Why should you make changes to your daily eating plan to include a variety of different fats? Check out last weeks blog, http://valeriegoldstein.wordpress.com/2012/09/14/eat-foods-with-fat-5-balance-foods-with-fat/ and Dr. Weil’s blog, http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400149/balancing-omega-3-and-omega-6.html
Now that you know why it is healthier to eat a variety of fats, you should know that it is not that difficult. A few small changes and your Omega ratio should shift quickly towards the ideal 1:1 Omega 6, Omega 3 fat ratio.
TIPS
1. Read the ingredient section on labels. Look for vegetable, corn and soy oil.
2. Eat less commercially prepared foods that contain vegetable, corn and soy oils.
3. Eat low mercury and low PCB containing fatty fish
4. Eat more omega 3 plant foods along with saturated fat (to help the plant Omega 3 convert to the fish form of Omega 3).
5. Add Omega 3 fish oil supplements
More specific tips include:
- Replacing bottled salad dressing with olive oil
- Cooking with coconut oil instead of vegetable oil
- Adding organic shredded coconut in snacks for example make your own trail mix
- Baking or fry shrimp or chicken with egg and organic shredded coconut, flaxseed, crushed nuts or all three to “fancify” meals.
- Using fresh food as snacks: low glycemic fruits, non-starchy vegetables (Omega 6 will lower because you are not eating as much from commercial products), instead of commercially prepared snacks.
- Consuming natural meat products instead of frozen meals containing soy/corn. Learn more here, http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400149/balancing-omega-3-and-omega-6.htm
You might find it interesting that these foods contain both saturated fat and omega 3:
Lamb
Beef, short ribs
Pork
Dairy: cheese, sheep milk, butter, sour cream, heavy whipping cream
Unsweetened baking chocolate
Non-meat sources high in Omega 3
Walnuts
Grape leaves
Flaxseeds
Chia seeds
Herbs/Spices high in Omega 3
Cloves
Oregano
Rosemary
Sage
Tarragon
If you fell into the fat trap, “all fats are bad” and just now realize that “some fats are good”, DO NOT fall into the same trap again. Natural fats that are saturated and unsaturated provide nutrients that work to keep us healthy.
My goal is to get everyone to eat healthy natural fats and improve Omega 6 to Omega 3 consumption ratio.
