Fats: A Closer Look

Although Fat sounds like a big bad word, it is vital that you include healthy fats in your regular diet. Look below to learn more:

Types of Fat	What you should know	Good Food Sources and Serving Size
Essential Fatty Acids (Omega-3 and Omega-6)	Essential because your body can not produce them on its own Lowers LDL Cholesterol and supports and regulates cardiovascular, reproductive, immune, and nervous systems Manufactures and repairs cell membranes and maintains oil barrier of skin, which protects body from fluid loss and infection Intake: An ideal intake ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids is between 1:1 and 4:1 American diets tend to have too much omega-6 in relation to omega-3 fatty acids, which contributes to long-term diseases such as heart disease, cancer, asthma, arthritis, and depression The minimum healthy intake for both linolenic (Omega-3) and linoleic (Omega-6) acid via diet, per adult per day, is 1.5 grams of each. One tablespoon of flaxseed oil can provide this amount, or larger amounts of other linolenic-rich foods	Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower (1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked) Cooked Soybeans (1/3 cup) Dried Ground Cloves Dried Ground Oregano Salmon, Halibut, Cod (3 oz.) Seeds (1 T) (Flax, mustard) Walnuts (1 T)	Omega-6 Fatty Acids Black currant seed oil (1 t) Borage oil (1 t) Corn oil (1 t) Evening Primrose oil (1 t) Safflower oil - richest natural source (1 t) Sesame oil (1 t) Sunflower oil (1 t) Hemp oil (1 t) (best balance of omega 6:3) Pumpkin oil (1 t) Soybean oil (1 t) Walnut oil (1 t) Wheatgerm oil (1 t)
Monounsatured Fats	Helps lower cholesterol, essentially lowering risk of heart disease Protects against wrinkles and reduces oxidative damage Helps in absorption of fat-soluble antioxidant nutrients, such as vitamin E and lycopene found in many antioxidant-rich vegetables	Avocado (3 T) Canola oil (1 t) Monounsaturated margarines (eg olive oil based) (1 t) Nuts: Peanuts, cashews, almonds, hazelnuts and peanut butter (1 T) Olives (8 – 10 large) Olive oil (1 t) Seeds eg. sesame (1 T) Tahini paste (2 t)
Polyunsatured Fats	Foods containing polyunsaturated fat help to lower cholesterol and therefore help to reduce the risk of heart disease They are generally necessary for stimulating skin and hair growth, maintaining bone health, regulating metabolism, and maintaining reproductive capability Includes Essential Fatty Acids Omega-3 and Omega-6 (see above)	Mayonnaise (1 t) Mayonnaise – light (1 T) Polyunsaturated margarines (eg. Sunflower) (1 t) Walnuts and brazil nuts (1 T) Seeds – flax, sunflower (1 T) Oils – corn, soybean, safflower sunflower (1 t) Oily fish such as, fresh tuna, pilchards, mackerel, herring, salmon and sardines (3 oz)
Saturated Fats	Foods containing saturated fat raise LDL, the bad type of cholesterol and therefore increase your risk of heart disease	Butter, cooking margarine, ghee, lard (1 tsp) Meat fat, poultry skin, sausages, bacon (1 slice bacon) Dairy fat from cheese, ice-cream, yogurt, cream, full cream milk (1 oz) Eggs Commercial biscuits, cakes and pastries Many fast foods Coconut oil/milk/cream, palm oil (1 tsp)
Trans Fats	Industrially created by partially hydrogenating plant oils; making them more saturated, with a higher melting point and longer shelf-life Trace amounts found in meat and dairy products They are neither required nor beneficial for health These recently have been banned in some cities and states and some companies have stopped using them	These fats are found in highly fried food and anything containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, hydrogenated oil or shortening Hard margarines Fried Foods - French Fries Doughnuts Commercially prepared foods (Cookies and Cakes)