Cebu Province - For years, we've been told that eating fat will expand your waistline, elevate your cholesterol, and create a slew of health issues, but this isn't totally accurate. Being a Pinoy means eating delicious and often fatty cuisine, but fear not: we'll address this issue by learning about local sources of healthy fats.

Fat is a nutrient, and your body requires it for energy, vitamin absorption, and to preserve your heart and brain health, much like protein and carbohydrates. But we now know that not all fat is created equal. It's more important to focus on eating beneficial "good" fats and avoiding detrimental "bad" fats rather than following a low-fat diet.

Fat is an essential component of a balanced diet. Choose foods that are high in "good" unsaturated fats, limit meals that are high in saturated fat, and avoid foods that are high in "bad" trans-fat.

"Bad" fats, such as artificial trans fats and saturated fats, are responsible for the same health problems that all fats have been linked to weight gain, clogged arteries, a higher risk of certain diseases, and so on. Unsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids, on the other hand, have the opposite impact.

Healthy fats, in fact, can help you manage your moods, stay on top of your mental game, combat fatigue, and even keep your weight under control.

Unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are classified as "good fats" because they are beneficial to your heart, cholesterol, and overall health. These fats can aid in the following processes: Reduce your blood pressure, prevent (hardening and narrowing of the arteries), improve blood cholesterol levels, reduce inflammation, stabilize heart rhythms, and perform a variety of other functions.

Plant-based foods, such as vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds, contain many unsaturated fats.

There are two types of “good” unsaturated fats:

• Monounsaturated fats are found in:
• Olive, peanut, and canola oils
• Avocados
• Nuts
• Seeds (pumpkin and sesame seeds)
• Polyunsaturated fats are found in:
• Sunflower, corn, soybean, and flaxseed oils
• Walnuts
• Flax seeds
• Canola oil
• Fish

Omega-3 fats are an important type of polyunsaturated fat. The body can’t make these, so they must come from food. An excellent way to get omega-3 fats is by eating fish 2-3 times a week.

These are some of the local sources of Omega- 3 fatty Acid: Anchovies (dilis), Herring (tamban), Salmon, Mackerel (bodboron), Sardines, Trout, Tuna, Mussels (tahong), Oysters (talaba), Halibut. Good plant sources of omega-3 fats include flax seeds, walnuts, and canola or soybean oil.

Focus on a well-balanced diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and protein from a range of sources, including legumes, nuts, low-fat dairy and substitutes, lean meats, and fish. Limit your intake of highly processed foods. Instead of focusing on fat alone, consider the overall picture. Reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet by minimizing highly processed meals. // ND II Bea Margaux E. Cornelia, RND

References:

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/choosing-healthy-fats.htm

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fats-and-cholesterol/