- Avocados: According to a recent study in Brisbane, Australia, eating avocados daily for three weeks improved blood cholesterol in middle-aged women better than a low-fat diet did. The avocado diet reduced total cholesterol 8 percent compared with 5 percent for the low-fat diet. Most important, avocados improved the good HDL-cholesterol ratio by 15 percent. The daily amount of avocado ranged from 1/2 avocado for small women to 1 1/2 for large women. Expected outcome: By eating avocados, heart patients could cut their risk of heart attack 10-20 percent and death rates 4-8 percent in 3-5 years.
- Dark chocolate: Not to be used as an excuse to binge on chocolate, but including some dark chocolate into your cheat meals is a delicious way to get some extra monounsaturated fats into your diet. About a third of the fat found in dark chocolate is monounsaturated. Dark chocolate is also full of flavonoids, which help to protect cells from free radical damage and lower blood pressure. So next time you are staring at the chocolate shelf in your local grocery store be sure to choose the dark option over milk or white chocolate.
Polyunsaturated fats
Polyunsaturated fats also lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. It contains essential fatty acids (EFAs) such as omega-6s (linoleic acid) and omega-3s (alpha-linoleic acid) that are needed in our diet. So, a certain amount of polyunsaturated fats are needed because essential fatty acids may help in prevent or control of all kinds of ailments and conditions such as:
- heart disease
- cancer
- immune system deficiencies
- arthritis
- obesity
Polyunsaturated fats are also one of few rich sources of vitamin E.
Polyunsaturated fats are found in
foods of plant origin. The best sources are oily fish, walnuts, sesame and pumpkin seeds. Other high sources are vegetable oils such as sunflower and safflower.
The Bad Fat
 |
| Pork |
Saturated fats have been proven to raise overall cholesterol levels and contribute to heart disease.
Saturated fat is found mostly in foods that come from animals. These include:
A high content of saturated fat can be found in some foods that come from plants such as:
 |
| Cake |
Trans fats were invented when scientists decided to hydrogenate or turn liquid
fat into solid
fat. This process increases the shelf life of certain products and helps to preserve flavor. However, these
fats are particularly dangerous. In fact, the recommended daily amount of
trans fats according to the American Food and Drug Administration is zero. Like
saturated fats,
trans fats have been strongly linked to heart disease.
 |
| Ice-creams |
Where can you find trans fats? You’ll be surprised and shocked! Yes, in chocolates and wafers, in shortening and margarine, in ice-creams, biscuits and cookies, cakes, breakfast cereals, burgers, bakery produce, French fries, pastries, pies and puffs, fried chicken, and pizza.
What Can You Do?
- Avoid using cooking oils that are high in saturated fats and/or trans fats such as coconut oil, palm oil or vegetable shortening. Instead, use oils that are low in saturated fats and high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as canola oil, olive oil and flax seed oil.
- Minimize using commercially packaged foods which are high in trans fats. Always read labels to look for trans fat free alternatives.
- As saturated fats are found in animals products, use lower-fat version dairy such as 1% or skim milk instead of whole milk. Trim visible fats and skins from meat products.
