Natural Health for Life: Basic diet - part 3

While some people who are dieting strive to cut out ALL fats and oils, this truly is not a healthy choice. Some vitamins are fat-soluble, and can only be absorbed and used when the body has access to fats. Fats are essential to building and maintaining healthy cells, and they are also a source of ready energy to the body.

There are two basic types of fat. The first is saturated fat -- any fat that remains solid at room temperature. Saturated fats include animal fat, lard, butterfat, coconut oil, etc. Most people get the highest levels of saturated fat in their diets from consuming animal proteins and from processed foods that use saturated fats in their ingredient list. Consumption of saturated fats leads to higher cholesterol, increased blood pressure, and laying down of fatty deposits in the arteries, all of which can lead to heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. It is of the greatest importance to know what kinds of fats you are consuming and cut down on the sources of saturated fats as much as possible.

An important factor to remember is that the food given to livestock will affect the levels of saturated fats found in animal products. Grass-fed beef is lower in saturated fats than commercially fed beef. Chickens allowed to graze on pasture lay eggs that are lower in cholesterol and higher in omega-3 essential fatty acids than those kept caged and fed a commercial mixture.

Unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature, and include most plant oils. Popularly available products are olive oil, vegetable oil, corn oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, etc. Because they are liquid at room temperature, unsaturated fats also flow freely inside the body as well. These are the healthiest choice for dietary sources of fat. Among the most healthful choices of the ones we have listed above are olive oil.

Look for cold-pressed organic cooking oil. It is important to avoid heat-processing of oils, as that causes the chemical structure of fats to change. It is always best to use oils at the lowest temperatures possible as well.

Nuts and seeds are also good sources of fats. Whole fresh almonds are especially beneficial. There are also a wide selection of nut butters available (not just peanut, which isn't a nut at all!), although these typically have a shorter shelf life and must be mixed before each use, they are worth the effort.

Do check ALL labels for "trans-fat." In the US, all foods must disclose their level of trans-fat. However, be aware that if a serving provides less than .5 gram, it can legally be listed as "no trans-fat" which isn't quite true, and can still add up to health problems if you consume too much of a product. We will address this further in upcoming posts, since this series is intended to be a simple guide to nutrition, but watch especially for the most common causes, such as "partially hydrogenated" fats and oils.

Butter is also beneficial, in moderation. This is the key to all fat consumption (indeed, to almost all food consumption) ... moderation. The more variety you can introduce to your diet, eating all foods in moderation, the healthier you will be.

Our next post will include some information on minerals and vitamins.

0 Comments:

Contact