If I understand correctly, I don’t need to worry about eating any amount of animal fat. Can I eat all the fat I want?
Now that you’re following the Low-Carb Plan, you might be thinking that as long as you cut down on those carbs, you can eat all the fat you like. Well, all carbs are not created equal and neither are all fats. Because of their different effects on our health, some fats are more desirable than others.
The healthiest type of fat to have in your diet is monounsaturated fat – the type of fat found in olives and olive oil, oily fish, nuts and seeds. Monounsaturated fat actually lowers ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol while increasing ‘good’ HDL cholesterol and this change in the ratio between these types of cholesterol helps lower the risk of heart disease.
Polyunsaturated fats are also heart-healthy and some types of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are thought to have a role in combating depression. Rich sources of polyunsaturated fats are vegetables oils such as sunflower oil and margarines made with sunflower oil.
Saturated fat is found in animal products such as meat and dairy foods and such foods can be included as part of a balanced Low-Carb plan.
So, when you’re following the Low-Carb plan, get that balance by choosing poultry, fish, tofu or other vegetarian foods such as Quorn as protein foods as well as red meat, and alternating olive oil with butter for cooking or topping your vegetables!
Another type of fat is known as hydrogenated or trans fat. Hydrogenated fats are made by synthetically saturating the fats present in vegetable or fish oils. This makes previously liquid oils solid, improving the texture of baked goods, and these fats also have a longer shelf-life. While these fats are very convenient for food manufacturers, we should try to avoid them whenever possible as trans fats actually have a worse effect on our cholesterol levels than naturally occurring saturated fat. Many margarines and processed foods contain these fats so always check the label for tell-tale signs of trans fat content – look for the ingredients ‘hydrogenated vegetable oil’ or ‘partially hydrogenated vegetable oil’ or choose olive oil margarines or those with ‘no trans fats’ on the label.