Eat foods low in saturated-and trans-fats such as rice, fish and vegetables.

Remember the analogy of the human body as a car; our bodies are no different really. In order for us to function at our optimal best we need to add fats to our diet and they actually assist in weight loss. By adding the good fats to your ‘tank’ is not all that difficult providing you know what to look for.

There are four different types of fats and they are:polyunsaturated – which is liquid at room temperature, and are found in foods such as corn oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil and seeds and flax seed oil. There are a whole host of reasons why to add this fat to your diet from controlling blood sugar, preventing blood clots and assisting with the body’s water by maintaining equilibrium. Monosaturated – are excellent sources of the healthy fats and are known to reduce the risks of heart disease. Foods containing these good fats are nuts, sesame and pumpkin seeds, olives and avocados and it can also be found in oils such as Olive oil and canola oil. Mediterranean countries have used these types of fats and oils for centuries and have recorded a lower incidence of cholesterol, breast cancer and other types of cancer including bowel cancer. If you want your hair, skin and nails to look healthy and strong, it’s also an antioxidant rich in vitamin E. Aim to have more of this in your diet.

Now for the bad news – saturated. These fats come from animal sources and are solid at room temperature, for example – butter. Saturated fats should be avoided and should be restricted to less than 10grams per day. Foods that contain saturated fats are found in a variety of other dairy products too, so always check the labels before purchasing. It can also be found in lard, some meats, (here again, always look for the heart tick selections when shopping, as these are the ones that have been approved by the National Heart Foundation), and the humble egg. While saturated fat is unhealthy, the worst offender is the hydrogenated or transient fats which are usually found in things like margarine and some take away foods, particularly if they are fried and deep fried. A good example of this type of food is deep fried fish and chips. These are considered to be very bad for us because of the impact to our hearts and circulatory system in that they are one of the contributing factors to clogging of arteries called Atherosclerosis. This is the accumulation of fatty deposits inside the artery walls, particularly those leading to and from the heart. Blood clots can also form if the plaque or build up of these fatty deposits becomes too high and breaks off – and is often the cause of heart attacks.So again always check the labels before buying and if it has a listing for it then you know what to do with it – put it back! Or just steer clear of them altogether.