{"id":3971,"date":"2023-05-20T06:02:05","date_gmt":"2023-05-19T23:02:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/what-are-healthy-fats-and-are-you-eating-enough-of-them\/"},"modified":"2023-05-20T06:02:05","modified_gmt":"2023-05-19T23:02:05","slug":"what-are-healthy-fats-and-are-you-eating-enough-of-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=3971","title":{"rendered":"What Are Healthy Fats \u2014 and Are You Eating Enough of Them?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div itemprop=\"articleBody\">\n<p>Fat is the enemy \u2014 at least that\u2019s what we were told for decades. Low-fat and fat-free foods flew off shelves as people assumed cutting fat from their diets would help them keep off the pounds.<\/p>\n<p>But recent research has shown that low-fat and fat-free foods typically have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4742721\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">higher sugar content<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/26376619\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">excess sugar consumption<\/a> has been linked to weight gain as well as an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular issues.<\/p>\n<p>The truth is, we need to eat fat. But that doesn\u2019t mean all high-fat foods are equally healthy. When it comes to sources of dietary fat, there\u2019s a big difference between eating an avocado and eating a plate of greasy fries.<\/p>\n<p>So what exactly are \u201chealthy fats\u201d \u2014 and which types of fat should you avoid at all costs? Here\u2019s what you need to know.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Why Is Fat Important in a Balanced Diet?<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cFat is vital for brain and cell function,\u201d says Andrea N. Giancoli, M.P.H., R.D.<\/p>\n<p>Along with protein and carbohydrates, fat is one of the three main <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beachbodyondemand.com\/blog\/count-macros-for-weight-loss\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">macronutrients<\/a> that our bodies need to thrive. While carbs often get the credit for giving us energy, Giancoli says, \u201cFat has double the amount of energy of carbs or protein.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This means that while carbs can give us the initial energy during workouts, fat gives us the extra energy to keep going after 20 minutes or so.<\/p>\n<p>And, registered dietitian Maleah Staton, R.D., C.P.T., adds, \u201cFat is important because it helps us absorb fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dietary fat also provides the essential fatty acids known as linoleic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid) and alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid) that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/22435414\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">our bodies can\u2019t make<\/a>. These fatty acids have been linked to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/25161045\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">reduced risk of heart disease<\/a>, better <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5445635\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">brain function<\/a>, and improved <a href=\"https:\/\/nei.nih.gov\/news\/scienceadvances\/advances\/omega\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">eye health<\/a>, among other benefits.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Which Types of Fat Are Healthy Fats?<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/19144657\/man-woman-avocado-toast-giggle-breakfast.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-160056\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/19144657\/man-woman-avocado-toast-giggle-breakfast.jpg\" alt=\"man woman avocado toast giggle breakfast | healthy fats\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>There are four different types of fat found in food:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Saturated fat<\/li>\n<li>Monounsaturated fat<\/li>\n<li>Trans fat<\/li>\n<li>Polyunsaturated fat<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats get the honor of being deemed \u201chealthy fats\u201d \u2014 and, Giancoli says, we need a good balance of these two types of fat in our diets.<\/p>\n<h3>Monounsaturated fats<\/h3>\n<p>Monounsaturated fats are unsaturated fats that have a single (mono) chemical bond. Studies have shown that replacing a diet high in saturated fat with a diet high in monounsaturated fats can help <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC2547880\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">decrease LDL cholesterol<\/a> (low-density lipoprotein, aka \u201cbad\u201d cholesterol), and monounsaturated fat has also been linked to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/23572200\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">lower blood pressure<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Polyunsaturated fats<\/h3>\n<p>On the other hand, polyunsaturated fats are made up of multiple (poly) chemical bonds. These types of fat provide our bodies with omega-3 and omega-6, two fatty acids that are essential for health, but not made by the body.<\/p>\n<p>Omega-3 fatty acids have been <a href=\"https:\/\/nccih.nih.gov\/health\/omega3\/introduction.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">linked to<\/a> better heart health and eye health, along with a lower risk of some emotional and cognitive conditions. To get more omega-3s in your diet, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.heart.org\/en\/healthy-living\/healthy-eating\/eat-smart\/fats\/fish-and-omega-3-fatty-acids\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">American Heart Association<\/a> recommends eating fatty fish \u2014 like salmon, sardines, tuna, and mackerel \u2014 at least twice a week.<\/p>\n<p>Omega-6 fatty acids \u2014 commonly found in vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds \u2014 are also essential. But research suggests a high-omega-6 diet may be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/29610056\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">linked to inflammation<\/a>, and we should aim for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3335257\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">balance of omega-3s and omega-6s<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>What Are Less Healthy Fats?<\/h2>\n<p>Saturated fats and trans fats are considered the not-so-healthy fats.<\/p>\n<h3>Saturated fats<\/h3>\n<p>Typically solid at room temperature \u2014 think butter and palm oil \u2014 saturated fats have been linked to <a href=\"https:\/\/medlineplus.gov\/ency\/patientinstructions\/000838.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">health issues<\/a> including heart disease from increased LDL cholesterol and weight gain.<\/p>\n<p>Saturated fat is found in animal meats and dairy products, so it\u2019s almost impossible to avoid if you\u2019re an omnivore \u2014 but the good news is it\u2019s not necessary to avoid saturated fat completely. Like most things, it\u2019s OK in moderation; the American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.heart.org\/en\/healthy-living\/healthy-eating\/eat-smart\/fats\/saturated-fats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">5 or 6 percent of the total calories<\/a> you eat every day.<\/p>\n<h3>Trans fats<\/h3>\n<p>The least healthy of the bunch, there are essentially two types of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beachbodyondemand.com\/blog\/what-are-trans-fats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trans fats<\/a>: those that come naturally from animals, and artificial trans fats that are manufactured by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.choosemyplate.gov\/saturated-unsaturated-and-trans-fats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Artificial trans fats have <a href=\"https:\/\/medlineplus.gov\/ency\/patientinstructions\/000786.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">no health benefits<\/a> \u2014 they\u2019re known to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.heart.org\/en\/healthy-living\/healthy-eating\/eat-smart\/fats\/trans-fat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">raise LDL cholesterol, lower HDL cholesterol, and increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, and even type 2 diabetes<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, trans fat poses so much of a risk that partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) \u2014 the primary source of artificial trans fats \u2014 have been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/Food\/IngredientsPackagingLabeling\/FoodAdditivesIngredients\/ucm449162.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">banned by the FDA<\/a>. A manufacturing ban on most foods containing PHOs went into effect in 2018, and by 2021, all foods containing PHOs will be removed from the food supply (which makes artificial trans fats easy to avoid).<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>What Are the Best Healthy Fat Foods?<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/19144652\/healthy-fat-foods.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-160055 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/19144652\/healthy-fat-foods.jpg\" alt=\"salmon avocado nuts seeds oils fish | healthy fats foods\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>You should be adding healthy, high-fat foods to your diet. Just be careful, because it\u2019s easy to go overboard, even with unsaturated \u201chealthy\u201d fats.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s important for us to consume fat mindfully, sparingly, and intentionally,\u201d Staton says. Every gram of fat contains nine calories, making it more calorically dense than foods that are high in protein or carbs (each of which contain <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nal.usda.gov\/fnic\/how-many-calories-are-one-gram-fat-carbohydrate-or-protein\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">4 calories per gram<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Here are some qualifying <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beachbodyondemand.com\/blog\/healthy-high-fat-foods\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">healthy fat foods<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p>According to Giancoli, you should get 20 to 35 percent of your daily calories from fat. If you eat 2,000 calories per day, that means 400 to 700 of those calories should come from fat.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fat is the enemy \u2014 at least that\u2019s what we were told for decades. Low-fat and fat-free foods flew off shelves as people assumed cutting fat from their diets would help them keep off the pounds. But recent research has shown that low-fat and fat-free foods typically have higher sugar content, and excess sugar consumption &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3972,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3971","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3971","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3971"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3971\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3972"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3971"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3971"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3971"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}