Meet the Fats: Saturated Fats

Thursday, 05. 7. 2009  –  Category: Cholesterol, Cholesterol Foods, Heart Diseases, Heart Health, Nutrition, Weight Management

Cut Back

Your chances of remaining healthy can be amped up simply by reducing your intake of saturated.  It has been proven that diets high in saturated fats are directly linked to a higher risk of heart disease.  Studies have also shown that saturated fat has the largest potential to increase unhealthy cholesterol.  Take a look at those facts.  They don’t leave much good to be found in saturated fats.

Saturated fats are meant to be just a small portion of your diet.  Medical experts say that calories supplied by saturated fat should only make up roughly 7% of your caloric intake.  Looking at how many calories you eat each day, that is a pretty small amount.  It’s an especially small amount if you’re cutting calories and fat to lead a healthier lifestyle!

Know Where to Look

Items high in saturated fat include egg yolks, fatty cuts of meat, the skin on poultry, lard, butter, whole dairy products, palm oil, kernel oil, coconut oil, most desserts and sweets, and most fast foods.  Anything including hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated fats are going to be high in saturated fat.  Saturated fat is normally solid at room temperature.  

You can cut your intake by replacing whole-fat dairy products such as cheese and yogurt for low-fat or fat-free alternatives.  Also, drink fat-free milk.  Another option is to use only whites or egg-substitute rather than eggs.  Lean cuts of meat and skinless poultry can also be a huge help.

Sub It Out

Experts also suggest eating fish at least two times a week, if not more.  Another idea is to decrease portion size of fatty dishes in a meal and increase the size of healthier foods, such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables.  Trying meat substitutes such as tofu or soy-based products can also be helpful in reducing your saturated fat intake.

Reducing saturated fat can also have other health benefits.  Be reducing your saturated fat, you open up weight-loss possibilities and increase your chances of longevity.  In any diet, and especially a low-cholesterol diet, a decrease in fat intake is necessary; the most important of these fats to diminish is saturated fat.

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