For years we’ve heard that we need to add GOOD fat into our diets, but do you really know what that means’ Did you even know that there were different variety’s of good fats’ Well let me break it down for you.
- Omega 3 — we get them mainly from cold water fishes — salmon, blue fish, sardines, herring. You get the picture. Yes supplementation can help, but you really need to get it from the source. When consuming these fish be sure that you are eating the wild version of these fishes vs. farm raised. Farm raised tend to have less Omega 3 and less protein. Go figure. For my vegetarian friends you can find good sources in flax and walnuts. Sadly the average American isn’t getting nearly enough of this good fat. Why do we need omega 3s’ They help reduce inflammation in the body, assist with mental health as well as heart health. Omega 3s are also used to produce hormones in the body. For a complete listing of food that contains Omega 3.
- Omega 6 — can be found very easily in the typical American diet. The average American consumes 10x the recommended amount of this essential fatty acid. You can find omega 6s in soybean oil, nuts and seeds. These types of oils are found in 20% of all processed foods. Omega 6s are used to make hormones as well, but these types of fats tend to cause inflammation if not taken in the correct balance with omega 3. To help balance out your omega 6s & omega 3s aim to reduce your dependence on processed foods including margarine, bottled salad dressings and mayonnaise. Sorry ladies this DOES include olive oil. For a complete listing of foods that contain Omega 6.
- Omega 9 — plays a smaller role than 3 and 6 and small quantities of this acid can be produced by the body. Because our bodies can produce this, when we are deficient in either omega 3 or omega 6 our body will produce extra Omega 9 to compensate. Omega 9 does have it place, but its not as powerful as omega 3 or omega 6. Omega 9 does play a role in reducing cholesterol in the body as well as improve our immune systems. For those of you with small children, you’ll do what ever you can do improve your immune system. For a list of food that contain Omega 9.
I hope you found this helpful. I’d love to hear what you think. Please leave me some comments below.
