"Eat low-fat, low–cholesterol diet. This helps to lose weight and prevent cancer and heart disease". Most of us have heard this simple recommendation so often that we can recite it in our sleep. However, some dietary fats are essential for our health. What really matters is the type of fat you eat. Bad fats increase the risk of certain diseases, while good fats reduce the risk. The best thing to do is to substitute good fats for bad ones.
A diet rich in this type of fat will increase your cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease. Saturated fats are mainly animal fats found in high quantities in meat, dairy products like full-fat milk, cheese and butter, poultry skin, egg yolks. Some plant foods are also high in saturated fats, for example, coconut oil and palm oil.
When used in place for saturated fats, unsaturated fats can help lower cholesterol and maintain a healthy heart. Good sources of unsaturated fats are vegetable oils like sunflower, soya or corn, olive oils and avocado pears. As well as cutting down your fat intake, try to eat foods containing unsaturated fats (good fats) instead of saturated fats (bad fats).
You can cut down your fat intake by reducing the amount of butter and margarine you use and limiting the amount of cakes, biscuits and chocolate you eat. Try to bake, grill or microwave food instead of frying it. Cut off any visible fat from meat and remove the skin from chicken before cooking.
Links:
[1] http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2000/document/choose.htm
[2] http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002468.htm