This is a huge issue on the food front. There are plenty of arguments about what oils we should use for cooking. Whether or not one fat is good, whether another one is bad. There are plenty of things to be confused about with this issue. And the reason for this is that there are too many opinions on the matter. I am not writing this article to say who is right or wrong, but I would like to share my opinion on the subject.
The most important thing we obtain from oil is fat. Period. Besides taste and fats, we don't get any other valuable contributions from oil.
Society in most cases, has lead us to believe that fats are all very, very BAD for us. But there are many positive benefits that our bodies can take, (and NEED) from this substance. Fat is a very vital part of our diets, our bodies rely on the fat for supplying fatty acids with the necessary tools for growth. Without the necessary fat for these fatty acids, developments would be hindered.
For all you spa kings and queens out there fat also is a great benefit to the skin. Yes! its true. Fat gives us great looking skin. Fat can help protect against pollution damage, aging and the strength of our skin. This is good news for us. We can skip the expensive skin creams and rely more on healthy fat sources. I am not saying don't go to the spa - a day at the spa is always a great thing.
Fat is also important for absorption. There are two types of vitamins: fat soluble and water soluble. I am sure you can pick which vitamins benefit from fat! Fat soluble vitamins which are A, D, E, K, need the proper fat to be absorbed. Without the proper absorption of the fat soluble vitamins we could see vitamin deficiencies.
Here is a list of benefits of fats
- Brain – Fats compose 60% of the brain and are essential to brain function, including learning abilities, memory retention and moods. Fats are especially important for pregnant women, since they are integral to fetal brain development.
- Cells – Fatty acids help your cells stay moveable and flexible, as well as being responsible for building cell membranes.
- Heart – 60% of our heart’s energy comes from burning fats. Specific fats are also used to help keep the heart beating in a regular rhythm.
- Nerves – Fats compose the material that insulates and protects the nerves, isolating electrical impulses and speeding their transmission.
- Lungs – Lung surfactant, which requires a high concentration of saturated fats, enables the lungs to work and keeps them from collapsing.
- Eyes – Fats are essential to eye function.
- Digestion – Fats in a meal slow down the digestion process so the body has more time to absorb nutrients. Fats help provide a constant level of energy and also keep the body satiated for longer periods of time. Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) can only be absorbed if fat is present.
- Organs – Fats cushion and protect your internal organs.
- Immune System –Some fats ease inflammation, helping your metabolism and immune system stay healthy and functioning
When at the grocery store it is important to remember the names of the good fats. So remember these terms: POLY-UNSATURATED and MONO-UNSATURATED.
The bad fats to avoid are : SATURATED and UNSATURATED.
So which fats are best to eat and cook with ?
Virgin olive oil is a great option. Make sure it is cold pressed! I use grape seed oil to cook with for the most part. Other great oils you can use on your food are hemp oil and flax oil. One tip that goes along with these two is that you cannot heat them. Do not cook with these oils; use them in your salad dressings etc.
There are other great sources of dietary fats besides oils. There are some great foods that contain a very healthy dose of good fats. Try to incorporate more avocados, fresh wild salmon, raw organic nuts and seeds such as flax, pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds. Hint* you will benefit more from the seeds if they are ground up. Group up seeds go great on salads, oatmeal and in you baking needs!
A note on omega 3's and 6's
You may have heard about these two omegas lately. And for good reason. There is plenty of research being done on these two, and they are still uncovering new things about them. Some important reasons to make sure you are getting enough of them is because your body not make them on its own. Which makes them an 'essential'. So we need to feed our bodies with them. 3's and 6's help with many important functions in our bodies such as inflammatory responses and fighting infection. The ratio of 6's and 3's consumption should be 2:1
Where can you find these helpful two ?
You can find these in cold water fish, walnuts and flaxseeds.
Don't get rid of fat- Change the source!
As we can see fat plays an important role in our bodies. So it is important not to eliminate it, but instead change the SOURCE of the fat. I really like to make my own baking because of this. When you bake and cook your own meals, you can control exactly what goes in them. Remember also that we still need to apply the theory of 'balance' in our meals when healthy fats. Just because something is healthy does not mean we need to overload. Eating the right fats will make you fuller longer which might be a change from the alternative fats that leave us wanting more and more food.
0 comments:
Post a Comment