Most of us are still tuning into the almost decade-long health fallacy that fat is bad and should be avoided at all cost. This current belief stemmed from health professionals trying to curb the sharply rising incidence of heart disease. The low-fat/non-fat diet craze took off and the food industry capitalized profits on "heart healthy" products that simply replaced fat with an increase in sugar. As more and more research emerges about the essential role of good fats as a part of a healthy diet, many Americans are still misinformed. The real story is, there definitely are fats that should be avoided at all cost and minimized, if not completely eliminated, and there are other kinds of fats that nourish brain cells and organs, that provide long-lasting energy for the body, and that play a hugely important role in the prevention of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and many other illnesses.
Unfortunately, few people know the difference between these fats or how to avoid the bad and seek the good. To be as simple as possible, bad fats (saturated and transfats) increase one's chances for heart disease by increasing bad cholesterol in the arteries. Good fats (monunsaturated and polyunsaturated fats) on the other hand decrease chances for heart disease and other chronic illnesses. To see what kinds of fats you normally consume, run a quick check of the nutrition labels of the foods in your home with these terms.
How to steer clear of bad fats in your diet:
Minimize and/or eliminate foods products that have large amounts of bad fats including:
Meat (specifically red meat, dark meat and skin of the chicken, fatty parts of ham, ribs, etc)
** Because meat products are not legally responsible for including the nutrition requirements of their meat content and because meat is one of the biggest sources of bad fats in many Americans' diets, it is important to both understand portion sizes as well as options for replacing meat with other healthier options. (One cup of cooked beans, peas, lentils or tofu can replace a two-ounce serving of meat). For more info about choosing/preparing healthy meats see link below "The Kindest Cut" 10-step guide to meat and poultry
Baked goods, Desserts, Fried foods, and Processed foods.
These food products are some of the biggest culprits for inundating our system with transfat, the most dangerous fat of them all. Transfats are "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" oils that really have no function except destruction of a healthy body and have been proven to be a major contributor to several serious chronic conditions. Because of recent media attention about this concern, many processed food companies have been marketing "Zero Transfat/ Transfat Free" products, however, legally, "ZERO" really means ".4999g of transfat" PER SERVING. The American Heart Association recommends eating no more than 2 grams of transfat per day, so when a serving size of potato chips is 7 chips and we mindlessly eat the whole bag, we just had 3 days worth of transfat when thinking we were being "healthy." Unfortunately, many people think they are choosing the "healthy" option when they are still consuming far more transfat in their diet without even knowing. To avoid this, make sure you read the nutrition label in the ingredients section and look for anything that says "hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated". These terms mean transfat.
** article: Transfat labeling scam
Dairy Products (cheese, milk, and butter/margerine, thick creamy soups, creamy salad dressings, creamy chip dips and creamy pasta sauces):
Choose lower fat or non-fat options (but then look out for increased sugars), use cheese minimally and be aware of portion sizes (usually a serving of cheese is the size of two domino game pieces), substitute creamy salad dressings with vinaigrette and olive oil and dips with healthier options such as guacamole, low-fat cottage cheese, salsa, and other great heart healthy dips and sauces list here: Healthy Dips
Egg yolks: substitute egg whites or egg substitute (But the yolks can be a great source of iron for vegetarians who do not regularly consume many bad fats)
** If Vegan or decreasing egg consumption, substitute flax seed (high in good fats!) mixture for eggs in home baking such as muffin and pancake (1 tbsp milled flax seed, plus 3 tbsp water = 1 egg). Final products will have less volume and taste gummier.
Coconut oil, palm oil, or vegetable shortening: Avoid cooking with these, substitute olive or canola oil instead.
Here's a list of the WORST FOODS you could ever eat: Worst Foods to Eat (mostly because of their high saturated and trans fat contents) Worst foods to eat
How to increase the good fats in your diet:
To reiterate, Good Fats:
- Decrease your chances for heart disease, stroke
- Decrease high blood pressure.
- Nourish healthy cells in the brain and organs
- Decrease blood sugar levels and protect against sugar crashes
- Serve as a longer lasting and more healthy energy source for the body compared to starchy foods and sugars.
How to identify good fats:
You can find on the nutrition label "monounsaturated" and "polyunsaturated" fats. Polyunsaturated fats are also known as ALA Omega-3 fatty acids. Beware of labeling scams with these terms as well, food companies like to over exaggerate the healthiness of their products by using buzzwords but read the labels to make sure what you're getting. Remember, don't buy any products with "hydrogenated" anything.
Amazing Sources of Good Fats to start incorporating into your diet today:
Fish or Fish-oil:
The American Heart Association recommends eating two servings of fish per week (serving size equivalent to a checkbook) specifically fattier fish like mackarel, salmon, sardines, and herring. Fish is high in ALA-Omega-3 fatty acids. However, if you are a vegetarian or vegan or are concerned about the food safety issues surrounding fish consumption, there are many other ways that you can get your "good fats" without eating fish. Also, if you choose to take fish-oil tablets to amp up the good fats, always consult a doctor or nutritionist instead of self-subscribing supplements.
Cooking oils such as grapeseed oil, rice bran oil, olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, and sunflower oil:
- Grapeseed oil and rice bran oil are very high in good fats and do not break down until very high temperatures so they are suitable when frying foods. Other oils such as olive oil oxidize at higher levels, transforming a very heart-healthy oil into a carcinogen (cancer-causing) element. If cooking with olive oil, try cooking at medium heat, turning food frequently, and you can add a pinch of tumeric to the oil to prevent oxidation.
- You can also create some great dips like tahini, hummus, and tabouli with olive oil, that way you get good fats while snacking
Almonds and Walnuts:
- Make "walnut butter" or "almond butter": substitute your current peanut butter (often a prime offender of large amounts of transfats) with a homemade version (they do sell them at the store as well). Just throw a bunch of nuts in a food processor and add a bit of honey, and 3 minutes later you have your own. I like to have an apple with almond butter for breakfast.
- Throw a handful of walnuts into your salads
- Add crushed walnuts to a morning muesli, cereal, or yogurt with fruit dish.
Pumpkin Seeds:
- Buy them at the store or roast them yourself at home. You could do a double wammy by roasting some pumpkin seeds with some sunflower or olive oil and adding a touch of sea salt.
Flax Seeds:
- Great source of plant-based omega-3 fatty acids
- Sprinkle flax seeds into muesli or cereal in the morning
- Add some flax seeds into a traditional smoothie
- Substitue ground flax seed for flour in traditional baking recipes
- More benefits of flax seed click here:
Recipes to increase good fats:
- Sliced heirloom tomatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper
- My favorite salad: spinach, sliced strawberries, chopped walnuts, chopped almonds, balsamic vinaigrette
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