Good fats are essential for good health, but 90% of people don’t eat enough. We need a balance of omega-3 and omega-6, found in fish, vegetables, and nuts. Trans fats are bad and should be avoided. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can be found in oils and fish.
Good fats contain many nutrients that we need to keep our bodies healthy. Despite the fact that many people think their diet is already full of fat, recent research has shown that 90% of us don’t eat enough. Fats are also known as essential fatty acids, and that’s exactly what they are, fats that are essential for good health.
We need a balance of omega-3 and omega-6 to maintain healthy heart function, mood stability, insulin balance, joint and skin health. We need to keep our intake of these good fats balanced because they work in opposition to each other. Too much of one type of fat and not enough of the other can cause a variety of problems. For example, too much omega-6 can cause problems like degenerative and inflammatory diseases.
Our bodies do not make good fats; we can only get them in food. Omega-3 is found in fish and fish oil, all leafy green vegetables, hemp, and nuts. Omega-6 is found in corn oil and other vegetable oils like safflower oil. Surveys show that most people do not have enough omega-3 in their diet, while they have too much omega-6.
Just as it is essential that our intake of good fats is balanced, we must also get rid of the bad fats in our diet. Trans fatty acids are bad fats. They are listed on ingredient labels as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. These greases are used in the prepared food industry to extend shelf life. They can be found in cookies, crackers, peanut butter, and most baked goods.
Unlike good fats, trans fatty acids are dangerous to good health. There is pressure on the food industry to ban these fats. They have already been banned in the Netherlands. The body absorbs these fats more easily than good fats, and trans fats force the body to absorb less of the unhealthy fats we eat.
One way to get good fats is to look for foods with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These lower bad cholesterol levels and increase good cholesterol levels. Monounsaturated fats can be found in walnut, canola, and olive oils. Polyunsaturated fats can be found in salmon and fish oil.
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