10 Healthy Fats you should Consume as part of your Daily Diet
Very often fats are considered to be evil: however, including healthy fats is essential and mandatory. As with most things in life, moderation is key when it comes to consuming fats, however, not all fats are bad for you. Indeed, some fats are helpful when it comes to shedding some kilos and leading a healthy life provided those are taken in moderation.
Here are the top ten good fats that you should take every day.
1. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
This type of oil contains high levels of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory substances, and people have ascribed to it a long list of benefits to their health. Extra virgin olive oil has been shown to promote heart health, brain function, reduce inflammation and even lessen the risk of cancer (1).
Cook with it, pour it over salads and vegetables, or eat it straight up so as to receive full benefits of the rich, tasty emollient people know as flaxseed oil.
2. Avocados
Avocados are best described as a truly odd fruit (even though we tend to cook it and eat it like a vegetable). Eating avocado will help in maintaining healthy cholesterol levels and will also improve the body’s ability to absorb other antioxidants found in foods (2).
It is also a good source of fiber, potassium, magnesium and plant secondary metabolites. You could slice up some avocado and serve it on your sandwich, or blend it with some other veggies for a super healthy dip to try this fatty fruit out.
3. Nuts and Seeds
Polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats include almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, and sunflower seeds. These fats have been well researched and associated with advantages such as anti- inflammation, good heart health and the ability to regulate high blood sugar (3).
Consume one ounce nuts and seeds serving daily of your preferred choice of nuts and seeds. They can be shaken over salads, mixed into yoghurt or eaten as such, especially when you want a quick snack on the go.
4. Fatty Fish
For anyone searching for ways to boost their consumption of omega-3 fatty acids that are good for the heart, including fatty fish should be part of your diet. These include fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines and herrings are some of the richest ones in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids that help to boost our brain and heart health (4).
This means it is good to eat at least two servings of 4 ounces of fatty fish per week so as to get your required dose of omega-3 fatty acids.
5. Chia Seeds
These oval-shaped seeds, which are about 1/8 inch long may be small but have numerous health benefits. Many of them are richer in omega-3 fatty acids than salmon, plus also a good measure of fiber and magnesium. Chia seeds swell massively in liquid and therefore they are very appropriate in a number of food preparation processes.
To make chia seeds even tasty, they could be soaked through the night to make pudding out of the seeds, chia seed pudding which is viewed as a superfood, incorporated in oatmeal; chia seeds could also be added into smoothies, yogurts or baking mixtures.
6. Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
In this case therefore, extra virgin coconut oil is among the easiest fats to digest, use up for energy and even support weight loss (5). Extra virgin coconut oil also does not exhibit heat sensitivity and could be used for cooking or baking, unlike most oils containing healthy fatty acids, which will turn toxic when heated.
Cook with coconut oil, put it into smoothies, use for homemade energy bites or eat in its natural state with a spoon for the best results of this healthy fat.
7. Dark Chocolate
Unleash the inner chocoholic and add in a serving of dark chocolate with all its health enhancing unsaturated fat content. Loaded with cocoa butter, dark chocolate contains monounsaturated and saturated fat along with antioxidants.
Research has revealed that, if taken in moderate amounts, the mouth-watering delicacy can actually reduce inflammation, guard the heart and brain and enhance numerous factors that affect diseases (6)
8. Whole Eggs
Previous to eggs being the ‘food of choice’ or dismissed all together due to their cholesterol intake, whole eggs have returned to the health scene as the good fats and proteins foods (7). That’s because whole eggs also provide other nutrients such as carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin besides choline which is a nutrient of interest used in processes like metabolism and thought processing.
It can be consumed every day in the form of omelet or scrambled egg or even boiled though it is advisable to take more of healthy fat.
9. Full-Fat Yogurt
While a lower calorie version may seem like a more nutritious choice, full fat yogurt is much better for our body as it is loaded with protein, gut-healthy probiotics and conjugated linoleic acid, a type of fat that has been proven to help us maintain better control over our weight (8).
Consume one to two servings a day, when used as a basic or a healthy sweet treat topped with fruits, nuts, seeds or a piece of dark chocolate.
10. Nut and Seed Butters
From their preparation to acquisition, nut and seed butters offer cleaned up policies on your diet, with enhanced and upgraded fats and antioxidants. Two of the most chosen oils are almond butter and peanut butter. However, you don’t have to stick to peanut butter, you can try different other types of butters such as cashew, pumpkin seed or sunflower seed butter.
Spread it on apple or celery sticks, or include it into sauces or protein bars, or consume it as-is, it’s perfect as a snack or a treat with lots of healthy fats from nuts and seeds to keep you energized.
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