Good Fats

[Guest guest]

" JoAnn Guest " <angelprincessjo

Thu Dec 5, 2002 11:39 pm

Good Fats

 

 

 

 

Good Fats

 

Where do we find good fats?

There are four sources of good fats.

 

1. Green vegetables contain good fats, but in very small quantities.

To get 2 tablespoons of good fats, a person would have to eat over 60

pounds of vegetables per day. That is impossible.

 

2. Seeds and nuts are richer sources of EFAs. But there is no seed or

nut that gives an optimum ratio of n-3 to n-6 to keep us healthy in

our present situation with food habits. Flax is the richest source of

n-3, but a poor source of n-6. Sunflower and sesame seeds contain n-6

but no n-3. So we must mix and match these seeds to get both EFAs in

the right quantities and ratio.

 

3. High fat, cold water fish such as sardines, salmon, trout,

herring, and mackerel contain n-3 and n-6 derivatives. Eating fish is

preferable to using fish oil capsules, due to contamination of fish

oils with mercury, pesticides, and PCBs, and due to damage done to

fish oils during processing.

 

4. Extra-Virgin Olive Oils made with health in mind: pressed from

organically grown seeds under protection of light, air, and heat;

filtered and filled into dark glass bottles under the same

protection; boxed to keep out all light; refrigerated during storage

at the factory, in stores, and in the home; and used with care in

food preparation (never used for frying, sautéing, or baking).

 

Oils made with this care are found in the refrigerator in health food

stores.

It is unusual to see such care taken in oil preparation, packaging,

storage, and use.

 

But this kind of care is necessary if EFA-rich oils

are to retain their health benefits.

 

How do we use good fats in foods?

 

Good fats can be used in any food. They enhance flavors, suppress

appetite, and improve the absorption of oil-soluble nutrients in

foods. Oil-soluble nutrients are poorly absorbed when there is too

little fat in our foods.

 

Good fats make good salad dressings. They can be mixed in vegetable

juices, added to hot soups, to steamed vegetables. They make good

dips. They make spicy dishes and strong flavors smoother. They

enhance the mouth-feel of foods.

 

Good fats can be mixed in protein shakes, yogurt, bean dishes, cooked

(low fat) fish, and other meat.

 

Good fats can be mixed in applesauce, and enhance the flavors of

fruit juices, especially the tropical ones: pineapple, mango,

coconut, orange, and others.

 

Good fats also enhance the flavors of sauces used in pasta and other

dishes, and are really nice with potatoes. However, remember that

eating too much starch or sweet food increases fat production by your

body.

 

Don't blame good fats for overweight. Research has clearly shown that

they can decrease fat in the body by burning it faster, slowing down

fat production, and increasing energy, activity, and heat, all of

which burn more calories.

 

If your weight increases after taking good fats, decrease your intake

of sweets, starches, and even fruit.

 

How much good fat should we use?

 

15% of calories from good fats is a minimum. 10% might be too low.

But the quality of the fats you eat is much more important than the

quantity.

 

If you ate only good fats, your fat intake could be as high as 60% of

calories from fats, yet you would never die of a fat-related disease.

We know that from research done with Inuit (Eskimo) people. They did

not die of clots in arteries, nor of diabetes, nor of cancer, nor of

multiple sclerosis.

 

Inuit fat sources included raw whale blubber and seal fat, and fish.

The fats eaten by Inuit were not damaged by processing. Their food

fats were also rich in n-3 and n-6 derivatives.

 

In practice, we have seen people take 50% of their calories from

Extra-Virgin oil, sesame oil and Wheat germ oils and report increased

energy, better sleep, less joint pain, nicer skin, better

mood, and better learning and memory.

 

In tropical climates, taking that much good oil makes some people

sweat more easily.

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjoguest

Friendsforhealthnaturally

DietaryTipsForHBP

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/AIM.html