The Ultimate List of Healthy Fats & How to Eat Them

The Ultimate List of Healthy Fats & How to Eat Them

 

 

Even in 2018, so many people are afraid to eat fat in our society. The decades of scare-tactics from the sugar industry was successful at giving fat a bad name.

 

But the truth is, there’s no reason to fear the fat, ESPECIALLY if you are looking to lose weight.

 

We need fat in our diet and in fact, it’s nutritious for us – if we’re getting the right fats.

 

There are fats that heal… And fats that kill.

 

And that’s what we’re going to talk about today: what the good fats are and how to get plenty of them, while avoiding the bad fats that do so much damage to our health, both in the short and long term.

 

Let’s start by breaking down the different terms you hear about fat so we’re all on the same page about the good, the bad, and the ugly.

 

Different Types Of Fats

 

There are 4 main types of fats that we eat: saturated fats, monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, and trans fats. With the exception of trans fats, which are always terrible for you, you’ll find both good and bad fats within the other 3 types.

 

So it’s important that you know your stuff, rather than just fearing the fat. Let’s break down the different types:

 

Saturated Fats

 

These get a very bad wrap, but the truth is, there are different types of saturated fats. Some deserve a bad wrap, whereas others are actually really good for you and a vital part of your diet.

 

Animal based – These are the saturated fats that give all of them a bad name. This category contains dairy products, meat, junk food, eggs, and many dessert foods. This is the artery-clogging fat you want to cut down on or even avoid completely.

 

Plant based – Healthy saturated fats are medium-chain triglycerides (aka. MCTs), which are found in coconut oil and MCT oil.

 

They are anti-inflammatory, antioxidant buffers of acid that help reset your body’s metabolism to burn fat and move away from burning sugar as the primary source of fuel.

 

MCTs are unique fatty acids that are easily digested and have numerous health benefits. Our bodies send these types of fats straight to the liver where they can be easily converted into energy or ketone bodies, which are actually great fuel for the brain, and they’ve been proven to have a therapeutic impact on brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s.

Monounsaturated Fats

 

These fats, also known as Omega-9 fatty acids, are excellent sources of fat. They reduce the risk of heart disease, protect against diabetes, and may reduce the risk of cancer. They also improve your mood and make it easier to lose weight.

You’ll find monounsaturated fats in avocados, olives, extra virgin olive oil, sesame oil, macadamia nuts, and almonds. In general, the Western diet gets plenty of Omega-9 fats.

Polyunsaturated Fats

 

Even more important than the distinction between healthy and unhealthy saturated fats is the distinction between the 2 different kinds of polyunsaturated fats, Omega-3 and Omega-6.

 

Omega-6 fats are pro-inflammatory, and Omega-3 fats have an anti-inflammatory effect. The omega-6 fats are linoleic acid (LA) and arachidonic acid [LINK TO POST 1 ABOVE ONCE LIVE] (AA), which are found in animal products.

You’ll find unhealthy Omega-6 fats, which you want to minimize, in:

Hydrogenated vegetable oils

Safflower oil

Sunflower oil

Grape seed oil

Soy and soybean oil

Mayonnaise and store bought salad dressings

Edamame

C orn and canola oil

Peanuts, peanut butter, and peanut oil

Margarine

Meat

Eggs

Poultry

Dairy

Farmed fish, including salmon

Cookies, crackers, candy, frozen pizza, granola/granola bars, pastries, popcorn and other processed foods

Most Americans consume a heavily acidic diet high in Omega-6 fats, which leads to chronic and excessive inflammation, and the result is chronic disease. Because your brain is primarily fat, a diet that heavily favors Omega-6 fats causes inflammation in your brain.

In addition, a diet that favors Omega-6 fats will trigger greater fat storage. Many studies show animals fed a diet high in Omega-6 fats will become fatter than animals on a non-Omega-6 diet with identical calories.

If you have been trying to lose some weight and have been unsuccessful, bringing your Omega-6:Omega-3 ratio into balance may be the answer.

Omega-3 fats are alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which are plant-based, and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which are animal based. Omega-3 fats are ESSENTIAL, which means your body does not make them, so therefore, you need to get them from your diet.

Most Americans do not get enough Omega-3 fatty acids from the foods we eat, which is why supplementation is necessary for most people.

THE ULTIMATE LIST OF HEALTHY FATS

 

Aim for 7-10 servings of these fats every day. Ideas on how to use them are included below. Always buy organic when available.

RAW NUTS

Almonds (in moderation due to high Omega-6 content)

Pecans – Raw Pumpkin Pie

Macadamia Nuts – eat raw as a snack

Pine Nuts – in alkaline pesto sauce

Hazelnuts – add to smoothies

Pistachios (in moderation due to their potential to mold)

Brazil Nuts – great source of selenium so eat as many as you want!

Coconut Meat – add to smoothies

Walnuts (in moderation due to high Omega-6 content) – Alkaline Granola

Unsweetened Coconut Flakes – sprinkle over breakfast porridge

Cashews (in moderation due to potential to mold. Note, I ONLY use these for chia pudding)

Cacao Nibs – Frozen Chocolate Tropical Monkey

homemade alkaline trail mix with raw almonds, unsweetened coconut flakes, cacao nibs, goji berries, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, chia seeds, etc

 

RAW ORGANIC SEEDS

Chia Seeds – Vanilla Coconut Chia Pudding

Flax Seeds and Flax Meal (in moderation because high in Omega-6 fats)

Psyllium Seed Husks – add to your smoothies before blending

HulledSeeds – Avocado with Seeds

Pumpkin Seeds – sprinkle on creamy alkaline soups

Sesame Seeds – add to Asian veggie noodle dishes

Black Cumin Seeds – toss on a salad, massively anti-inflammatory

Sunflower Seeds (in small amounts due to high Omega-6 content)

Safflower Seeds (in small amounts due to high Omega-6 Content)

RAW NUT BUTTERS

Almond Butter – add to smoothies

Coconut Butter – use in place of butter in any baking recipe

Cacao Butter – use in desserts in place of chocolate

Macadamia Butter – spread on Ezekiel bread

Tahini – Ginger Cinnamon Fruit with Sweet Tahini Dip

NUT MILKS (note, when buying in store, buy free of carrageenan and cane sugar)

Coconut Milk (from a carton or full-fat BPA-free can) – use to make curry sauces

Milk – use in smoothies

Almond Milk (in moderation due to high Omega-6 content)

RAW OILS

Extra Virgin Olive Oil – the base of a sauce for zucchini noodles

Avocado Oil – drizzle over a chilled alkaline soup

Black Cumin Oil – use in a salad dressing for a unique, savory flavor, or consume 1 tbsp a day

Macadamia Oil – swap for butter or oil in any sweet dish

Sesame Oil (in moderation due to high Omega-6 content) – use in Asian dishes

Cold-Pressed Coconut Oil – Quinoa Coconut Power Breakfast

MCT Oil – add directly to smoothies

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Avocados – Alkaline Caprese Appetizers

Olives – add to quinoa bowls for Mediterranean flare

Purslane – use this weed in salads as a lettuce

Microalgae – make a simple seaweed salad with sesame seeds

PROTEINS

Salmon – buy wild-caught from Alaska or Pacific Northwest

Herring – follow my fish-buying tips

Trout – roast in the oven with extra virgin olive oil and lemon

Anchovies – top a salad with them

Sardines – along with anchovies and mackerel, sardines are how we make the best Omega-3 supplement you can buy.

What’s our secret to being the best?

 

Alkamind has the ONLY fish oil in the world that provides you with the IDEAL 2:1 ratio of EPA to DHA (this ratio is what the research shows to reduce the most inflammation in your body) in a highly-concentrated, purified form (our oil is molecular distilled, by triple organically purification)

 

That means you can TAKE LESS, but GET MORE. I can take 1/3 the number of softgels I need with other brands!

 

If you have any doubts take my FISH OIL CHALLENGE. Post your fish oil on my GET OFF YOUR ACID Facebook page and I will compare the differences.

 

Alkamind Daily Omega-3 will ensure you’re getting plenty of healthy fats to balance out the unhealthy ones so prevalent in our modern diet.