Sort The Good Fat From Bad

By Aric Dershem

Sort the Good Fat From the Bad…

High-fat diets are often linked with major health problems including obesity and heart disease.  However, we all need fat in our diet to stay healthy. Fat is a good energy source and vital for the body to absorb vitamins A, D, E and K.

The confusing part is that not all fats were created equally – some are better for us than others. What’s more, although high in calories, there is evidence that you could become a better fat burner by changing the type you eat. So how can we get the balance right?

Choose…

  • Monounsaturated oils – olive oil or avocado oil rather than sunflower oil for instance.
  • The right balance of ‘omegas’. Linoleic acid (omega-6) and linolenic acid (omega-3) are types ‘essential fatty acids’ or EFAs. Foods containing omega-3 EFAs – vital for a healthy heart and good lung function, and found in oily fish, flaxseed oil, flaxseeds (linseeds), walnut oil, mustard seeds, pumpkin seeds, leafy green vegetables and spirulina (an algae available as a powder or tablets from health stores).  We often overdo the Omega-6’s because of a grain and corn rich diet. Too much is a bad thing and can cause inflammation that manifest in many negative side effects. Work on getting your omega 3’s!
  • Foods including almonds, avocados, olives and olive oil, cashew, and macadamia nuts, which all contain oleic acid, a component of omega-9.
  • Omega-9 also contains stearic acid, found in animal fat, it’s a saturated fat, but it is more likely to be used as energy than stored as fat. Crucially, the body can convert it to oleic acid, which is monounsaturated and therefore heart-healthy.

Good Fats Include…

  • Coconut Oil
  • Palm Oil
  • Peanut Oil
  • Avocado Oil
  • Cocoa Butter
  • Olive Oil
  • Sesame
  • Walnut
  • Flax seed
  • Wheat germ
  • Macadamia
  • Animal Fats
    • Tallow
    • Lard
    • Schmoltz
    • Duck
    • Butter
    • Ghee

Remember that good fats have great health benefits and they are very satisfying and filling. Always read your labels looking for these oils, especially when you are buying roasted nuts!

 

General, Nutrition