Not all fats are enemies of the health. There are those known as ‘good guys’ and are crucial for daily nutrition. How to know which fats are good and which are bad and in what food you will find them?
Dr. Oz gives a simple and scenic answer – healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats have green light, which are playing important role in brain health and body cells. Saturated fats have yellow light, and red light, or “completely forbidden” have unhealthy trans fats that trigger diabetes, obesity and heart disease. Saturated fats are usually in a solid or semi-liquid state on room temperature, and you will find them in red meat and full-fat dairy products, butter and palm oil and coconut. Trans-fats are most found in fried and baked food that is prepared on partially hydrogenated oil. Also there are in the fries and donuts and cookies and crackers.
Both types of bad fats raise the LDL cholesterol levels, but the trans-fats are olso lowering the bad thing of HDL cholesterol and thus increase the risk of heart disease. However Dr.Oz says that even some foods, such as egg yolk, contain saturated fat, we don’t have to remove them from the menu. They contain beneficial nutrients and therefore we should eat them regularly, but reasonably. However, trans-fats, which have red light on the Dr. Oz traffic light, should be completely eliminated from the diet because, unlike saturated, they have no nutritional value that are worth for. Due to theirs beneficial effects on health, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids were given the green light. They help the body to absorb fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, reduce cholesterol levels and protect against heart disease, obesity and cancer. But even for them, the rule is reasonably. Namely, all fats, even good ones, are very caloric and therefore we shouldn’t take more than 25 to 35 percent calories per day, thus less than 10 percent come from saturated fats and no calories from trans fats.
Monounsaturated fatty acids are usually vegetable origin, and on room temperature come in liquid state. Because they help to reduce the level of bad LDL cholesterol, they also decrease the risk of heart disease and stroke and heart attack. They can also increase the ability to respond to insulin and help to control blood sugar levels. To provide sufficient amounts of these healthy fats, use olive and rapeseed oil, and eat avocados, olives and peanuts.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids contain two or more double bond between carbon atoms, and at room temperature are liquid. They help to lower bad cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. You can find them in fish, seeds, nuts and vegetable oils such as sunflower, soybean, and corn and saffron oil. Special types of unsaturated fats are healthy omega-3 fatty acids which reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death, protect against some cancers and lower the blood pressure. The body doesn’t creates them and it’s very important to take them in sufficient quantities, so incorporate sardines, trout, salmon and cod liver and eat tofu, walnuts and ground flax seeds in your menu, recommends Oz.
To ensure that your body takes the necessary daily dose of good fats, instead of butter for cooking, use a liquid vegetable oils – olive, canola, sunflower, soybean or safflower oil, because it contains a high dose of healthy fats. Cook the vegetable on rapeseed or soybean oil, which are a great source of omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid. Olive oil is rich in mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids and a good source of vitamin E which is important for healthy skin and nails.
Many studies have shown that those who eat red meat have bigger risk for many diseases, including heart disease and it is assumed that unhealthy saturated fats are responsibility for that. Instead of red meat eat fish which contains omega-3 fatty acid important for brain health and heart. Meat and tofu can be replaced from lot of other soybean products that are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Flax seed
They are rich in fiber, phytochemicals and beneficial omega-3 fatty acids and have a beneficial effect on digestion. Sprinkle them on cereal or stir in the milk shake.
Almonds
They are excellent source of essential fatty acids and energy. Cut them into sticks and toss on chicken, fish stews or as a substitution for bread crumbs. Do not eat more than 30 grams per day.
Snack
Sunflower seeds, pumpkin and sesame seeds contain good fat and protective proteins. Add 30 grams of seeds on low-fat fresh cheese or sprinkle on the fruit salad.
Pistachios
They are rich with fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, and are a good source of monounsaturated fats, because of that they are important for heart health. They have the least calories per serving.
Avocado is full of healthy fats
It contains a high proportion of monounsaturated fats. You can add it in a sandwich, salad, juice, salsa and soups. It is rich with fiber and provides a longer feeling of satiety. It contains folic acid, vitamins E and K and many minerals.
