Essential Fats - The Low Down

In an earlier post 'Oil me up' I wrote about the benefits of Coconut oil and the difference 's between good and bad saturated fats. So here are a few more healthy fats that should be incorporated into your daily diet and why (not just because I said so). 

Olive Oil - Rich in monounsaturated fatty acids and bursting with antioxidants Olive oil is known for helping to prevent cell degeneration and delay ageing.
If you’re cooking over high heat, don’t choose olive oil. Olive oil has a lower smoke point—the point at which an oil literally begins to smoke (olive oil’s is between 365° and 420°F)—than some other oils. When you heat olive oil to its smoke point, the beneficial compounds in oil start to degrade, and potentially health-harming compounds form.

Olive Oil tastes great drizzled over salads and veggies!

Nuts - These protein boosting beauties are full of the antioxidant vitamin E that helps give your face its glow and youthful appearance. The good fats in nuts such as monounsaturated and unsaturated are known to level out bad cholesterol.

Cold Water Fish - Mackerel, Salmon, Sardines are all Jam packed with Omega oils which are fab for keeping your locks and nails shiny and strong, Salmon also contains carotenoid - an astaxanthin which contains anti inflammatory properties that can improve skin elasticity.

Avocado's - full of Biotin, helps to prevent dry skin and brittle nails. Some actually recommend to put Avocado in green smoothies? I'll have to give it a go and let you know how it is! 

I usually have Avocado with my morning eggs or in a salmon salad. 

Seeds - Full of healthy minerals, niacin and folic-acid contents, Seeds are not one to be missed! They are among the better plant sources of iron and zinc. 28g of seeds have twice as much iron as 85g of skinless chicken breast as well as more fibre than nuts and are a great source of protein!  Seeds can be added to soups, salads, I often have mine toasted on the top of fruit and yogurt. 

Coconut Yogurt - My friend Beth introduced me to these about 6 months back, I took one look at the saturated fat content and initially turned my nose up. After a little convincing, I looked into them a little further and found that these are actually amazing for your body. Same as with coconut oil the saturated fat content is medium chain triglycerides (MCT’s) which are easier to metabolize, instead of storing the fat it is used to provide extra energy to your body. While the Lauric acid found in coconut oil strengthens your immune system and repairs your cells. You can find Coyo yogurts at your local Tesco's for around £1.99 a pot.