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Saturated And Unsaturated Fat |
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Some fat is essential in
everyone's diet.
Fats provide a source of concentrated energy as well as the
fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Fat transports these
vital nutrients around the body.
We also need fat for hormone metabolism, healthy skin and
hair, tissue repair, protecting the internal organs and to
prevent excessive loss of body heat.
There are two main types of fat: saturated and unsaturated. |
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Saturated fat |
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Excessive amounts of fat are found in saturated animal fats
and trans-fatty acids. These types of fat raise cholesterol
levels and increase your risk of many chronic diseases such
as heart disease, stroke and certain cancers.
Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and are found
mainly in the following animal and dairy products: |
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meat
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butter
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cream
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cheese
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eggs
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lard
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full fat milk
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suet and dripping
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full fat yoghurt
Saturated fats are also found in hard margarines that are
formed by the 'hydrogenation' of vegetable oils.
Hydrogenation increases the shelf-life of food, but it also
creates trans fats (trans-fatty acids) that are harmful for
health.
Hydrogenated margarine or butter is often used for making
cakes, biscuits and pastry. |
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Unsaturated fat |
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Unsaturated fats are generally liquid at room temperature.
They come from vegetable sources and are also found in oily
fish and in soft margarines labelled 'high in
polyunsaturates'.
Unsaturated fats contain essential fatty acids that cannot
be manufactured by the body. This means you need to get them
from food.
Good sources of unsaturated fats include:
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avocados (one quarter of an avocado contains 5g of
unsaturated fat)
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unsalted nuts (cashew, brazil, pecan, walnut)
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seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame).
Omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids play an important
role in the functions of the body that promote health and
wellbeing.
In particular, studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids
protect against heart disease. Oily fish is the best source
of omega-3:
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salmon
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tuna
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trout
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sardines
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mackerel
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pilchards
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herring.
Current advice is to eat oily fish two to three times a
week. While oily fish is the best source of essential fatty
acids, other omega-rich foods are:
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corn oil
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flaxseed oil
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nut oil
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safflower oil
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sunflower oil
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virgin olive oil
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Tips for healthy living |
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We
tend to eat a lot of fat, so aim to include some essential
fatty acids in your daily diet and reduce your intake of
saturated fats. Below are a few ways to improve your diet.
Swap saturated fat for unsaturated
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Cook with vegetable oil instead of lard, butter or
margarine, and use sparingly. Sesame seed oil is a good
choice for stir-frying.
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Pour warmed virgin olive oil on bread instead of butter or
margarine.
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Replace the meat in your Sunday roast with salmon or
trout.
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Dress your salads with virgin or nut oils instead of
mayonnaise
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Instead of reaching for crisps or chocolate, try one of
these: pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, unsalted nuts or
raw vegetables.
Get the most from your food
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Check food labels for fat content before you put something
in your trolley. It can be surprising how much (and how
little) fat some foods contain. Knowing what food contains
means you can find a healthier, tasty alternative.
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Poach or lightly grill your oily fish to maintain the
essential fatty acid content.
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Purchase and store your vegetable oils in dark frosted
glass bottles. Light and heat can easily destroy the oils'
nutrients.
Make healthier choices
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Choose lean meat or poultry and remove the excess fat
before cooking. This means the skin on chicken breasts,
the rind on bacon, the crackling on pork.
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Avoid margarine that contains hydrogenated oil. This will
be stated on the packaging, so check your favourite brand.
Margarines made without hydrogenated oil include Clover,
Biona and Olivio.
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Choose your dairy products carefully. You won't compromise
your calcium intake by opting for lower-fat yoghurts and
skimmed or semi-skimmed milk.
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Keep frying and roasting to a minimum. Better choices are
to bake, grill, steam or stir-fry.
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Make biscuits, cakes and pastry an occasional treat. They
are high in saturated fats and are likely to contain
hydrogenated vegetable oil.
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