Healthy fats

About the products/2 February 2024

Fats are an integral part of all body processes. Healthy fats are a supporting component of healthy skin, hair, heart and brain. In addition, they are essential for balanced hormonal levels, healthy metabolism, satiety, optimal energy, uninterrupted digestion, and reduced inflammation in the body.

First of all, it’s important to understand the difference between unhealthy and healthy fats. There are three types of fats: unsaturated, saturated, and trans fats. Each of them consists of different molecular structures and has different effects on the body. For ease of understanding, unsaturated and saturated fats are "good" fats, and trans fats are bad. Unsaturated (including monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) fats are often derived from vegetable and some animal sources, and their fatty acids are extremely beneficial, while saturated fats are mainly from animal sources. Trans fats are industrially produced and can be found in snacks, packaged baked goods, margarines, hydrogenated oils, and other processed foods.

Every cell in our body has a lipid layer and therefore needs fats for optimal functioning. Fats are essential for the permeability of our cells, as well as for the proper elimination of toxins and absorption of nutrients. They are essential for cell growth and repair. Among the many benefits of fats, the most notable is their effect on brain function, which makes sense given that our brains are 60% fat. A building block, no less.

Fats are great food. Elastic skin and shiny hair come from within and are a reflection of a healthy and balanced diet. Eating a diet rich in healthy fats can help moisturize the skin and reduce inflammatory skin problems such as eczema, acne, and rosacea. It all starts from the inside out.

Fat consumption is essential for the absorption of many fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins A, D, E, and K. In addition, fats make you feel full because leptin, a hormone in your brain, is triggered by fats. It tells you that you are full and helps you feel satisfied for a long period of time, which is very important to prevent overeating.

You may be wondering how everyone has become so "fat-phobic". This fear has been created and encouraged by big food companies, which have benefited from shifting the blame from sugar to fat. Numerous print ads, commercials, and food labels have been openly promoting low-fat and low-calorie foods for years. I advise you to avoid anything that has been modified to be "low-fat". Choose foods that contain complete fats in their purest form, without any fake ingredients added to improve the taste, composition, appearance, and texture in the absence of fat.

There are a few signs to look for to realize that you are not consuming enough fat. Fats are beauty foods, and problems with your hair (dryness or loss), skin (dermatitis, dryness, flaking, itching, or tiny bumps on the back of your hands), or nails (soft, brittle, cracking) can be a signal that your diet is lacking healthy fats. Other serious signs of fat deficiency include stiff joints, muscle pain, a weakened immune system, infertility, and depression.

The key to a healthy diet is variety. Include a portion of fat in every meal, whether you choose plant-based, animal-based, or both. If your diet is lacking in omega-3s, you may want to discuss this with your doctor.

Below is a list of healthy fats you should try to include in your diet.

Vegetable sources:

• olives and extra virgin olive oil
• Avocados and avocado oil
• seeds (pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds)
• seed oils (tahini, pumpkin)
• Nuts (walnuts, macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts)
• nut pastes (almonds, hazelnuts)
• coconut, coconut oil, coconut butter, coconut yogurt

Animal sources:

• fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines)
• ghee
• butter 82 % and more (cattle fed by digestive system)
• cod liver, fish oil, krill oil
• caviar
• eggs
• lard
• fatty dairy products
• sheep and goat cheese, buffalo cheese

Avoid processed industrial oils:

• omega-6 seed oils (corn, soybean, sunflower, rapeseed, safflower, grape seed, rice bran)
• hydrogenated oils
• margarine
• labels with reduced fat content

Your body (especially the female body) needs fats to be able to reproduce and thrive, and it will thank you for a rich source of nutrition. I hope this material helps to dispel any doubts or fears you may have about consuming healthy fats, and encourages you to read labels and explore nutrition beyond the fads.

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