Good Fats in the Omega 3 Sources
The good fats are in what are called omega-3 sources. These are the foods that burn fat and help us to be more healthy! All fats, whether they are the saturated fats (omega-6s) or the unsaturated fats (omega-3s,) the oils, butters and even mayonnaise are low glycemic. They slow down digestion and make us feel fuller longer.
The good fats, essential fatty acids are just that - the essential ones for our health and well being. These are the unsaturated fats from plant foods and fish and the plant and nut oils. Most people eating the typical American diet are severely deficient in some of the omega-3 fatty acids. This is a real problem for our health because they minimize circulatory disorders, help prevent cancer, heart disease, arthritis, immune deficiency diseases, kidney disease, depression, ulcerative colitis, asthma, hives, psoriasis, enlarged prostate and migraines.
Scientists now know you cannot lose weight by eliminating fat, just the opposite. In fact, scientists have now found that the good fats are actually in foods that burn fat! What are good fats? Fish are by far the richest source of EPA/DHA omega-3s but another source of omega-3 is alpha-linolenic acid which is found in the oils of certain plants. An Australian study done at the University of S. Australia, Adelaide, reports many ways in which marine foods in particular assist in fat loss. They secrete a hormone that decreases appetite and promotes the burning of body fat. They enhance blood sugar control and help the body prevent storage of food as body fat. Be sure that you eat wild fish and not the farm raised.
| walnuts |
wild
salmon |
flaxseed
meal |
pumpkin
seeds |
| nuts |
seeds |
fish |
We do need some saturated fats, the omega 6s which are below.
| eggs |
cheese |
butter |
meat |
| coconut |
palm
kernal oil |
peanut
oil |
cottonseed oil |
These are also good fats because all unrefined fats are good for you. However, people who consume a diet heavy in animal foods often have too much body fat, high cholesterol and sometimes heart disease. Eliminate peanut, cottonseed and palm kernal oils and cut down significantly on how much red meat you eat. It has been reported that only a very small percentage of French people are overweight yet the French eat lots of cheese and butter. But they eat smaller portions than we do and they don't consume as much red meat. If you eat less meat and smaller portions then you can freely enjoy cheeses and eggs.
Omega-3 Oils
Monounsaturated oils are unsaturated fats and they are the best cooking oils for those of us who want to maintain fat loss. Olive oil is the highest in monounsaturated fats. Olive oil is part of the Mediterranean diet. In these cultures people also eat a fair amount of the good fats from omega-3 sources and have a low incidence of heart disease. You would do well to use olive oil for your cooking and for your salad dressings as well. It has great flavor! Coconut oil is another great unrefined cooking oil.
All oils contain all three types of fats (saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat) but in varying percentages. The plant oils, polyunsaturated, omega-3 oils like flaxseed oil can become rancid if they are subject to light and heat. They should never be used for cooking. Flaxseed oil is a wonderful omega-3 oil and can be used in a salad dressing or you can put flaxseed meal on your cereal. Canola and sesame oil are monounsaturated oils as is olive oil and they may be heated and used for cooking. You only need 1 teaspoon if you mix it with a little water for frying. The flavor is the same.
 The polyunsaturated oils are delicate and difficult to find fresh and cold pressed. You can get your omega-3 fatty acids in the foods in the top chart. Make sure your monounsaturated oils are cold pressed and unrefined. There are many poor quality vegetable oils on the market, especially the polyunsaturated ones, that are highly processed with heat. As polyunsaturated oils oxidize and become rancid they create free radicals in the body and hasten aging and weaken the immune system.
Some people mistakenly gave up butter which is high in saturated fat and changed to highly refined polyunsaturated vegetable oils like margarine or shortening. When it comes to good fats vs. bad fats it's these highly refined polyunsaturated oils that are the worst. These are the true "bad fats." These are the hydrogenated oils which are a type of trans-fatty acid and they elevate cholesterol and are harmful in that they create an immune damaging synthetic fat. Unfortunately, sometimes these margarines are found in health food stores!
If you want to eat in a healthy way the rest of your good fats need to be consumed in omega-3 foods. These eaten every day in small amounts are immensely satisfying and filling. Try a handful of raw nuts with a glass of milk or unsweetened soymilk or almond milk and an apple or whatever fruit is in season for a perfect low glycemic snack. When you eat low glycemic snacks you eat less at mealtime.
Eat 7 - 10 oz. of fish a week if you can find fish that is not contaminated with toxins. Fish that are low in mercury are wild salmon, wild trout, striped bass, oysters, herring, tuna and sablefish. Incidentally, four fish that are high in mercury are king mackerel, shark, swordfish and tilefish. Wild fish from the North Atlantic or Alaska are your best bet.
Saturated fats like those in pastries or lunch meats tend to make us more hungry. Add some sliced avocado to a salad
instead or a handful of nuts to a smoothie or have an almond milk shake with frozen blueberries. We need the good fats to transport the fat, soluable vitamins A,D, E and K. They provide us with energy too. Work at getting more of the good fats or omega-3s than the animal fats (omega-6s) into your daily eating plan and you will be on your way to losing body fat and gaining excellent health!
Eat a variety of these foods because there are different essential fatty acids in all of them in different amounts. Eat the high quality oils that are cold pressed and unrefined. Olive oil and coconut oil are the best choices for cooking and they have great flavor! The good fats are better for your heart, your brain, your weight and your overall excellent health!
The glycemic index list of foods includes foods that lower blood sugar and help you to lose fat!
This is the essential guide to figuring out serving sizes and what makes a low glycemic snack. You need to be eating these every 3 hours!
This list of raw foods contains fruits and vegetables that are a powerhouse of nutrients and they are low glycemic, meaning you can eat as much of them as you desire!
Healthy salads, especially when you add Omega 3 sources or foods with resistant starch, are a great low glycemic meal. These are fat burning foods and are assessed low on the glycemic index.
Eating lots of super healthy low glycemic foods means that you are once and for all replacing the fat storing high glycemic carbs in your diet with the low glycemic complex carbohydrates....
High fiber foods, grains and legumes creat a complete protein when served together. However, this combination is not the best choice for maintaining life long fat loss!
Great news for pasta lovers....you don't need low carb pasta because pasta is low glycemic!
Taking a look at dairy products and just how these calcium rich foods affect the glycemic index chart...
Sugar free desserts that taste good? Is a sugar free dessert a low glycemic recipe? Yes!
This low glycemic index chart shows the soups, the oriental cuisine and the protein foods that do not raise your blood sugar.
Too much of a good thing can be a glycemic load and definitely high glycemic foods are a glycemic load.
Any list of acidic foods will have sodas at the top of the list. These drinks are high glycemic and fat storing drinks!
Here are the high glycemic foods listed in the high glycemic index chart that need to be avoided most of the time in order to maintain your fat loss.
Controlling food cravings means that you need to avoid the high glycemic foods on these lists! High glycemic sugars in foods stimulate the appetite and lead to food cravings.
Food lovers can celebrate good food and manage their weight at the same time!
Find out where the fat traps are hidden! This is what leads to obesity and insulin resistance....
Return from Good Fats to Foods That Lower Blood Sugar.
Return from Good Fats to Lifetime Fat Loss home page.
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