When it comes to sources of fat, not all are created equal.  Fat is a necessary nutrient, but too much of the harmful fats aren’t good for us. Here’s Figure Friendly Club’s list of “Healthy fats” or the good fats, the ones that are best for your body. These fats are divided up into three different categories which include Monounsaturated fat, Polyunsaturated fat, and Omega-3 fatty acids.

–Healthy Fats–

• Monounsaturated fat: olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, avocados, most nuts
• Polyunsaturated fat: vegetables oils like corn oil, soy oil, sunflower oil
• Omega-3 fatty acids: flaxseeds, flax oil, walnuts, and cold-water fish like salmon and herring

Now that you know what the healthy fats are, here’s our list of the harmful fats that you should try and stay away from.

–Unhealthy, Harmful Fats–

• Saturated fat: found in red meats, whole milk, butter, poultry
• Trans fat: often found in cakes, crackers, cookies, french fries, and other fried foods
• Dietary cholesterol: found in meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products, lard and butter

Source: Mayo Clinic

I’ve written about Dr. Oz before – you know, the Dr. who makes an appearance here and there on the Oprah Winfrey show and offers some tips on over-all health and living? Last time, we talked about Dr. Oz’s “excuse-buster” list which includes excuses people come up with not to exercise, and then the “excuse-buster.” It’s a great list, and definitely one worth checking out if you find yourself making excuses not to exercise.

Today we’re going to go back to Dr. Oz for some more advice. In his “One minute to better health” episode on the Oprah website, he talks about a harmless trick that you can play on your body to feel full longer, and it’s simple. He says, “If you have a little of the right kinds of fat right before you eat, you can play a trick on your hormonal system by sending a signal to the brain that you’re full.”

CCK is the hormone involved which sends that all important signal to the brain to stop eating because you’re full. When food hits your intestines, this CCK hormone is produced, so for this trick to work, you need to eat the healthy fats about 20 minutes before you plan on eating so that the fat has time to reach your intestines. One great source of healthy fat is walnuts, but we’ve got a whole list of healthy fats here that you can check out.

As always, remember to slow down when you eat anything! The average person is done eating well before 20 minutes which is how long it takes for your brain to get the signal that you’re full.  When you eat slow, not only are you able to enjoy your meal, but you’re giving your body the time it needs for the hormones to kick in to prevent you from over-eating.

Thanks for the tip Dr. Oz!