Essentials fats iIn diet
We are all worried about what fats we should avoid in our diet. Considering that the news makers and doctors continually harp on us to cat back on our intake of fat and cholesterol, this is not a surprise, but when we try to avoid eating fats entirely we are not doing our bodies a favor. As strange as it may seem given the current environment of medical advice, it is important to remember that not all fats are bad for you.
Now that we know this we should instead learn the difference between good fats and bad fats. Bad fats include trans fatty acids, saturated fats, and most of the fats you would cut off meat. Good fats include polyunsaturated fats, omega-3 and other heart healthy oils such as olive oil.
If you are not sure why you should be concerned about getting the essential fats in your diet perhaps it is time to back up. While the bad fats are known for increasing blood pressure and cholesterol in addition to being high in calories, the good fats can help you improve your heart health, lose weight and some lead to improve function. Since we now know what these fats do, let us move on to what the essential fats in your daily diet are.
Two main groups of fats that are essential to your daily diet are the Omega-6 fatty acids group and the Omega-3 fatty acids group. To get the amount of the oils we need from the Omega-6 group, many vegetables are a good source to supply this essential fat to the diet. This does not mean all vegetables, fruits, grains and nuts. If you want to cook your foods in oil containing a rich supply of Omega-6 acids consider using oils made from safflower, sunflower, corn, soy, evening primrose, pumpkin or wheat germ.
The Omega-6 group is one type of essential fat that should be included in your diet, but the Omega-3 group of fatty acids should not be overlooked either. Fish is probably the best known source of this essential fat in your diet, but it is by no means the only source. However, not everyone is a fan of flaxseed oil, so other alternatives may need to be considered from time to time. Soy, linseed, and canola oils are also good sources of the Omega-3 fatty acids.
Don’t worry about fat too much, just make sure that your body is getting enough of the essential fats in your diet so that it can perform the tasks you expect of it (and even a few that you are not aware of) properly. The best advice to make sure you are getting them is eating enough fish and vegetables and then put it at the back of your mind.
