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Originally Posted by fgummett  ... I was also wondering what kind of fats: healthy like EVOO, Avocado, Nuts, Salmon... or just general fats as a a result of eating more protein/meats..? |
You will find endless debate on that topic. The popular school of thought is that saturated fat is bad because it leads to heart disease. People like Mary Enig and Gary Taubes dispute this convincingly. I certainly don't buy into it and I don't think Jan does either ....
The only kind of fat that you should be avoiding is partially hdrogenated vegetables oils (trans fat). These are unsaturated fats that are hydrogenated to stop them going rancid. It extends the shelf life of processed foods, but has nasty effects on health.
From a health perspective, it is important that you get a lot of omega 3 fatty acids from the fats you consume. A major concern is the decline in omega 3 content in our food because of modern production techniques. Traditionally, the ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 fats in the diet was about 1:2. That ratio has changed to about 1:6 in modern times, and it is believed to be the cause of various health problems. Flax seed oil and fish oil are are good sources of omega 3. You also get more of it from beef that has been grass fed, rather than grain fed. Eggs from free-range chickens are also richer in omega 3 than eggs from grain-fed battery chickens.
I don't think too much about what I should and shouldn't eat. I don't limit fat, except for trans fat. I eat all the fat that comes with protein foods - meat, fish, chicken, eggs, cheese etc. We are fortunate in that New Zealand livestock is grass fed. And I always buy free-range eggs. In addition to the eggs having a better essential fatty acid ratio, free-range chickens have much more fun!
