We have been frightened by the medical and nutrition fields by two facts on fats. The first one blames fats on making us obese and the second is in relation to saturated lipids causing heart disease.
Both of these concepts are disappearing from our medical dietary advice as there is no strong evidence to support them.
The truth is your body needs fat from food. It is a great source of slow release energy, helps with the production and absorption of hormones /minerals and is essential for the building of new cell membranes.
GOOD AND BAD FATS
Good fats include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Saturated fats are thankfully losing their bad reputation and should be part of our diet in moderation. Unhealthy ones include trans fats.
The food industry incorporates fats and oils into the food we purchase. The reason for this is to increase the shelf-life of food products. This process is called hydrogenation and can result in developing harmful fats called trans fats.
In simple terms, if you are eating food rich in trans fats they could increase the amount of harmful cholesterol (LDL) in your blood and decreases your good cholesterol (HDL).
SOURCES
Good fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) are found in vegetables, nuts, fish and seeds. The following is a list of healthy monounsaturated sources of fat:
- Olive oil
- Avocado
- Most nuts
- Canola oil and sun flower oil
The following is a list of polyunsaturated sources of fats:
- Cold water fish: salmon and mackerel
- Sardines
- Walnuts
- Chia seeds
Finally, saturated fats should be eaten in moderation. If your diet is rich on these, your LDL levels could rise. It is for this reason, you should limit your intake to less than 10 % of your calorie intake.
Don‘t forget, healthy eating shouldn’t be focused in limiting your fat intake. Instead, your should include healthy fats in your diet and acquire the knowledge on where you find these.
