Nutrition 20 Apr 2007 06:26 pm
April
Yesterday, I shed some light on a myth related to fat. Today, I want to give you more details on the different kinds of fat so that you know which are good and which are bad. The key message is to know the ingredients of what you are eating as well as how they affect the body so that you can make informed decisions as you choose what to eat and to be mindful of how much you eat. You only need about 20% of your calories from fat.
GOOD FATS. . .
Omega-3 fatty acids – Type of fat found in fish, hemp seed, pumpkin seed and flax oil. Experts believe we should consume more of these fats, since they reduce inflammation and produce a wealth of health benefits.
Monosaturated fatty acids – The type of fatty acids found in olive oil and nuts like peanuts, macadamias, almonda and walnuts. These fats are believed to lower risk of heart disease and cancer.
BE CAREFUL . . .
Omega-6 fatty acids – Group of fatty acids abundant in the American diet. While these fats are not necessarily harmful, they may foster heart disease and other chronic illnesses when consumed in large quantities without sufficient omega-3 fats. Corn oil, safflower oil and soybean oil are rich in omega-6 fats.
Unsaturated fat -Type of fat found in plant oils and considered less harmful than saturated fats. However, experts now feel that unsaturated fats rich in omega-6 fatty acids can increase your risk of chronic disease if you don’t consume enough omega-3 fatty acids. They are called unsaturated because chemically, their molecules have room for the addition of more hydrogen. Oils high in unsaturated fats that some experts recommend include olive oil, hemp oil, peanuts oil and macadamia oil.
AVOID THESE . . .
Trans fat – Damaged fats formed when oil is hydrogenated or foods are fried. They may raise your risk of cancer and heart disease.
Hydrogenated Oil – Oil that has had extra hydrogen added to keep foods like margarine firmer and longer lasting at room temperature. Hydrogenated oils are found in most supermarket margarines, cookies, doughnuts, cakes and many other processed foods. This type of fat has been linked to an increased risk of cancer and heart disease.
Saturated fat – Type of fat found in abundance in butter, red meat, lard and whole milk. Saturated fat has been blamed for increasing the risk in obesity, heart disease and cancer. These fats get their name from the fact that they are saturated with hydrogen atoms.
—- Now you have the facts! DO SOMETHIN’!
(Information on fat taken from “Macrobolic Nutrition” by Gerald Dente with Kevin J. Hopkins pages 66 – 67)