You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have The Fats of Life, the Fats of Life…
Ok, that was bad… Really bad I know! So, let’s move on…
Six dietary fatty acids:
Trans (avoid at all costs)
- margarine, snack chips, imitation cheese, and other processed foods.
Saturated (limit intake)
- animal fat: milk, meat, eggs, butter, and cheese; lard (pork fat), tallow (beef and lamb fat)
- Tropical oils: coconut and palm oil
Monounsaturated
- belly fat burner, fat high in calories, so be careful
- olive oil
Polyunsaturated
Omega 3
- lowers bad cholesterol & the risk of heart attacks to name a few)
- fish oils
Omega 6
- vegetable oils (soybean, safflower, sunflower, corn, cottenseed, peanut, Canola)
- needs to be balanced with omega 3 (3:1), excessive amounts of linoleic acid can contribute to inflammation and result in heart disease, cancer, asthma, arthritis and depression)
Omega 9
- oils, avocados
- can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke
Foods rich in EFAs (Essential Fatty Acids):
- Salmon, herring, trout, mackerel, tuna (albacore), halibut, scallops, & shrimp.
- Almonds, walnuts, cashews, hemp, pumpkin seeds, & flax seeds.
- Olive oil.
- Kale, collard greens, winter squash, & cloves.