Why eating the right fat is good for us and how to avoid the wrong fat

Dietary fat is essential for good health, but it has negative implications for many. Over the years, fat has been described as “bad” and has been advised to switch to low-fat foods such as highly processed oils and hardened spreads. However, this advice does not make us healthy, and it has a rather negative impact on our well-being, as obesity and type 2 diabetes are on the rise. It’s time to stand up for this important food group.

You need fat to survive. It is an important source of energy and is essential for cell growth, hormonal regulation, blood coagulation and the brain. Fat helps the body absorb certain minerals and fat-soluble vitamins and supports heart, intestinal, eye, skin, bone and mental health. Fat also plays an important role in making foods satisfying and helping us feel full longer.

But health isn’t about looking at one food group individually, but how fat works with other key nutrients, such as high-quality protein and unrefined carbohydrates, to support our physical and mental health. is. Even if it contains fat, you should avoid processed low-fat foods, prioritizing fresh, minimally processed foods that offer a wide range of nutrients and health benefits.

There are two types, saturated and unsaturated. Saturated fats are mainly found in animal foods such as butter, whole milk, cream, cheese and meat, and in coconut oil. It is solid at room temperature. Unsaturated fats are composed of polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats. It tends to be liquid at room temperature.

Unsaturated and saturated fats are often labeled as “correct” and “wrong” or “good” and “bad,” respectively, but this is too simple and can be misleading. Many people insist. First, it does not take into account that many foods are a combination of both types.

A healthier way to compare “right” and “wrong” fats is how foods are processed and what else is included in the way of additives, salt, sugar and other refined carbohydrates. It is to consider whether it is. Increasingly, evidence suggests that saturated fats from raw foods (as close to their original state as possible) may not be as harmful as suggested.

Many “correct fat” foods are at the heart of the highly regarded Mediterranean diet. Interestingly, people living around the Mediterranean are said to consume three times as much fat as those on a strict low-fat diet. The heart of the Mediterranean diet is olive oil. It is high in unsaturated fats and has been shown to protect the heart by maintaining HDL (good) cholesterol levels and lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. In addition to nuts, seeds and seafood, small amounts of meat and chicken (along with fruits and vegetables) are also the mainstay of the diet. They provide a variety of excellent fats, especially omega 3 fatty acids. These are as important in infancy as in old age.

The recipe here focuses on the positive attributes of the right fat from the right food. They celebrate these ingredients not only for their many health benefits, but also for the incredible variety, taste and enjoyment they bring to their cooking and diet. You don’t eat low-fat or low-fat, you just eat the right amount of fat.

Thumbs up: proper fat

• Oils: Extra virgin olive oil, cold pressed non-genetically modified (GM) rapeseed oil, sesame oil, walnut oil, hazelnut oil, hemp oil, avocado oil, coconut oil.
• Meat and chicken: pasture-fed, preferably organic beef and lambs, free-range pork, organic chicken.
• Seafood: salmon, mackerel, sardines, splats, herring, trout, pilchard, mussels, asari, oysters, crabs, squid, sea bass, snapper, turbot, halibut.
• Eggs: Free range, organic, preferably rich in omega 3.
• Dairy products: Pasture-raised, preferably organically grown cow, sheep, goat whole milk, cheese, cream, butter.
• Nuts and seeds: flaxseed / flaxseed, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, hazelnuts, Brazilian nuts, almonds, pecan nuts, cashew nuts.
• Others: Soybeans / edamame, tofu, avocado.

Cherry cheerleading breakfast pot

These fruit pots are thickened with chia seeds and are small, but they provide even more nutrients, from plant-based omega-3s to proteins and fiber.