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Dietary Fat
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Fats that harm your heart
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Fats that help your heart
Eat the right fats to improve your heart health
Trans fats, Omega-3 fats, saturated fats… are you
confused by all the fats you have been hearing about lately? Wondering
which type to eat and which to avoid? There are different types of fat
in foods. Some fats can increase your risk of heart disease and other
fats may actually improve your heart health. The key to improving your
health is to replace the “bad” fats with the “good” fats!
Fats that harm your heart
Saturated
and trans fats should be eaten less because
they may lead to high blood cholesterol, which is a risk factor for
heart disease. These fats are usually firm in texture and solid at room
temperature.
Saturated fat is found in milk, cheese, butter, lard, shortening,
many baked goods and convenience foods. Saturated fats are also found in
oils such as palm, palm kernel and coconut.
Trans fats are formed when liquid oils are changed to a solid in a
process called “hydrogenation”. Trans fat are found in many processed
foods such as hydrogenated margarines, cookies, crackers, French fries,
potato chips and frozen dinners. If you see the words “hydrogenated” or
“partially hydrogenated” in the ingredient list, that product contains
trans fat.
“What kind of margarine should I buy?” Buy an un-saturated and
non-hydrogenated margarine. Look for these words on the package -
non-hydrogenated, unsaturated, no trans fats.
Check out the Top 5 Things you Need to Know about Trans Fat
(Toronto Public Health)
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Fats that help your
heart
Unsaturated fats can help keep blood cholesterol levels healthy.
These fats are usually soft or liquid at room temperature. There are
two types of unsaturated fats: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated.
Monounsaturated fats are found in canola, olive and peanut oil
as well as soft non-hydrogenated margarines. Polyunsaturated fats
are found in safflower, sunflower, corn, sesame and soybean oils. Two
important polyunsaturated fats are Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. The
body cannot produce these fats, therefore they must come from food. A
normal diet is sufficient in Omega-6 but most diets tend to be low in
Omega-3 fats. You may also hear Omega-3 fats called linolenic, EPA and
DHA.
Why are Omega-3 fats important?
Omega-3 fats have been shown to lower the risk for heart disease and
regulate cholesterol levels.
Where can I find Omega-3 fat?
Omega-3 fats can be found in fish, flax seed, eggs and other Omega-3
fortified products such as milk and yogurt. Fatty fish such as
tuna, salmon, trout, sardines, herring and mackerel are rich sources of
Omega-3. Ground flax seeds are high in Omega-3. Add these seeds to baked
goods, cereal, pizza crust, soup, pancakes and salads. Omega-3 eggs are
produced by hens that are fed flax seeds. Other good sources of Omega-3
fats include walnuts, canola oil, soybeans and soybean oil.
How can I increase my Omega-3 intake?
- Eat fish at a meal instead of meat. (You will also decrease your
saturated fat intake)
- Have a tuna, salmon or sardine sandwich for lunch.
- Substitute Omega-3 eggs for regular eggs.
- Use canola or soybean oil when preparing foods.
- Add ground flax to various foods including: cereal, soup, pizza
crust, pancakes, burgers, cottage cheese and salads.
Substitute trans fats and saturated fats with heart healthy fats.
Once you are aware of which fats to avoid and which ones to consume,
your heart will thank you for it!
For free resources on how to choose heart healthy fats, or how to
decrease the amount of fat you use in cooking, call the Leeds, Grenville
and Lanark District Health Unit’s Health Action Line at 1-800-660-5853
or 613-345-5685 and ask to speak to a Registered Dietitian.
Submitted by Meena Parameswaran, MAN, RD,
Registered Dietitian/Public Health Nutritionist
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