Good fats in proper balance play an essential role in keeping your health
By: Lillian Matthew
You need a wide range of fats and oils to live and stay healthy. It is all a question of which fat to choose and use. Good fats in proper balance play an essential role in keeping your health. Your body needs to manufacture twenty different fatty acids, all from just two essential fatty acids:Omega-3 (linolenic acid) and Omega-6 (linoleicacid). These fatty acids maintain cell membranes,transport fats around the body and are needed to make hormones. A deficiency of omega-3's has been strongly implicated as a main cause of heart disease, immune system breakdown, cancer and other diseases.
By eating a wide range of foods you can meet your daily requirements for essential fatty acids. Ideally we require a balance of 2/3 omega-3 and 1/3 omega-6. These essential fatty acids are necessary even for weight loss because weight loss requires the action of many hormones and these hormone sare manufactured in your body from essential fatty acids. Following a low fat diet has long-term health benefits. The recommended levels of fat intake a day for women/men is 35g (about 1 tablespoon)for fat loss and 60/70g for weight maintenance.Home food preparation gives you more control over your fat intake and the T
YPE of fat or oil. Be aware of saturated fats and limit these as they contribute to high cholesterol, heart disease, stroke,cancer, diabetes and obesity where as the essential fats and oils HELP improve these conditions. It is all a matter of balance.
Try to include the carbohydrates which are slowly digested and absorbed leading to a smaller rise in blood glucose, known as Glycemic Index or low GI foods. Good choices include rye or grainy breads,pasta, oats, barley, legumes, fruits (apples, oranges,stone fruits) starchy vegetables (sweet potato,corn), low fat milk & yoghurt.
Here is DIETARY SUGGESTIONS
Increase omega-3 fatty acids
• Use oils such as flaxseed, canola, walnut,soybean or cod liver oil in salad dressings or dips.These oils must NOT be heated as this destroys the EFA.
• Eat 150g/week of nuts such as walnuts,macadamias, almonds or hazelnuts as snacks.
• Use nut spreads in preference to margarine. Buy non-hydrogenated products.
• Consume 3 eggs a week.
• Eat fish such as salmon, herring, tuna, cod,mackerel or sardines six times a week for lunch or dinner, hot or cold meals.
• Add linseed (flaxseed) to bread and cereals.Increase omega-6 fatty acids
• Eat dark green leafy vegetables each day, 50% raw and 50% cooked.
• Consume wholegrain breakfast cereals and
breads.
• Use seeds such as pumpkin & sunflower as snacks or as garnishes for vegetable dishes.
• Borage, a herb, blackcurrant and evening primrose are good sources.Increase omega-9 fatty acids
• Use oils such as olive, peanut, macadamia and sesame. Mix with omega-3 oils for salad
dressings and dips.
• Combine avocado in salads or use as toast toppers or as a spread for sandwiches.Use cooking methods which require no added fat such as steaming, microwave, baking, grilling or stir-frying. Choose lean meat, chicken and fish and remove visible fat before cooking. Do not fry foods.
You need a wide range of fats and oils to live and stay healthy. It is all a question of which fat to choose and use. Good fats in proper balance play an essential role in keeping your health. Your body needs to manufacture twenty different fatty acids, all from just two essential fatty acids:Omega-3 (linolenic acid) and Omega-6 (linoleicacid). These fatty acids maintain cell membranes,transport fats around the body and are needed to make hormones. A deficiency of omega-3's has been strongly implicated as a main cause of heart disease, immune system breakdown, cancer and other diseases.
By eating a wide range of foods you can meet your daily requirements for essential fatty acids. Ideally we require a balance of 2/3 omega-3 and 1/3 omega-6. These essential fatty acids are necessary even for weight loss because weight loss requires the action of many hormones and these hormone sare manufactured in your body from essential fatty acids. Following a low fat diet has long-term health benefits. The recommended levels of fat intake a day for women/men is 35g (about 1 tablespoon)for fat loss and 60/70g for weight maintenance.Home food preparation gives you more control over your fat intake and the T
Try to include the carbohydrates which are slowly digested and absorbed leading to a smaller rise in blood glucose, known as Glycemic Index or low GI foods. Good choices include rye or grainy breads,pasta, oats, barley, legumes, fruits (apples, oranges,stone fruits) starchy vegetables (sweet potato,corn), low fat milk & yoghurt.
Here is DIETARY SUGGESTIONS
Increase omega-3 fatty acids
• Use oils such as flaxseed, canola, walnut,soybean or cod liver oil in salad dressings or dips.These oils must NOT be heated as this destroys the EFA.
• Eat 150g/week of nuts such as walnuts,macadamias, almonds or hazelnuts as snacks.
• Use nut spreads in preference to margarine. Buy non-hydrogenated products.
• Consume 3 eggs a week.
• Eat fish such as salmon, herring, tuna, cod,mackerel or sardines six times a week for lunch or dinner, hot or cold meals.
• Add linseed (flaxseed) to bread and cereals.Increase omega-6 fatty acids
• Eat dark green leafy vegetables each day, 50% raw and 50% cooked.
• Consume wholegrain breakfast cereals and
breads.
• Use seeds such as pumpkin & sunflower as snacks or as garnishes for vegetable dishes.
• Borage, a herb, blackcurrant and evening primrose are good sources.Increase omega-9 fatty acids
• Use oils such as olive, peanut, macadamia and sesame. Mix with omega-3 oils for salad
dressings and dips.
• Combine avocado in salads or use as toast toppers or as a spread for sandwiches.Use cooking methods which require no added fat such as steaming, microwave, baking, grilling or stir-frying. Choose lean meat, chicken and fish and remove visible fat before cooking. Do not fry foods.
Good luck!
