When you are getting ready to make changes in your diet, you've probably looked around to see what the latest medical information is recommending. And if you've done any research in the last few years, you may have stumbled upon the idea of good fats and bad fats. These labels are not just for dietary purposes, but the labels actually refer to the potential for fats to cause disease in your life. No longer is fat just something that you are supposed to avoid in your diet – it's something that can help you just as much as it might hurt you. Here's what you need to know.

What Fat Really Is and Why You Need It

Fat is a nutrient in your diet that allows your body to digest certain vitamins from the rest of your diet. Fat soluble vitamins like vitamins K, D, A, and E need fat for various health processes to occur. Without fat in your diet, these vitamins could not be utilized. This is the case for all animals in nature, which is why the discussion of fats is such an important one.

Chemically speaking, fat is a chain or chains of lipids. When these bonds are broken, the fat energy is released into the body, helping that vitamin process as well as to help cushion certain organs and systems in your body. There are a number of different kinds of fats that are available in nature, while others have been manufactured by man in order to create certain tastes and textures in processed foods.


Fat helps to provide cushioning for your body as well as a layer of insulation for your skin. All of us need some fat on our bodies in order to regulate temperature and to keep our bones from being too exposed to the world.

What is a Bad Fat?

But why the original form of fat is a good one – that is, the one in your body – there are other fats now found in foods that you might want to avoid. These kinds of fats are linked with heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and more chronic and fatal illnesses. The more of these kinds of fats you take into the body, the higher your risk of developing illness.

The first common offender in terms of fat is saturated fat. This is found in meats and dairy products naturally, but is found primarily in choices that are higher in total fat count – i.e. whole milk and not skim milk. Saturated fat has been linked to a higher level of cholesterol in the blood, which can increase the risk of heart attack and cancer. Limiting the consumption of saturated fats has become easier with new food labelling.

Saturated fats can also be found in processed foods as well as coconut oils, palm oil, and cheeses.

Trans fats are the next kind of bad fats that are popping up in everyday nutrition. These are fats that have been manufactured by man and create a different chemical structure for the foods. Used to promote texture and taste in processed foods, these fats have been linked with more illnesses and disease than any others. You can see these listed on labels as 'partially hydrogenated.' These are fats that have been engineered to be solids at room temperature.

These fats have shown so many damaging health effects that consumers are calling for their ban in foods and restaurants. At the current time, there is legislation in some countries that is banning trans fat from being used, so that's a step in the right direction. You can also find a listing of the amount of trans fat on current labels (note, however, that labels that say 'zero' are often just cutting down serving sizes to be able to label as such. Companies are allowed to put 'zero' on the label if each serving size contains less than a half a gram of trans fat. But add that up and you will still be taking in this dangerous fat).

What is a Good Fat?

Naturally occurring fats in vegetables will fall into the categories of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These fats are easier for the body to break down and can even help to prevent heart disease and damage. These fats can be found in nuts, seeds, fish, and avocados, for example. While they will add more fat to your overall diet, they should be eaten in small amounts in order to reap the health benefits.

These fats should replace saturated and trans fats as often as possible.

You can also use oils like olive oil, canola, and peanut oils in your cooking to continue to add moisture in your recipes without adding harmful fats.

Switching Out Your Pantry to Something Healthier

The easiest way to make sure you are choosing good fats over bad fats is to limit your consumption of processed foods. Anything that comes in a box that can sit on your shelf is not necessarily the best choice for your eating habits. You want to select fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and other seeds over these kinds of manufactured foods. If you enjoy meats and dairy, just be sure to select lower fat options that will still taste good, but will have lower saturated fat contents.

The good news is that nutritional labels have become more accessible in terms of listing the fat amounts in each food you eat. But they can also be tricky if you're not used to looking for fats. Be sure to look for any ingredient that says 'hydrogenated' or 'partially hydrogenated' and then avoid those products as often as you can.

While banning trans fats will help in the long run, you need to take action now to make sure you aren't filling your diet with them while they are still in foods you eat. Going back to a more natural style of eating is the best advice for any person, but for those with a predisposition towards cancer or heart disease, it's really the only choice for a healthy future.

To receive a Fitness Evaluation absolutely free and without obligation click here and a Create Personal Fitness Coach will be in touch with you shortly.