Ditch Fried, Packaged, and Processed Foods

I’ll be the first one to acknowledge that the foods that came to your mind when you read the title of this article are delicious. However, when it comes to being more health conscious and fighting the battle against obesity some sacrifices are required to help increase our quality of life.

What Fats Are Healthy?

It is important to be aware of the different types of fat you’re introducing into your body because not all fats are equal in the impact the have on your overall health. In general, fats can be categorized as either saturated or unsaturated fats. To help you recognize what they are and which ones are better for you here’s a quick breakdown:

Saturated fats

Usually solid at room temperature and the raw products come from animal or dairy such as butter, cream, lard, and even coconut oil. Common sources in our diets are found in the form of tacos, burgers, sandwiches, ice cream, and baked goods that require butter. The American Heart Association recommends that a healthy amount of saturated fats in our diets should be around 6% of the total calories we intake throughout the day. For example, if you need about 2,000 calories a day, no more than 120 of them should come from saturated fat. That comes out to about 13 grams of saturated fat per day. The effect that saturated fats have on your body is that they increase both your LDL (known as bad cholesterol) and your HDL (known as good cholesterol). Since both increase this means that saturated fats aren’t as bad as the other fats that we will talk about, however consuming more than the recommended amount will increase your risk of developing heart and blood vessel disease and will increase the amount of total calories which in turn causes weight gain which could lead to obesity if not controlled.

Unsaturated fats

Usually liquid at room temperature and comes from a variety of sources depending on the subcategory because unsaturated can be further divided into monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and trans fats.

Monounsaturated fats can be found in olive oil, peanuts, sunflower seeds, avocadoes, almonds, cashews, and pecans. These fats have less LDL in them which makes them a healthier alternative to the aforementioned saturated fats an example of how you can incorporate them into your diet is replacing butter with olive oil. another example is replacing packaged snacks such as chips with nuts and trail mixes.

Polyunsaturated fats come in two forms omega 3 which is found in salmon, tuna, flaxseeds, and walnuts. The other form is called omega 6 and some common sources are Corn oil, Peanut oil, Sunflower oil. This type of fat also has less LDL than HDL which is associated with decreased risk of heart disease when we incorporate them into our diet instead of saturated fats or trans fats.

Trans Fats

A kind of unsaturated fat that have undergone a process called hydrogenation which turns liquid oils into solid fats. They were previously thought to be a healthier alternative to other fats which also lasted longer and were cheaper however now the FDA classifies them as no longer safe in foods. Out of all the fats mentioned trans fats increase your LDL the most and have detrimental effects on your health. Sources of trans fats are found in the following:

1. Margarine: Many margarine brands contain trans fats, especially the stick or hard varieties.

2. Shortening: Solid vegetable shortening used in baking often contains trans fats.

3. Fried Foods: Commercially fried foods like French fries, fried chicken, and doughnuts can contain trans fats if they're fried in partially hydrogenated oils.

4. Packaged Snacks: Many packaged snacks like crackers, cookies, and snack cakes contain partially hydrogenated oils to improve shelf life and texture.

5. Baked Goods: Some commercially baked goods, such as pastries, pies, cakes, and muffins, may contain trans fats in the form of partially hydrogenated oils.

6. Fast Food: Many fast-food items, including burgers, chicken sandwiches, and fried foods, may contain trans fats due to the use of partially hydrogenated oils in cooking.

7. Microwave Popcorn: Certain brands of microwave popcorn contain trans fats in the form of partially hydrogenated oils used for flavor and texture.

It's important to check food labels for ingredients like "partially hydrogenated oils" or "hydrogenated vegetable oil" to identify products that may contain trans fats. Limiting consumption of these foods can help reduce trans fat intake and lower the risk of heart disease and decreases your caloric intake.

Now that you have a good idea of the different types of fats that are found in our foods let's talk about the implication of consuming them via foods that are either fried, packaged, or processed. All these foods are very calorie-dense for example a single serving of fries can exceed 300 calories, and it's rare for any one of us to limit ourselves to just one serving. However, the concern extends beyond just the caloric content. Fried foods are abundant in unhealthy fats that we talked about, including trans fats and saturated fats, which have adverse effects on cholesterol levels and elevate the risk of heart disease.

Equally as important as cardiovascular health is the aspect of weight control because obesity can lead to multiple complications and a heavily reduced quality of life. Recent studies underscore a notable correlation between frequent consumption of fried foods and a heightened likelihood of being overweight or obese. Nevertheless, it's not all bad news there's always room for optimism. We can all start by making small changes in our diets, such as substituting fried foods with healthier alternatives or preparing meals at home more frequently while taking into account the type of fat were using to prepare our meals. Nothing will change overnight but bit by bit you’ll start to notice the positive impact on your health and weight. So, the next time you're tempted to indulge in some fried goodness, think twice. Your waistline, and your heart, will thank you.

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