of many athletes and exercisers is to "get... Read More
Okay, so you've read some of these articles, done your... Read More
My first article provided steps for fast healthy weight loss.... Read More
REDUCE YOUR WEIGHTNow you are not very far from losing... Read More
I thought I could avoid this when we moved to... Read More
Many people limit themselves to one soda a day especially... Read More
WAHOO!!! for YOU!! You are the most AWESOME person alive!!... Read More
Chicago charter limousine service Hickory Hills ..Whether coming from a close friend, the nightly news or... Read More
When you begin the decision making process to have Weight... Read More
Any dietary plan on the market has some portion of... Read More
The best exercises for quick weight loss in my opinion... Read More
If you've been on a low carb diet for any... Read More
From the moment of birth your first emotional experiences establish... Read More
Ever wonder if you have a serious problem with binge... Read More
There are a few different ways to determine if you... Read More
All of the things we tell sick people so that... Read More
Dieters have long searched for secret paths to easy weight... Read More
While exercising isn't complicated, it's very easy to make mistakes.... Read More
In December 2003, the FDA incorporated an ephedra ban making... Read More
Many people (especially on the net) claim that you can... Read More
There's a dirty little secret in the diet industry. The... Read More
Get to the ROOT of the matter: If the plants... Read More
"The kind of thoughts that you plant in your mind,... Read More
I believe that water not only helps with weight loss,... Read More
Nothing is more disappointing than hearing a gastric bypass patient... Read More
Dieting and weight loss is almost certainly the most lucrative... Read More
I am a Registered Dietitian who has spent over 10,000... Read More
As a part of a children's diet and health study,... Read More
It seems like everywhere you turn, there is someone trying... Read More
Fat Loss Tip #1) Train With WeightsWorking out with weights... Read More
Unfortunately, obesity is reaching epidemic proportions, with over 60% of... Read More
Include in your diet things that contain more water like... Read More
Weight Loss |