Many health conscious people live on a low-fat diet. But you could miss out on many health benefits, such as weight loss and a strong cardiovascular system, if you omit essential fats.
The fat-free and low-fat diet thinking came from the fact that many people were, well, overweight. It was logical to assume that it was because we ate too much. Now we are learning more. We now know that harmful fats are thermally processed, oxidized, and trans fats, such as those found in margarine, fried foods, and even grain-fed cattle.
In daily life for health, we try to eliminate all fats only to find that we are hurting ourselves. Fortunately, it is a new era and now we know what fats not only to eliminate, but what to include in our diets for better health, free from premature aging and degenerative diseases.
These good fats are called essential fatty acids. They are divided into two categories of Omega 3 and Omega 6. Both types of fats are essential and it is important to obtain them from various sources. Essential fats are the most popular because they are the most researched. However, there is one more category of fat that you should know about: Omega 9. Although they are not classified as Essential Fats, it is well known that they are necessary for good health.
Let’s see the effects of these fats. Deficiencies in these fatty acids can lead to heart disease, depression, fatigue, and inflammation, which can lead to arthritis and even cancer. The benefits of including good fats include weight loss, a stronger immune system, anti-inflammatory abilities, balanced hormones, thicker hair, and healthier, more supple skin.
Omega 6 fatty acids can be found in many sources, such as walnut oil, grapeseed oil, avocados, hemp oil, and pumpkin oil. The American diet was once believed to contain too much fat because it is found in fatty meats and cooking oils. However, it is not the excessive consumption of Omega 6, since they are absolutely necessary for survival, it is the way we consume it.
The problem lies in food processing and fat balance. First, cooking or heating these foods (such as cooking oils) will break down the chains of essential fatty acids and render healthy fats useless. We also know that there is a difference between healthy Omega 6 fats and trans fats found in cooking and fatty meats. Added to this problem is the fact that we consume very few Omega 3 and Omega 9 foods, which causes an imbalance in our diet and our health.
Where can we get the other fats we need? Some of the best sources of Omega 3 are flax seeds and their oil, walnuts and their oil, wheat germ oil, salmon, halibut, snapper, scallops and winter squash. Omega 9s can be found in food sources such as olive oil, sesame oil, avocados, peanuts (raw nuts from bottled oil), almonds, cashews, walnuts, macadamia nuts, and hazelnuts.
The consumption of essential fats is increasingly recognized as an important factor for health. We already mentioned some of the above benefits. So what else could there be? Add to those health benefits the fact that eating healthy fats can stabilize your blood sugar. When consumed regularly, you’ll feel fuller and fuller longer, so you’ll eat less with fewer cravings and less fatigue. Also, including these fats in your daily diet will have anti-aging effects on your skin, hair, and hormonal system. Essential fats also have detoxifying properties.
For added benefits, take a minimally processed, cold-pressed supplement form. You can usually find them in the refrigerated section of your local health food store. Regardless of which form you choose, the benefits of essential fatty acids are many, so be sure to include them in your diet.