good fat

[OLD FORUM ARCHIVE]

hi kerry,


i know about 20-30% of my dailly calories should be from fat. if i choose to have 20% of my dailly calories from fat does that mean i have to add a total of 20% from good fat alone or is it from just basically all fat


for example lets say the other 80% of my diet is protein and carbs and that 80% is made up from 100g oats, 4 slices of bread, 100g pasta, meal replacemtns , 1 chicken breats , 1 can of tuna, one steak.


now in all of that bread, steak, pasta etc... obviously there will be some fat included and obviously its not nessecarily going to be good fat either .

lets say there was 150g fat included in all of that food. do i add 20% of good fat to this 150g or do i include that 150g in the 20% ?

[OLD FORUM ARCHIVE]

kk - Try and stick to 20% as opposed to 20-30 but it would be impossible to seperate your fats, just make this total fat including some of your saturated but I still think you would struggle to measure this precisely.

Here is something I wrote previously about fats which may help you:-

Fats are very important for good health, they insulate your body, cushion vital organs and are used for fuel. Most foods that contain fats contain a balance of -

SFA’s - Saturated Fatty Acids (Bad Fats)

MUFA’s - Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (Good Fats)

PUFA’s - Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, (Good Fats) (EFA’s are derived from polyunsaturated fatty acids )

EFA’s – Essential Fatty Acids (Good Fats)


EFA’s are derived from polyunsaturated fatty acids and come in 3 forms, Omega 3’s, 6’s and 9’s. They are healthy fats and are called essential because our body cannot manufacture them we have to eat them. They have many benefits, building cells, transportation of oxygen, hormone production (prostaglandin’s), these functions are even more important if you are an athlete. They are also high in vitamin E, which is a good antioxidant.
There are many medical studies of Omega 3’s, 6’s and 9’s, while some do conflict there is no doubt that they are very important nutrients to the body. Here are some examples:

Omega 3’s
Help protect heart and blood vessels (helps against strokes and heart attacks), there is a very low incident of this amongst Japanese and Eskimos as they eat a lot of fish. Promotes brain function, reduces inflammation, lowers LDL (low-density-lipoprotein), cholesterol and triglyceride levels, promotes HDL (high-density-lipoprotein), which is good cholesterol, reduces blood pressure, prevents blood clotting and promotes hormone production.

Omega 6 & 9’s
Lowers cholesterol, again reduces pain by lowering inflammation, helps eczema and other skin disorders, relieves PMS, boosts immune system, reduces body fat, reduces the risk of hardening of the arteries.

The best sources for Omega 3’s are fish (tinned or fresh), herring, mackerel, tuna and salmon but all fish including shellfish contains some. You can also obtain it from Flaxseed (linseed), Sunflower and Pumkin Seeds plus green leafy vegetables.

The best sources for Omega 6’s are evening primrose, sunflower, safflower oils, conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), peanuts, almonds, but Walnuts have twice the value of all other nuts.

The best sources for Omega 9’s come from Monounsaturated Fatty Acids and is found in olive oil (extra virgin or virgin), avocados, and most nuts.

If you have got sufficient Omega 3 & 6 in your diet, you will not have to worry about Omega 9.

Never cook with any of the oils that are the best sources of Omega’s as this destroys them.

Experts disagree on the amount and ratios that we should consume of Omega’s 3’s / 6’s and it would be hard to calculate the amounts. Your best bet is to eat fish at least twice a week and plenty of green veg every day, eat nuts regular and use the oils mentioned above to pour over your rice, pasta or porridge. You could even use the oils instead of butter on wholegrain bread.

All fats including essential fatty acids (good fats) are high in calories (9 kcal or units of energy per gram), so take this into account when calculating your total calories for the day, you may have to reduce your carbs slightly.

Monounsaturated Fats (good fats)
Monounsaturated fats typically remain liquid at extremely low temperatures. These fats are also found in vegetable oils such as olive oil, peanut oil and canola oil. They help lower total blood cholesterol by lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol without lowering HDL (good) cholesterol.

Polyunsaturated Fats (good fats)
Polyunsaturated fats are usually liquid at room temperature. Polyunsaturated fats are found in vegetable oils such as corn oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, and sunflower oil. Polyunsaturated fats are also present in fish and fish oils, which help to decrease triglyceride levels. Polyunsaturated fats can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Saturated Fats (bad fats)
Saturated fats are usually solid or almost solid at room temperature. All animal fats, such as those in meat, poultry, and dairy products are saturated. Processed and fast foods are also saturated. Certain vegetable oils are saturated fats like palm, palm kernel and coconut oils. Excess saturated fat is related to increased risk of cardiovascular disease and can raise LDL (bad) cholesterol and therefore increases blood cholesterol levels and the risks of heart disease

Trans Fats (bad fats mainly found in margarines and solid fats)
They are created through a process called hydrogenation, a process where the chemical structure of unsaturated fats is changed by adding hydrogen atoms to make the fats more saturated. The resulting product is called partially-hydrogenated vegetable oil, since the hydrogenating process is stopped before the oil becomes completely saturated with hydrogen. This process is what turns liquid oil into stick margarine or shortening. They are used to increase product stability and shelf life. Trans fats can cause elevated blood cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease