Healthy Fats Can Help with Weight Management

For a long time, health experts recommended following a low-fat diet for weight management and disease prevention. But this approach has been refuted by the Journal of the American Medical Association and many other studies in the past decade.

In fact, some fats (healthy fats or unsaturated fats), can be good for you and important to your diet. But take a closer look at the typical American diet, and you’ll find that most people consume far more unhealthy fats, than healthy ones. French fries, whole milk, desserts, cereals, pastas, breads, and foods made from highly processed grains, etc.

When you eat this way, you’re getting a lot more omega-6 fatty acids in your diet than the healthier omega-3 fatty acids (not to mention empty calories). And an excessive amount of omega-6 fatty acids can lead to weight gain, inflammation, and a long list of chronic diseases, according to a recent article published in the journal Open Heart.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Simple changes to your food choices can add more omega-3 fatty acids to your diet that support weight management, and help reduce the risk for chronic diseases like obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.

Your body actually needs the health benefits of both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. But most people actually get far more omega-6 fatty acids in their diet than omega-3 fatty acids. And the ration should actually be reversed for best health, says researchers Dr. James DiNicolantonio and Dr. Artemis Simopoulos.

“The time has come to return the omega-3 fatty acids in the food supply and decrease the omega-6 fatty acids by changing the cooking oils and eating less meat and more fish,” the researchers said.

It’s no secret that counting calories and getting regular exercise is a good way to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. But making sure you’re eating foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids can help, too. Some foods high in omega-3 fatty acids include fish, walnuts, oysters, soybeans, and even spinach. Try the Breaded Fish & Alfredo Spinach Sauce & Sweet Potatoes & Cauliflower, Salmon Caponata with Orzo & Spinach, and other healthy foods made from fresh ingredients on the Portion Control menu.