Many times we have been told that fats are the source of all evil when it comes to our health.
However, this is not always the case. By choosing the right fats you can improve your health tremendously.
Find out from Adrianna all you need to know about what fats are good for you:
Almost all cooking oils or cooking fats, contain some mixture of three types of fatty acids: polyunsaturated, mono-unsaturated, and saturated. Each has certain advantages:
Saturated fats
Saturated fatty acids constitute at least 50% of your cell membranes, giving them their necessary stiffness and integrity. They play a vital role in the health of our bones and they lower certain substances in the blood (like Lp(a) that indicates proneness to heart disease). They’ve been given a terrible rap!
The saturated fats found in butter have anti-cancer, anti-bacterial and weight-control properties. Stearic acid, the most abundant fatty acid in butter, is the preferred fuel source for the heart and can reduce “bad cholesterol” or LDL.
Butter contains another saturated fat called lauric acid, which contains anti-bacterial properties and can stop certain viruses and pathogens right in their tracks.
CLA, while not found in appreciable amounts in grain-fed butter, is abundant in grass-fed butter. CLA can aid in building lean muscle, burning body fat and is believed to have anti-carcinogenic properties.
Butyric acid is another important fatty acid found in grass-fed butter and can prevent colon cancer and controls gut inflammation.
Grass-fed butter is copious in Vitamin A and contains the full array of fat soluble vitamins.
Polyunsaturated fats
Polyunsaturated fats include both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-3s, like flaxseed oil, are great for using on salads, but can’t be used for cooking at high temperatures because of the delicate structure of the fats—any health benefit will be destroyed during the heating.
On the other hand, omega-6s (found in corn oil, soy bean oil, safflower oil, and the like) are “pro-inflammatory”oils which have a high ratio of omega-6s should be used sparingly or not at all. We get far too many of these omega-6s in our diet (and far too few omega-3s). Plus, omega-6s are very susceptible to cell-damaging free-radicals when heated. Sadly, most vegetable oils are highly processed and refined, meaning many of the natural antioxidants have been destroyed, so these should be avoided too.
Mono-unsaturated fats
Mono-unsaturated fats, also known as omega-9s, are found in olive oil and macadamia nut oil and are one of the best oils to cook with. Macadamia nut oil stands up to heat quite well, and contains a ton of these heart-healthy mono-unsaturated fats. Extra-virgin olive oil is the least processed of the olive oils can stand medium heat and superb salad dressing.
So what should you include in your nutrition?
My recommendation is unrefined, cold-pressed oils whenever possible, regardless of the oil you choose. Coconut oil is an especially good choice. Organic butter and ghee, which is clarified butter, are also good choices.
Coconut oil and coconut cream contain Medium Chain Fatty Acids, which are instrumental in making the immune system stronger.
On thing to avoid is canola oil, despite its hype and popularity. It’s a highly refined oil that has to be chemically bleached, de-gummed, and deodorized at very high temperatures (much like many other refined vegetable oils) which strips it of any health benefits.
Inspired by Miranda 