Pizza, Burger, Pav Bhaji, Ice Cream – Sounds delicious, right? Ask any kid, and you’ll easily find these dishes among their favorites. Unfortunately, the yummy taste of such foods also brings along with it some downsides as well. As delicious as they are, they’ve butter, high-fat dairy, and cheese, which have unhealthy fats. Too much consumption may lead to obesity, diabetes, heart complications, and much more.
So, does that mean all fatty food should be kept at bay? No! That’s because not all fats are bad. There are healthy fats as well, which are essential to basic human physiology. So today, in this article below, we at Delhi Public School Sushant Lok, positioned among the top 5 schools in Gurgaon, will shed light on the concept of healthy and unhealthy fats so that you know which ones are to be consumed and which ones to be avoided. Let’s look into them!
Become a Fat Sleuth: Discover the Truth!
As mentioned before, not all fats are bad for health. In fact, they may be divided into three categories. In layman’s terms, they are “The Good, The Bad, and The Okay.” We highly suggest that you consider them as you should be aware of what you and your kids should avoid to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Let’s have a look:
- The Good
- Monounsaturated Fat: Monounsaturated fats are typically liquid at room temperature. These fats are found in plant and animal sources, such as vegetable oils, avocados, and nuts. Monounsaturated fats can help lower LDL cholesterol levels and have been linked to better heart health. They can also help maintain healthy blood sugar levels, which is essential for people with diabetes. For those who love butter, you may try Peanut Butter and Almond Butter as they contain this kind of fat instead of harmful ones.
- Polyunsaturated Fat: Like Monosaturated fat, Polyunsaturated Fat is liquid at room temperature. It is considered a healthy fat because it lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke. Studies suggest that polyunsaturated fat can help lose weight by reducing appetite, increasing metabolism, and improving blood sugar control. It also helps in cognitive function and prevents memory loss. Since the human body cannot produce polyunsaturated fat on its own, it is essential to include it in the diet through food or supplements. Excellent sources of Polyunsaturated Fat include walnuts, canola oil, roasted soybeans, soy nut butter, Rohu fish, etc.
- The Bad
- Trans Fat: Trans fats are created by adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils. They are often used in fast food and packaged snacks because they extend the shelf life of these foods. Trans fats are also known as trans-unsaturated fatty acids or trans-fatty acids. The consumption of trans fat can increase one’s risk of heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol levels, stroke, and obesity. Trans fats are found in baked goods and processed foods such as microwave popcorn, frozen pizza, biscuits, cookies, and crackers.
- The Okay
- Saturated Fat: Saturated Fat can be found in animal products such as butter, red meat, and whole milk dairy products. It has been a major focus of research for decades because it may increase bad cholesterol levels and lead to heart disease. However, recent studies have shown that Saturated Fat may not be as harmful as once thought and thus receives less notoriety these days. This is because they are quite stable when heated up and don’t produce harmful compounds like other types of fats. This means you can cook with them without producing toxic substances that can negatively affect your health. Saturated Fat can be found in red meat, coconut oil, cocoa butter, butter, cheese, ice cream, etc.
In a nutshell…
Your kids are your life. But you can only help them grow up properly if you stay healthy as well. Moreover, they should remain fit to see their goals come to fruition. Thus, we, Delhi Public School Sushant Lok, one of the top 10 schools in Gurgaon, highly suggest you to consider these facts to give them the best chance. We’ll see you in the next post with some more insightful content stories. Till then, eat well and stay safe!