The Facts on Healthy Fats

What are healthy fats? This topic can get confusing, and even nutritionists can disagree. The following "fat facts" are what I found in my research and my personal experience with fats and oils.

FAT FACTS

---Healthy fats come from whole foods such as nuts, seeds, fish and coconut.

---If the seeds, nuts or olives are pressed into oils, the oil must be cold pressed and unrefined to be healthy.

---Most vegetable oils you see in the grocery store are refined. They are clear with no color. They are pressed with a chemical solvent, hexane, a carcinogen.

---A true cold pressed oil is cloudy, tan or green, and smells like olives or seeds. You can usually find them only at health food stores or online.

---Healthy fats can be made of saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, or polyunsaturated fat.

---Saturated fats withstand heat and don't go rancid easily, monounsaturated fats are somewhat more delicate, and polyunsaturated fats are very delicate and don't like heat or light.

---Polyunsaturated fats contain the essential fatty acids Omega 3 and Omega 6. These are found in nuts and seeds. They can go rancid quickly, so keep your shelled nuts and seeds in the frig or freezer.

---The best cold pressed oils for light cooking are extra virgin olive oil and sesame oil. They have a long history of safe use in the Mediterranean and Asian diets.

---For baking, it's better to use coconut oil or raw butter. Their saturated fat can withstand high temperatures without going rancid.

---Most nutritionist say the healthy fats are monounsaturated fats and omega 3 fats. These fats help the heart, brain and mood. They are soothing to the body and soul!

---Canola oil is not healthy. It is genetically modified and refined, so its delicate fats are damaged and it has trans fats.

Learn more about canola oil.

Healthy Fats in your Kitchen

Walnuts: these nuts contain Omega 3 oils that help the heart and the brain. Walnuts even look like the two lobes of the brain! This follows the herbalists doctrine of signatures idea.

Almonds: these nuts are high in monounsaturated fat which is heart healthy. Almonds also have calcium and boron, minerals that strengthen the bones.

Olive oil: extra virgin olive oil is from freshly harvested, first pressed olives. It is high in heart healthy monounsaturated fat. It lowers blood pressure and cholesterol.

Flax seeds and oil: high in the essential fatty acid Omega 3. Flax helps the heart and is also used as a remedy for PMS and menopause. it supports women's health and stops inflammation.

Look for flax oil in the refrigerator section of the grocer. It is a delicate oil that goes rancid easily, so it needs to stay cold and away from heat and light. Do not cook with flax oil.

Organic unrefined coconut oil: Yes, it is a saturated fat, but it has medium chain fatty acids whereas meat has short chain fatty acids, so it has different qualities.

Coconut oil builds immunity. It fights viruses and candida. It also raises metabolism and people are having success with it for weight loss.

Yes, you can eat fat and lose weight! The Pacific Islanders who eat coconut oil as part of the traditional diet are thin and have no history of heart disease.

Fish: high in the Omega 3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, which support the brain. Eat fish and be smart! Oily fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines and anchovies have more omega 3 fats than other fish.

Avocado: high in monounsaturated fats. Avocado is a good source of fiber, Vitamin E, folate, magnesium and potassium.

Sesame oil: has both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated oils, It contains an antioxidant called sesamol that keeps it fresh longer.

Seeds: pumpkin, sesame, flax and sunflower. Pumpkin and flax are high in omega 3 fats while sunflower and sesame are high in Omega 6 fats. Eat a variety of seeds to get calcium, vitamin E, fiber, magnesium and zinc.

Raw, organic butter: butter is a healthy fat! It is a good source of vitamins A, D, and E, and these vitamins help immunity and help your body to build strong bones and nervous system.

The "bad fats" are trans-fats. These are hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils. They are in margarine, shortening, processed foods, baked goods and fast foods.

The hydrogenation process destroys the healthy fatty acids and creates trans fats. Trans fats hurt your heart and harden all cell membranes. They can cause insulin resistance and diabetes, too. These fats are really unhealthy!

Here are more articles on healthy fats!

Here's a simple almond milk recipe to enjoy the creamy goodness of almonds

Is canola oil healthy?

Learn about fish oil health benefits