One of the first steps to real / effective weight loss, is managing and watching what you eat. With this in mind, you need to understand the different types of food that you ingest, and how they may impact your weight loss efforts. Today we focus on Polyunsaturated Fat.

Polyunsaturated Fat generally is oil that’s extracted from vegetables – soy mostly (but also corn and safflower oil). Polyunsaturated fatty acids reportedly lower levels of both good and bad cholesterol. You can find polyunsaturated fat in the various vegetable oils that you may buy at your supermarket, in margarine and in some dairy substitutes that use plant oil (e.g. coffee creamers).

Ultimately, the only real benefit of polyunsaturated fat is that it is NOT saturated fat (i.e. the bad fat that is blamed for clogging arteries, causing heart attacks etc.).

Cooking with polyunsaturated fat oils will reduce your intake of saturated fat, but not your calorie intake. For example, one piece of fried chicken can still deliver up to 300 calories because it has been bathed in oil. Additionally, some early studies have shown a possible association with cancer.

Ultimately, you should try not to use Polyunsaturated fat products at all. It’s better than saturated fat, but still not great. Don’t fry, but if you must, brush it on the frying pan then saute it at a low heat. Don’t submerge your food in the oil.