Can eating fats be healthy?

Did you know that it really is OK, even healthy, to eat fats. The low fat craze of the 90’s is thought to have significantly contributed to our current obesity epidemic. Food products were created that had much less fat but far more sugar. We need fat to feel full and satisfied. It’s just a matter of not overdoing it and primarily eating the “healthy fats.”

So what is a “healthy fat?” First and foremost, think “mono-unsaturated.” What are these? Think olive oil, canola oil, nut oils, and avocado oil. Yes, these are good for you (in moderation, of course). Diets high in mono-unsaturated fats and low in saturated fats (fats from animals and animal products) have been associated with lower rates of degenerative diseases, heart disease, and cancer. There was even a study of 22,000 adults in Greece showing that eating a Mediterranean diet correlated with a 25% reduction in total mortality and premature death.  Still need more reasons to switch to these cooking oils? Studies also show that mono-unsaturated fats lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and raise good cholesterol (HDL).

Another type of fat that we need to eat is omega 3 fatty acids. I will talk about this in my next blog.

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