Health and Fats Essential
The reason that fresh nuts, seeds and oily fish are good for you is because, along with other vital nutrients, they contain beneficial ‘polyunsaturated’ fats called Omega 3 and Omega 6. Common signs of deficiency in these essential fats are dry skin, dandruff or flaky scalp, poor memory, PMS and depression.
Both Omega 3 and 6 fats can be found in flax, hemp and pumpkin seeds. When you eat these, the body converts the fats they contain into their more active forms — for Omega 3, these are called EPA, DPA and DHA; for Omega 6, it’s GLA. You can also find these active forms in certain foods. Oily fish such as anchovies, salmon, sardines and mackerel contain the active Omega 3 fats EPA, DPA and DHA. These are a better source than relying on flax seeds or pumpkin seeds. This is because only about 5 per cent of what’s in flax seeds is converted into EPA, and even less into DHA, which is literally what your brain is built from. So it’s best to both eat oily fish, flax and pumpkin seeds and to supplement Omega 3-rich fish oils. Oils of evening primrose and borage contain the active Omega 6 fat GLA.
Most of us need daily sources of both the original essential fats and their more active forms. Eating fresh nuts and seeds plus oily fish will provide a good balance. If deficiency symptoms such as dry skin or hormonal issues continue to be an issue, add in some extra plant oils such as borage via a daily supplement.
The best fats for cooking
Polyunsaturated oils such as seed oils or even sunflower oils are not a good choice for cooking because they are easily damaged when heated, creating harmful molecules called oxidants. The best type of oil to cook with is the more stable monounsaturated variety — of which olive oil is the best source.
Coconut oil is an even better option because despite being a saturated fat, its chemical structure is slightly different to other saturated cooking fats such as butter or lard (meat fat), and the body is therefore better able to utilise it — for energy, rather than turning it into body fat.
Avoid harmful fats
As we’ve established, eating a lot of meat or dairy produce provides too much saturated fats, so red meat and hard cheese are best limited to no more than three to four portions a week.
Processed or refined vegetables oils can also be bad for you because this can change the nature of the oil. For example, when making margarine, vegetable oils go through a process called hydrogenation to make them hard so you can spread rather than pour them. Hydrogenated fats confuse the body and block the uptake of other healthy polyunsaturated fats, so they are best avoided. Sources include some margarines and many processed foods, so check ingredients lists on labels carefully.
Frying is another way to damage otherwise healthy oils. This then damages your body when you eat fried, browned or burnt foods — so these are best kept to a minimum. Instead of frying, steam-fry foods.
Overall, fat — mostly the essential variety from oily fish, nuts and seeds — should make up about one-fifth to a quarter, or around 20 to 25 per cent, of your total calorie intake. Since there’s twice as many calories in a gram of fat than a gram of protein or carbohydrate, this will look like one- eighth of what you eat. You can achieve this by following the guidelines below.
Fat: optimum nutrition guidelines
Eat seeds and nuts — the best seeds are flax, hemp, pumpkin, sunflower and sesame. You get more goodness out of them by grinding them first and sprinkling them on cereal, soups and salads.
Eat oily fish — a serving of anchovies, sardines, mackerel or salmon two or three times a week provides a good source of Omega 3 fats.
Use seed oils — choose a cold-pressed oil blend for salad dressings and other cold uses, such as drizzling on vegetables instead of butter.
Minimise your intake of fried food, processed food and saturated fat from meat and dairy produce.
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