Understand Your Fats and Fiber

There are four types of fats. Although there are bad fats and better fats, they are necessary to support cell growth and give your body energy. The bad fats are saturated fats and trans fats which are more solid at room temperature like a stick of butter and trans fats are liquid such as vegetable oil. Theses fats raise bad cholesterol levels and clog arteries putting you at risk for heart disease. Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are the better fats that can lower bad cholesterol levels and are beneficial when consumed in moderation.
Saturated fats occur naturally in many foods. The majority we eat come mainly from animal sources, meat and dairy (milk fat) such as 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%) milk. These foods also contain cholesterol. These are often overlooked because most people do not know what to look for when they are on a diet. Another problem is when they overlook another harsh fat, Trans fat. Trans fat is also known as partially hydrogenated oils. Trans fats are often found in deep fried foods like French fries and are often invisible on a menu. These oils are bad for the heart and need to be limited as much as possible. Trans-fatty acids or simply trans-fats, describes the type of oil partially hydrogenated for industrial food processing purposes. The production of trans-fats involves the addition of hydrogen atoms to vegetable oils to make them more solid and stable in appearance. According to the American Heart Association, companies and food manufacturers favor the use of trans-fats in their processed foods because trans-fats offer easy usability, inexpensive fat production and longer shelf life compared to other oil products. Furthermore, trans-fats gives a desirable texture and taste to foods, making them a more favorable option for most chefs and bakers.
There are also other nutrients that are