If you really concern on your food intake, especially the fats, do avoid saturated fats as well. The simplest way to notice them is by reading the Food Label. I believe that nowadays, almost all foods are being labelled properly. Below is the breakdown for easier understanding:

1. Saturated fats - derived from animal products such as meat, dairy and eggs. But they are also found in some plant-based sources such as coconut, palm and palm kernel oils. These fats are solid at room temperature. Saturated fats clog our arteries and directly raise total and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels

2. Trans Fats or Hydrogenated Fats - unsaturated fats, but they can raise total and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels while also lowering HDL (good) cholesterol levels. Trans fats are used to extend the shelf life of processed foods, typically cookies, cakes, fries and donuts. Any item that contains “hydrogenated oil” or “partially hydrogenated oil” likely contains trans fats

3. Unsaturated fats - Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are two types of unsaturated fatty acids, which are derived from vegetables and plants. Both fats are liquid at room temperature but begin to solidify at cold temperatures:

3.1 Monounsaturated fats - This type of fat is preferable to other types of fat and can be found in olives, olive oil, nuts, peanut oil, canola oil and avocados. Some studies have shown that these kinds of fats can actually lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and maintain HDL (good) cholesterol.
3.2 Polyunsaturated fats - These are found in safflower, sesame, corn, cottonseed and soybean oils. This type of fat has also been shown to reduce levels of LDL cholesterol, but too much can also lower your HDL cholesterol.

4. Omega-3 fatty acids - they are “essential” fatty acid, which means it's critical for our health but cannot be manufactured by our bodies. Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids include cold-water fish, flax seed, soy, and walnuts. These fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and also boost our immune systems.

In summary, take control of your food intake, especially the fats. After all, living a healthy lifestyle begins from our ownself. - Peace -

This post has been edited by yongbn: Dec 30 2008, 05:32 PM