Tips for including the right fats in your diet

Most of us know that we eat too much fat and that this increases our risk of obesity, which itself is a major risk factor for high blood pressure and diabetes. Here's what you need to know about good and bad fats.

Obesity boosts the risk of inflammation, which plays a key role in atherosclerosis, the formation of plaque in our arteries and triggering heart attacks.

• The solution is not to cut out all fats, however. Some fats are hugely beneficial — the omega-3s in salmon, for instance.
• The monounsaturated fats in olive oil, nuts and avocados also lower cholesterol and have been shown to reduce inflammation in arteries.
• Our bodies need fats — in fact, at least 25 per cent of our daily calorie intake should be made up of fats, provided that they are largely unsaturated.

Since early studies had indicated that people who ate high-fat diets tended to have more heart attacks, medical experts thought that following a low-fat diet would help to prevent cardiovascular disease.

• What had not been understood earlier was that only some types of dietary fat increase the amount of artery-clogging cholesterol in the blood.
• But the low-fat myth persists. It is still the case that many people who want to lose weight cut back or even cut out all types of fats, including those in olive oil and nuts that actually help to lower cholesterol and safeguard the heart.

Because they are the true risk factor, it is important to cut down on saturated fats. There are some simple ways to reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet, which could ward off premature death or heart and health complications due to fat intake. Here are some tips to get you started.

• Broil, bake or grill foods, especially meat, rather than frying.
• Choose leaner cuts of meat.
• Remove the skin from poultry and trim fat from meat before cooking.
• Choose lower-fat hard cheese. Grate rather than slice hard cheeses, or use smaller amounts of stronger-flavoured varieties.
• Use low-fat spreads instead of butter or margarine.
• Before buying packaged foods, check the labels for the saturated-fat content.
• Cut down on your consumption of cakes, candy, desserts and cookies.
• Eat healthier snacks, such as pieces of fresh or dried fruit.
• Switch from whole to 2%, 1% or skim milk.