Are you eating enough fibre?
Do you know why fibre is essential in your diet? Do you know which are the fibre rich foods? Do you know how much fibre you need daily in your diet?
For this and more read on.
MoreDo you know why fibre is essential in your diet? Do you know which are the fibre rich foods? Do you know how much fibre you need daily in your diet?
For this and more read on.
MoreMonounsaturated Fats
Fats are one of the three main macronutrients along with carbohydrates and protein. They are an essential part of a healthy eating plan.
However in recent times the role of fats and their health benefits have been the subject of debate. In fact in some instances the reputation of fats have been maligned.
Are fats bad for you? Are all fats equal in the health benefits they offer?
And if all fats are not equal, how do you know which fats to include, limit or avoid?
For answers to these questions, read on.
Fats play a number of key roles, including being:
The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend that fats should represent 20-35% of your total energy intake.
Research confirms fats have potential to play a contributory role in a number of health issues and diseases including obesity and heart disease. High level of fat intake has also been traditionally seen as a key contributor to raising blood cholesterol.
However, the role of fats and health issues or diseases is not black and white. Put simply not all fats are equal in their nutrient profile and hence their health benefits.
It means your choice of which fats to include in your daily diet, as well as the amount you include, will shape and influence the health outcomes you get from including fats.
What you need to know is there are fats to include, fats to limit and fats to avoid.
Trans-fats are created when unsaturated fats are solidified through a process called “hydrogenation”. This process is employed to increase the shelf life of foods, as well as allow for repeated reheating of oils during the manufacturing process.
You want to avoid trans-fats because they:
You generally find trans-fats in processed/refined/manufactured foods. Sources include:
Saturated fats are those that are solid at room temperature. Including small, limited amounts of saturated fats in your eating plan will help minimize potential health risks that arise when you include excessive amounts.
Excessive intake of saturated fat over time has potential to:
Saturated fats can be found in foods and in processed food. Sources include:
Unsaturated fats are typically liquid at room temperature. Unsaturated fats offer key health benefits. They have the potential to:
There are two types of unsaturated fat:
Monounsaturated fats found in plant foods including:
Polyunsaturated fats, most commonly known as omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids. They are found in plant and animal foods including:
The key is to adopt some key principles:
Examples of foods rich in healthy fats are:
I hope this has provided you with the fundamentals of what you need to know about including, limiting or avoiding fats.
If you would like to find out more about fats or other key nutrients or discuss healthy eating and building sustainable health and wellbeing, please click here to make contact .
References
Harvard Health Publishing. (2017). The truth about fats: the good, the bad, and the in-between. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-truth-about-fats-bad-and-good
Eat for Health. (2015). Fat. Retrieved from https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/fat-salt-sugars-and-alcohol/fat
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