Healthy Fat

Today's post is on my favorite healthy eating topic: Healthy Fats. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these foods because they are so good for you and so satisfying. One of my biggest pet peeves is the notion that you have to eat 'diet foods' or gross healthy sounding foods to loose weight. No wonder people go for the bag of cheetos.

We are bombarded with messages in advertising about Low-Fat foods. Practically all labels of prepackeged foods claim to be low-fat or reduced fat. That must mean they are good for us, right? The truth is that these foods may actually casue more problems than they solve. Lets look at the facts.

FAT FACTS

• In the 1960s, Americans ate 45% of their calories from fat – and only 13% of us were obese. Now, while most of us get only about 33% of our calories from fat, 34% of us qualify as obese!

• The human body uses healthy fats to do everything from building cell membranes to performing key functions in the brain, eyes, and lungs.


• People following traditional Mediterranean diets, which are very high in foods containing monounsaturated fats like olive oil, tend to have lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

• When manufactruers take out fat they have to add something to make you think their product still tastes good. Want to guess what they add? Sugar.


• Not all fats are created equal.

• When we cut out essential fats from our diets, we naturally turn to high calorie foods, which leads to packing on the pounds.
  

So, what are healthy fats?

As a general rule, look for Monounsaturated fats and Polyunsaturated fats. Omega3 fatty acids are a type of Polyunsaturated fat you have probably heard a lot about. Your body can't make this beneficial type of fat, so you have to get it from food.

Stay away from Saturated and Trans fats; these increase your bad cholesterol levels and increase your risk of heart disease. Your body can make enough saturated fat so you don't need to include it in your diet. Many processed foods are very high in Trans fat. This is a great reason to cook at home and buy foods in as unprocessed a form as possible.

Now my favorite part ... EATING HEALTHY FATS!

My favorite sources of healthy fats include:

• Salmon
• Almond Butter
• Avocados
• Olive Oil
• Soybeans
• Flaxseeds
  
• Olives
• Pumpkin Seeds
  

For further information or to see where I got my facts, visit these websites:

http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_diet_fats.htm

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fat/NU00262

http://www.thedietchannel.com/Healthy-and-Fat-5-High-Fat-Foods-You-Shouldnt-Avoid.htm

http://goodfats.pamrotella.com/