REDUCING CHOLESTEROL: HOW YOU CAN GET MORE OMEGA 3 FATS INTO YOUR DIET
Oily fish such as sardines, salmon, herrings, mackerel, anchovies and tuna are great sources of EPA and DHA. Much of the fish in our oceans today is contaminated with high levels of heavy metals, such as mercury and cadmium, as well as pesticides and industrial chemicals. Therefore, j it is wiser to choose fish that is smaller, and lower down in the food chain. Larger fish at the top of the food chain have accumulated a lot of toxins in their bodies from all the smaller fish they have eaten. The healthiest fish are actually sardines and anchovies because they feed on plankton. However, if you can’t stomach certain species offish, you will still get benefits from eating any type you do like.
There are plenty of vegetarian sources of omega 3 fats; the best ones are:
• Ground flaxseeds. You can add these to smoothies, yoghurt or sprinkle them on your cereal or fruit.
• Flaxseed oil. This can be used as a salad dressing or added to smoothies. Make sure you never heat flaxseed oil, as it is very susceptible to oxidation.
• Walnuts.
• Green leafy vegetables.
• Tofu.
Your body will have to convert the alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) in these foods to EPA and DHA.
If you feel that you need more omega 3 fats than your diet provides, you can take a fish or flaxseed oil supplement. An ideal dose would be three grams per day; this usually equates to three capsules.
Saturated fats are not as bad as you think. It is quite okay to include small amounts of them in your diet. Saturated fats are found predominantly in animal foods such as butter, full fat dairy products and red meat. Saturated fats have the following benefits:
• They provide structure and integrity to our cell membranes. Phospholipids are the type of fats making up our cell membranes, and they are made of mostly saturated fatty acids.
• They increase the satiety of a meal, helping to keep us full so that we don’t over eat or binge on sweets.
• They enhance the function of our immune system.
• They are usually found in foods with essential fat soluble vitamins, such as vitamins A and D.
• They enhance our body’s ability to use essential fatty acids.
• Even if you do not eat any saturated fats, your body will make them out of carbohydrate you ate.
• They have been part of the human diet for many generations, at a time when heart disease was nowhere near as prevalent as it is now.
Monounsaturated fats help to keep your heart healthy. Olive oil is one of the richest sources of monounsaturated fatty acids. If you use vegetable oil m cooking, olive oil is a good choice because it withstands high temperatures well. Other great sources of monounsaturated fats are hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, avocado and sesame seeds. Try to include all of these in your diet regularly.
A high intake of monounsaturated fat in Mediterranean countries is thought to be a reason they have such low rates of heart disease. This type of fat helps to lower cholesterol levels, and may offer some protection against cancer. Foods high in monounsaturated fat are often a good source of vitamin E as well.
Polyunsaturated fats are divided into two categories: omega 3 and omega 6. Omega 3 fats are highly beneficial and have been discussed above. The problem is that most people have far too much omega 6 fat in their diet. Vegetable oils high in omega 6 fatty acids include corn oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil and safflower oil. These are a fairly new addition to the human diet because of modern oil refining practices. These types of vegetable oils should never be used for cooking, as they are easily damaged by heat which causes them to be oxidized and act as free radicals in the body.
It is best to obtain polyunsaturated fats from whole foods, rather than refined oils. Suitable choices are sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts and sesame seeds. Flaxseed oil is high in omega 3 polyunsaturated fat and may be used as a salad dressing, in smoothies, or other ways as long as it is not heated.
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