Healthy Oils for Diet

Fats and oils have their place in a balanced diet. Good fats can help lower cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and your risk of death from heart disease. Most of us know to avoid saturated and trans fats in favour of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, but the truth is that where theres fat, theres different fats. Its about the balance between good and bad; the fewer processed foods you eat, the more successfully youll avoid hidden horrors. In the hunt for healthy oils, all youre really looking for is as much fresh food as possible. s part of that varied, balanced, unadulterated diet, youll find good oils are naturally present and!or can be naturally e"tracted.

Olive oil
#$live oil has been around for about %,&&& years,' says (eandro )avetti, *hief $il Maker of the award+winning *obram ,state ,"tra -irgin $live $ils. #.echnically speaking, it was only possible to produce olive oil /,&&& years before the birth of *hrist because it occurs naturally in the flesh of the olive.' 0o many oils, so many claims, but its hard to top that back+story. *an anyone beat the ancient oil thats s1uee2ed straight from the fruit3 .oday, the ,"tra -irgin $live $il label is significant4 it purports purity and 1uality. .o ma"imise its beneficial properties, )avetti also recommends, #oil that doesnt travel far from production to your table, comes in dark glass and provides a harvest date.'

Fish
$ily fish is high in $mega+5, an essential fatty acid 6,F 7 that helps raise good cholesterol and lower the bad. .he 8ational 9eart Foundation of ustralia recommends tlantic and ustralian salmon, blue+eye trevalla, blue mackerel, gemfish, canned sardines, canned salmon, some varieties of canned tuna 6look for specific $mega+5 claims7, barramundi, bream and flathead, scallops and mussels.

Nuts
$ily nuts are a rich source of monounsaturated fats, in particular pine nuts, ha2elnuts, almonds, cashews, macadamias, pecans and pistachios.

Seeds
:se sesame seeds to make your own .ahini. Mi" ground sesame seeds with e"tra virgin olive oil and youre halfway to a healthy, homemade hommus. 0eeds are widely used in a variety of polyunsaturated cooking oils, including canola, sunflower and sesame.

Avocados
vocado is full of good fat, making an e"cellent alternative spread to margarine and butter. .he ma;ority of avocado fat is the healthy kind4 <&= monounsaturated and >/= polyunsaturated. lways consult your doctor and!or an accredited practising dietitian about your overall dietary health.