Our bodies need fat to survive, but the word has been associated with negative thoughts since media outlets started condemning it based off of pseudoscience.
It all depends on what kind of fat you get in your diet, there are healthy fats, and not so healthy fats.
Myth number 1 is that saturated fat is bad for you, this is false. There are many healthy whole foods that contain saturated fat. Foods-with-healthy-fats1
Check out these top 10 super foods with healthy fats
Avocados
The avocado is classified as a fruit. But it is different than most fruits due to it’s consistency. Fruits in general are mainly made up of sugary carbs. Although these can be good for you, Avocado is mainly (77% of the avocado) made up of incredibly healthy fats. Foods-with-healthy-fats2
The kind of fat that avocados consist of is a monounsaturated fat named oleic acid. This fatty acid is linked to numerous health benefits. Another superfood carrier of this healthy fat is something you may have heard about, extra virgin olive oil. Foods-with-healthy-fats3
Avocados are a great source of potassium, you may have heard of the banana for it’s potassium content but the average avocado can contain up to 40% more potassium than a banana.
Other added benefits of the avocado include: high fiber, lowering LDL (low density lipoprotein), the “bad” cholesterol, and raising HDL (high density lipoprotein), the “good” cholesterol. This aids your cardiovascular health and helps avoid disease risks in the future. Foods-with-healthy-fats4
Avocados are definitely a powerhouse of nutrients and healthy fats. A study showed that those who ate avocados frequently tend to have less belly fat then those who don’t eat avocados. That being said since avocados are high in fat they are also high in calories to it’s advised to moderate your intake if you want to lose weight. Weight loss depends on many factors but the most important one is calories in versus calories out. Foods-with-healthy-fats5
Omega 3 In Fatty Fish
Fish have long been apart of mankinds diet. Omega 3s have been a major corner stone of our well being since the beginning. But nowadays the western diet doesn’t include very many source of omega 3 as other cultures.
Some good examples of healthy omega 3 sources are sardines, salmon, trout, and krill fish. Omega 3 is an essential fatty acid because our bodies cannot produce this fat on it’s own. It needs to be acquired through diet.
In studies where omega 3 health benefits were observed, the results concluded that people who have more fish in their diets are healthier overall and have lower risks of certain diseases like cardiovascular disease, dementia, depression, and other illnesses. Foods-with-healthy-fats6
Another added health benefit of omega 3 is better skin health leading to more supple and younger looking skin.
Read more one the health benefits of omega 3 fatty fish. In this article we discuss the best sources of omega 3 fats and Krill Oil being one of the best. Krill oil is more easily absorbed by the body than regular fish oil. It also has numerous health benefits like astaxanthin which is known as the worlds strongest antioxidant (gives krill fish their red color).
Krill fish also don't live long lives so they don't accrue heavy metals like fish do, they also reproduce faster than other fish which allows them to be sustainably fished in the antarctic. If you don't each fish everyday, it is recommended that omega 3 supplementation is added to your diet.
You can get some here
Flax And Chia Seeds
Now you probably won’t be racking up the calories with Flax and Chia seeds, but they are actually high in the healthy fats omega 3, ALA (α-Linolenic acid), fiber, and micronutrients.
This makes chia seeds a great source of omega 3s if you’re vegan or vegetarian. To digest these healthy fats though you need to make sure the seeds are ground or that you are consuming a whole oil extract.
Flax and Chia seeds have shown the ability to decrease inflammation in the body and even lower high blood pressure. Foods-with-healthy-fats7
Nuts
Nuts are full of healthy fats, vitamin E (great for your skin and anti-aging), protein, and even fiber. Nuts are also a major source of micronutrients like magnesium which is not as common as it should be in the western diet.
Some of the healthiest nuts packed with all the good stuff are almonds, walnuts, pistachios and others.
In certain studies nuts have been shown to increase health in individuals overall and mitigating certain disease risks like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and more. Foods-with-healthy-fats8
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Okay this healthy fat dates back in the Mediterranean diet like the fish.
Not only does extra virgin olive oil make a tasty addition to different foods and recipes, it’s also an incredibly healthy fat and polyphenol source (group of antioxidants that aid in longevity, anti-disease, and anti-aging found in plants). Foods-with-healthy-fats9
Another example of a high polyphenol food or drink is red wine due to the concentration of resveratrol (a potent polyphenol) in the grape skins and seeds during the fermentation process. Like red wine many of the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil come from a polyphenol called Oleuropein which is also found in concentration in the green skins of olives.
Extra virgin olive oil is packed with antioxidants as stated above but also vitamin E and vitamin k. These antioxidants are able to protect the artery walls from becoming stiff and plaque ridden.
It also has the ability to help decrease high blood pressure and protect the heart from future disease risks. Foods-with-healthy-fats10
In addition to this extra virgin olive oil can decrease inflammation in the body and stop the LDL (bad cholesterol) in the blood from oxidizing. Foods-with-healthy-fats11
It’s important to make sure you only get Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This is oil that has only been pressed once and therefor preserves the antioxidants, nutrients, and health benefits.
Other forms of olive oil have been processed too much destroying any of the health benefits and causing the oil to go rancid faster.
Coconuts
Coconuts are filled (around 90%) with saturated fats (remember some saturated fat sources like coconuts are healthy).
What makes these fats in coconuts so healthy is that they mainly consist of medium-chain fatty acids. Once consumed and digested these medium-chain fatty acids go to the liver where they are converted into ketones. Foods-with-healthy-fats12
Some of the health benefits observed in studies around this were appetite suppression, an increase in metabolism, reduction in belly fat, and even an improvement in cognative function in those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Foods-with-healthy-fats13, Foods-with-healthy-fats14
Coconuts are a diet stable in many populations in warmer tropical regions. These populations have been studied and concluded that their cardiovascular systems are very healthy. Foods-with-healthy-fats15
Dark Chocolate
Eggs, Yes Especially The Yolk
Yogurt
Cheese
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