So far, I have introduced you to the idea of choosing Low GI carbohydrate foods for longer-lasting energy as well as choosing complete protein foods to maintain good health and well-being … choosing “good†fats is your next step.
Many people believe that in order to lose unwanted body fat, to lower cholesterol or blood pressure levels or to minimise the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer or type 2 diabetes, they need to cut all fat out of their diet. This is a very common misconception, but in fact, an adequate amount of dietary fat is essential for good health.
Bad fats are saturated fats. They come from animal sources, and palm oil is 50 per cent saturated fat and coconut oil is 90 per cent.  So the best thing to do is: avoid all saturated fats! They increase harmful cholesterol particles that stick to the walls of arteries, increasing the risk of heart disease. Saturated fats go into fat cells first and come out last, this means they are the last fats to be used as energy and so they are more likely to stay in storage.
Fats to avoid include:
- Fatty meat and chicken with the skin on
- High-fat processed meats and sausages
- Butter
- Solid frying fats
- Take-away fried foods, including chips
- Mayonnaise
- Full-fat dairy products
- Cakes, biscuits, pastries, pies
- Chocolate
Limit your intake of all these “bad†fats.
Eat fat as long as it is good fat.
Good fat has important structural and functional roles in the body, such as control in hormone production, protection of vital organs, transport of vitamins D, A, E and K, formation of membranes and they act as insulation. Good fats are also very high in energy.
Good fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) include olive, safflower, canola and sunflower cooking oils and flaxseed, avocado and macadamia nut oil.
Other sources of these oils are: soy products, margarine, raw nuts, natural peanut butter, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, avocado and fish and seafood, especially tuna, salmon and sardines.
There are two groups of polyunsaturated fats that are known as essential fatty acids: Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, both play a vital role in good health.
Omega-3 fatty acids, mainly found in fish, are the most beneficial to eat. They can reduce blood pressure, reduce the risk of blood clotting, reduce the risk of heart disease, and decrease the build-up of cholesterol on the walls of arteries.
Omega-6 fatty acids are found in sunflower oil and most vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, seed breads and leafy green vegetables. These foods contain linoleic acid, which helps control blood pressure and has a role in blood clotting, nerve tissue function, hormone production, and muscular contraction.
Although good and essential, the amounts of Omega-3 and Omega-6 oils required are quite small. Once our bodies have used the small amounts needed, these good fats will be converted into body fat.
Just avoiding bad fats and eating good fats is a great start to weight loss and good health, but it is not enough on its own. All fat is easily stored as body fat if it’s not used, so we need to make sure we don’t eat more good fat than we really need.
To meet your body’s essential fat requirements all you need to have is three quarters of a tablespoon of canola oil and half a teaspoon of olive oil and fish two to three times a week. That isn’t much is it?
Emma Weitnauer
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