Good Fats

Good fats are a very important part of our diet, in recent times we all see fats as the enemy and try to stay well clear of foods with a higher content. Now I can agree if the foods your picking are processed and very high in saturated fat which can cause high cholesterol in your blood, but if you pick foods containing unsaturated (good) fats you will be gaining many health benefits.


First and foremost good fats help lower blood cholesterol, provide you with efficient energy, are important for cell function, help absorb certain vitamins, helps produce hormones, makes food taste good and are great for your skin and hair. I could go on all day listing the benefits so here is a list of foods containing high amounts of good fats...

Oily fish like salmon or mackerel
Nuts
Eggs (Yolk)
Oils that have not been heated (Olive, cod etc)
Omega 3 fish oil tablets


The ones I have selected are very common and can be easily added to your diet, please make sure you read all nutrition info on the labels and make sure you use the correct portion control for your body weight. As stated these foods contain high amounts of good fats but eating to much of them can add a lot of extra calories to your diet. So in general a 10ml spoon of oil drizzled over your salad, 100g of weighed out fish or a small handful of nuts would be a good start.


With supplements like cod oil tablets you should use them if your finding your not getting enough fats from your diet. I usually have 6 tablets throughout the day when my meals are lacking in good fats and each tablet will contain 1 gram of fat (9 calories). Its the same as using a protein product to increase your protein intake, if your not getting enough protein I would advise you to use a supplement product. Food should always come first then look at supplements if needed.


Conclusion...


So don't be scared of fats they are very important but in moderation, try adding fish a few times a week, eggs a few times per week and a few handful of nuts. Hopefully you will see some of the benefits given. If you need any advice drop me an e-mail and I can help you with any problems. Overall as long as your eating protein, carbs, some good fats and plenty of veg you cant go wrong.