The low fat cooking fad will be here to stay for years to come. Many experts agree that it is not the low fat cooking standards that are the problem, it is the actual ‘fat’.
For many people who have an interest in healthy eating, this comes as good news. The low fat cooking fad is helping thousands of people each year lose weight and learn about healthy eating.
The problem that many people have with low fat cooking is not really fat, it is too much fat.
The average person has consumed too much omega-6 fatty acids – another form of polyunsaturated fat – in their diet for years. In fact, the average person has been consuming 10 times as many omega-6s as omega-3s.
Before you switch over to low fat cooking, you should know that it is possible to eat too much omega-6 fat, just as it is possible to eat too much omega-3 fat.
The key difference is that too much omega-6 can lead to blood thins and too little omega-3 can lead to poor nerve function.
So, if you are a person who has been diagnosed with blood pressure problems, you are probably already eating omega-6 fat and you need to balance it out.
Your best bet is to reduce your omega-6 consumption to about 3 times what it is now, and switch to omega-3 fats. Here is a list of foods that contain omega-6 fats and foods that contain omega-3 fats.
Foods That Contain Omega-6 Fats
Fried Foods – This category should be ‘bogged down’ with foods like potato chips, corn, fake cold Cuts and pretzels. Even pretzels are not that good.
Sausages, Processed Meat – These all contain a lot of sodium, which can lead to high blood pressure problems.
Gravy, Hot Dogs, ham, cold Cuts – This can also lead to high blood pressure problems.
Doughnuts, Cheeses, Butter, Peanut Butter – All contain a lot of sodium, which can lead to high blood pressure problems.
With those foods that contain too much omega-6 fat and not enough omega-3 fat, you are going to want to cut back on how much you consume.
How can you do that?
You need to pay attention to the type of omega-6s you are eating. There are two types, one is omega-6 found in red meat and another is omega-3 found in soybean, canola, etc.
Note that you don’t need to make a huge change in your diet – just a change of about 20 – 25%. If you eat fish, focus on the type that contains roughly one third omega-3 and one half omega-6 – the fish type and the vegetable type. If you are aware of the advantages of omega-3 fats, then it is probably better to stay with the fish type.
If you struggle a bit with the vegetarian type, you can supplement your diet with a good omega-3 fish oil pill – but make sure you are still getting an adequate amount of omega-3 fats. If you struggle a lot with this part of it, then it may be better to try to get a good omega-3 pill that contains both types.
If you are on a diet that includes eggs and other animal products, you will also want to supplement with omega-3 fatty acids, but again, make sure you are getting a balance between the animal and plant products. There are some vegetarian omega-3 pills that are available, but you will need to adjust your dosage for the plant version.
If you are on a daily exercise program, you will definitely need to supplement with carbohydrates. You will most likely need to have the good types of carbs in your diet.
Exercise and Carbs
In the past, people used to try to restrict themselves when it came to carbs, but this can lead to problems.
One of these problems is that your body will go through ketosis, which means that certain cells in your body will have been starved of their carbohydrates for a long time. When these people are Finally starving themselves, they will have lots of lactic acid in their muscles, and when this happens, they can become sore and tender in a couple of days.
Even for a sore and tender body, it is not something that you want to experience, right?
Luckily, there are no major side effects to this kind of diet. However, you will want to make sure that you accompany this type of diet with a good dose of exercise.
Exercise and Lifestyle
The best way to stay healthy is to combine your health and fitness routine with a steady and consistent dose of exercise.
