We spend a lot of time thinking about cutting fat out of our diet, eating low-fat, and trying to shave fat off of our bodies in our attempts to be healthier.
Contrarily, however, there are actually fats that we need to consume for our physical and mental well-being! These healthy or “good” fats, such as omega-3, help us to promote heart and brain health by promoting our vascular system!
Knowing the ins and outs of these healthy fats can actually help you trim your waistline faster than you would without them, and you will never have that “fog” that can occur in your head when you are depriving yourself of essential nutrients!
What specifically can make something a healthy fat? Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated
Universally thought of as healthy fats, try including more unsaturated fats into your diet! They can lower your cholesterol, balance your blood sugar and insulin levels, and keep your heart healthy! Omega-3’s are unsaturated fats, and the best sources are fish, nuts and seeds!
One should consume at least two 6 oz. of fatty fish a week as well as regular servings of ALA rich veggies (a short-chain omega 3) to be obtaining the necessary amount each week, or more avocados or walnuts, if they are vegetarian!
An unsaturated fat in a nutshell, no pun intended, is made up of fewer hydrogen ions making it easier for your body to break down! In even simpler terms you get the “fats” your body needs in the way it can best handle them, and moving things quickly through your body is the name of the game when it comes to weight-loss!
Monounsaturated fats include: Avocados, Olives, Nuts (cashews, almonds, hazelnuts, and macadamia nuts), Natural Peanut Butter (with just peanuts and salt in it)
Polyunsaturated fats include: Walnuts, Flaxseed, Seeds (Pumpkin, Sesame, and Sunflower), Fatty fish (Salmon, Tuna, Sardines, Herring, Mackerel, Trout), Soymilk or Tofu
Be mindful of certain unsaturated oils
Traditional, cold-pressed oils like olive, peanut, or sesame oil are rich in monosaturated fats, and are made without the use of heat or chemicals. Try to stay away from manufactured oils like corn, safflower, canola, or soybean oil as they are often synthetically infused with all sorts of toxins and processed with heat in their path through genetic modification.
Be mindful of saturated fats
Nutrition experts are inconclusive on whether saturated fats can be considered “good” fats or not. However, a degree of mindfulness can be employed where one can avoid saturated fats that are found in pre-packaged and fast foods.
Eating full-fat dairy in moderation as well as varying your diet from too much red meat can steer you away from over-exposure to saturated fats.
Eliminate Trans fats
Although there is a small amount of naturally occurring trans fats in some meat and dairy products, artificial trans fats can be quite harmful and are considered dangerous. Trans fats can lower your “good” cholesterol and raise your “bad” cholesterol levels increasing your risk of heart disease.
In truth, no amount of trans fat is considered healthy, therefore mindfulness in label reading is recommended to catch those trans fats that would try to sneak by!
One sure fire way to be eating healthier fats, as a rule of thumb, is that a “good” fat shouldn’t have a long shelf life, as most natural things that are good for our health tend to be like.
Furthermore, it’s important to realize that truthfully not all fats are bad for your health and that some can actually improve it! Try incorporating some healthy fats into your diet and discover the ways they can help you meet your health goals!
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