Skip to main content

Monounsaturated Fats: How Food Affects Health

Monounsaturated Fats: How Food Affects Health

 

This kind of fat can be a good friend, provided you don’t hang out with it all the time! Used in moderation, monounsaturated fats have enormous health benefits.

Monounsaturated fats are healthy fats found in abundance in olive oil, avocado, seeds, nuts, and nut butters. Like other fats, monounsaturated fats are high in calories (about double the calories per gram that carbs and protein provide), so you’ll want to carefully watch portions if you’re trying to lose weight. However, everyone needs some fat in their diet to maintain good health, a healthy weight, and normal physiological functions. These healthy sources of fat can also add flavor, help satiate your appetite, and stabilize blood sugar levels.
Monounsaturated fats help protect your heart by lowering blood pressure, improving your cholesterol profile, and reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease — specifically when you use them to replace unhealthy fats. In other words, cook your food in olive or canola oil instead of butter, lard, or stick margarine There is also some evidence that substituting monounsaturated fats for refined carbohydrates in your diet can increase your HDL (good) cholesterol. For example, snack on nuts and seeds instead of cookies, pretzels, crackers, or candy. And you’ll want to increase your consumption of monounsaturated fats if you are at risk for type 2 diabetes because they may lower peak blood-glucose response.
Some monounsaturated fats like olives and olive oil also contain polyphenols, antioxidants that protect the body from inflammation, which can ease arthritis pain and reduce the frequency, duration, and severity of migraine headaches.
The best food sources of monounsaturated fats are olive oil (and olives), canola oil, avocado, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, almonds, peanuts, cashews, Brazil nuts, pistachio nuts, pine nuts, peanut butter (and other nut butters), sesame seeds (and tahini), pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds. 

 Source from http://www.joybauer.com

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Nice Guys Win: Women Choose Altruism Over Looks

Forget the expression "nice guys finish last." A new study finds that men who are concerned for the well-being of others in place of themselves may have a better shot with women compared to men who are just good-looking. Researchers found that women reported men as being more attractive when the guys were paired with a scenario showing them doing something kind, generous or heroic, compared to men who were notable for their physical appeal. Altruism is the term for when someone acts in a way that is beneficial to others and not themselves. Scientists from the University of Worcester and the University of Sunderland, both in the United Kingdom, said they wanted to know if this trait has any impact on how women choose a partner. [5 Ways Relationships Are Good for Your Health] In the new study, the researchers analyzed what happened when two desirable characteristics, physical attractiveness and altruism, were investigated together, and whether women preferred one quality over t...

10 Steven Tyler Collaborations You Must Know

The flamboyant frontman for Aerosmith, one of America’s most successful rock bands (having sold more than 66.5 million units), Steven Tyler, the self-proclaimed “Daemon of Screamin’,” is best known for his impressive vocal chops, bluesy harmonica skills, and being one half of the “Toxic Twins” alongside bandmate Joe Perry. Stepping away from Aerosmith here and there, he’s recorded with many other artists throughout the decades, producing some popular as well as some more obscure collaboration. Here are ten worth visiting. 10 Steven Tyler Collaborations You Must Know – 10. Keith Anderson feat. Steven Tyler – “Three Chord Country and American Rock & Roll” Featured on Anderson’s 2005 debut album of the same name, Tyler appears on a remix version of this song. It was intended for release as a single but never came to light. Steven can be heard mostly singing along with Keith, howling here and there, and shining mostly toward the song’s end when he whips out the trusty harmonica for a f...

Cruciferous Vegetables: How Food Affects Health

Cruciferous Vegetables: How Food Affects Health Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and brussels sprouts are filling and full of nutrients that help keep you healthy! But if you have IBS, you may want to watch how much of them you eat! Cruciferous vegetables are a group of vegetables that are rich in fiber, vitamin C, and folate. Some of the vegetables in this class are also good sources of calcium, beta-carotene, and vitamin B6. Fiber is an important nutrient for weight loss and maintenance because it keeps you feeling full and helps control your hunger. Fiber can also lower cholesterol and blood pressure , and help to temper blood sugars by slowing the absorption of carbohydrates into your bloodstream after meals. This lowers your risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes Antioxidants in cruciferous vegetables like vitamin C may reduce your risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. Vitamin C helps the body make collagen, too; collagen is a major component of c...