Fats to Eat and Fats to Avoid

Your body needs healthy fats to maintain a healthy hormone balance, brain health and much more. Some fats provide you with wonderful health benefits and others are actually harmful. You are probably aware of how healthy a high quality fresh olive oil is for you. But you may not realize how harmful some other fats are for you. Here is more information about fats to eat and fats to avoid.

Healthy Fats

Healthy fats can be both plant and animal based. Some of the best known healthy fats come from non-farmed salmon and avocado. Making sure you get enough healthy fats allows your body to build cell membranes and absorb fat soluble vitamins. Healthy fats also help your body absorb minerals. Pasture raised or wild animals provide the healthiest animal fats. The healthiest plant based fats come from organic, fresh and minimally processed plants.

Temperature Matters

Some healthy fats are better for cooking with than others. If you use an oil for cooking, you want to make sure you are not heating it past it's smoke point. If the oil is heated until it starts to burn and smoke, the flavor will change and it releases free radicals which are harmful for you. It is generally recommended that olive oil be used at lower temperatures. Fresh organic extra virgin olive oil is unrefined and is the healthiest type of olive oil. If you don't mind the coconut taste, cooking with coconut oil is another good option.

Unhealthy Fats

Man made fats are some of the most unhealthy fats for you. Hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated and trans fats were used in the past when fats were thought to be bad. But research eventually show that the hydrogenated and trans fats are harmful to your health. Less than .5 grams is allowed in foods without being identified on the label. Another unhealthy fat for you are refined vegetable oils like canola, corn, soybean and sunflower.

Healthy Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fat Ratio

Omega-3 and omega-6 are both polyunsaturated fats. The best ratio of these fatty acids is 4:1 omega-3 to omega-6. When omega-6 fatty acids come from healthy sources, they are beneficial for you. Healthy sources include sunflower and sesame seeds, wheat germ and walnuts. Unhealthy sources of omega-6 fatty acids are the highly processed and oxidized oils that are used in food manufacturing. If you consume too many of the harmful omega-6 fats, it can cause inflammation which can result in poor health.

Everyone is Different

Some people thrive on a high fat, low carb diet like the keto diet. It is extremely restrictive and may cause stress for some people. You may also be the type of person who does not need as much fat as others do. This could be because of your body's ability to digest and utilize fat. And finally, if you are consuming more calories than you are burning, you will gain weight - even if you are consuming healthy fats.

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