Not all are bad fats. See this article to learn which fats actually help your body.

There always seem to be so many no-no's when it comes to being on a diet. The biggest of them all is the intake of bad fat and anything that carries that sworn enemy. So long to fried foods, desserts, and basically everything that tastes good, at least that's what we've trained ourselves to believe. However, that's not necessarily the true story. Fat, believe it or not does have a purpose in our diets, and doesn't have to be completely obliterated from our plates.

Fat is fat, right? That is the general consensus, however fat is actually broken down into both good and bad fats. Good fats, are the ones necessary to keep us healthy. Broken down into two categories, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, these good fats serve as the vehicle that carries certain vitamins around within our body. Fat also helps to keep our nerve cells insulated, balance our hormones, and lubricate our joints. If this is true, why are so many ingredients made in fat free forms? The reason for this is the existence of bad fat, the culprit that seeks to undermine our best efforts at losing weight and becoming healthier. So, what are bad fats?

Saturated fats are what is considered bad fats. These are the burgers, cheeses, butters, eggs, and other edibles that we tend to consume on a daily basis pre-diet. In fact, most animal produced foods contain a large amount of saturated fat, which is why red meats are often on the list of foods to avoid when reducing your fat intake. Cookies, cakes and pastries also make the list generally because of the dairy ingredients that are used, and not because of the calorie count.

Confused? Here's a quick guide on how to determine which foods contain good or bad fats.

Good Fat:

Monounsaturated - Includes olive oil, rapeseed oil, nuts, and peanut butter (sugar and salt free). Cooking foods in these types of oils provides a healthier source of fat, without the high percentage risk. These oils also help to lower total blood cholesterol and have been known to work as a preventative measure against certain cancers and heart disease.
Polyunsaturated - Consists of sunflower, pumpkin, flax seed, and primrose oils. Also included is fish, mackerel, salmon, tuna and sardines. Intake of these oils and fish also infuses the body with necessary fats that dissolve quickly, as well as assist in the formation of cells and contribute to the normal functioning of the nervous system.

Bad Fat:

Saturated - Processed meat products, cakes, creams, whole milk, and certain cheeses carry the fat that winds up as a tire on our bellies or flab on our thighs and other unwanted areas. Though these foods should be avoided, they do not have to be completely excluded from our diet. Taken in moderation, the fats in these foods can be burned off with regular exercise.

Losing weight is often more a matter of both moderating our eating habits as well as increasing our daily exercise. Zeroing in on fat is only a part of the equation. By making becoming knowledgeable about the types of fat in the foods we eat, dieting doesn't have to be one big lists of no-no's. Instead it can be an informed decision of consuming what's good and limiting the bad.

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