The focus on fat has been gaining a
lot of attention for quite some time by now and you have definitely heard a lot
about fat and its reputation for causing weight gain and being harmful to your
health.
But did you know that some fats are actually good for you? Actually,
there are fats that are beneficial to your body. As surprising as that may
sound, the truth is that you do need to include healthy fats in your diet. And
Omega-3 fatty acids are one of those healthy fats.
What exactly are Omega-3 fatty acids?
Basically,
Omega- 3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids or in other words, a form
of good fat, essential to your health. Additionally, since these fats cannot be
naturally produced by your body, it is very important that you include foods
containing Omega-3 fatty acids in your diet.
What are its health benefits?
Being
unsaturated, Omega-3 fatty acids help lower blood cholesterol levels. But that
is only one of the positive effects they have on your body. To be more precise,
studies have shown consuming Omega-3 fatty acids can play an important role in:
o Brain
development, especially in young children. Research has indicated that it helps
improve mental function by enhancing a child’s attention levels, short term
memory and reading skills.
o Decreasing
symptoms of depression, because Omega-3 fatty acids are involved in chemical
messaging in your brain that helps elevate your mood.
o Reducing
the risk of heart disease, mainly due to that fact that it helps lower
cholesterol and triglyceride levels, bring down blood pressure and decrease the
chances of blood clotting, thereby reducing the risk of heart attack and
stroke.
o Boosting
immunity by increasing the activity of white blood cells.
What is the current recommendation for omega-3 fatty acids?
According
to the National Institute of Health, you should consume at least 2% of your
total calories as Omega-3 fats. For example, a person consuming 2,000 calories
per day should include at least 4g of Omega-3 fatty acids.
Good to remember: You can easily meet
your needs for Omega-3 fatty acids by having just 2 tablespoons of ground
flaxseeds per day.
That’s
all! But you should remember that flaxseeds need to be ground for you to enjoy
its nutritional benefits.
Besides
that, here are the foods that you can consume to make Omega-3 part of your
diet:
|
Omega-3 containing food
|
Recommended intake
|
Suggested actions
|
|
Oily fish such as salmon,
sardines, mackerel and herring
|
American
Heart Association recommends eating a palm size of oily fish about 2 times
per week
|
Include baked
salmon or any fatty fish with steamed vegetables in your weekly menu
|
|
Green leafy vegetables
|
Eat at least
one serving of your vegetables as green leafy vegetables (1 cup daily)
|
Cook stews
that have these greens like spinach or mouloukhieh. Also add more green leafy
vegetables in your salad
|
|
Cooking oils such as Canola
oil
|
Consume 1-2
tablespoons of oil a day
|
Replace other
vegetable cooking oils with Canola oil
|
|
Nuts and seeds such as
walnuts, almonds and pine nuts
|
Consume a
handful of unsalted nuts a day
|
Add pine nuts
or walnuts to your salad or use them for a quick snack, generally no more
than a handful a day as nuts are high in calories
|
|
Omega-3 enhanced eggs
|
Consume 2-3
eggs a week
|
Include them
as part of your breakfast, dinner or salad
|
|
Ground flaxseeds
|
Have about 2
tablespoons a day
|
You can also
add some flaxseed to your baked food or sprinkle them on your soup or salad
dressing or to your breakfast cereal
|
You may be very concerned about the fat in your diet and its impact on your
body weight. But the truth of the matter is that it is important to have the
right balance of Omega-3 fatty acids among other nutrients to enhance your
proper body functions and enjoy overall improvement in health.
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