The truth is, your body needs some fat to absorb vitamins like A, D, E, and K, and some health-protecting phytochemicals--plant-based antioxidants found in leafy green vegetables like spinach. So a tablespoon of olive oil on your salad may be good for you. Why? You may have heard of “good fats” and “bad fats.”
Good fats such as those found in fish, nuts, avocados, olives and vegetable oils such as olive, canola, sesame and nut can be healthy in calorie conscious amounts. When reducing “bad fats” from your diet, you may want to focus on working toward eliminating saturated and trans fats. Examples of bad fats include saturated fats: fatty beef, lamb, pork, poultry with skin, beef fat (tallow), lard and cream, butter, cheese and other dairy products made from whole or reduced-fat (2 percent) milk, and trans fats found in fried foods and baked goods, especially those containing partially hydrogenated oils.
It may be good to remember that even good fats can pack a caloric punch (about 120 calories a tablespoon), so stressing portion control is important when trying to lose weight.
Do you have a question about Diet, Nutrition, and Weight Loss? Check out EmpowHER’s pages. Sign-up, post a question, share your story, connect with other women in our groups and community, and feel EmpowHERed!
Resource:
6 Diets That Can Hurt Your Health
Fats 101
Christine Jeffries is a writer/editor for work and at heart, and lives in a home of testosterone with her husband and two sons. Christine is interested in women’s health and promoting strong women.