Not All FATS Are Created Equal

There's been a lot out there about the wonderous beauty of fats. Omega-3's have taken center stage, and it made me think about balancing food intake. In the Zone Diet, you calculate "blocks" of food focusing on macronutrients of protein, carbohydrate, and fat. While they do mention variety, I have heard of some individuals who will eat the exact same meal to keep things simple and from getting over-complicated. That's all fine and good if you want to make sure you're getting the appropriate 3-block meal. But if you don't have variety, you could be doing MUCH more damage than you realize.

I am amazed at the body's physiological response to certain fats. I could write a very long and drawn out essay, but to keep you readers from wanting to stab out our eyeballs with a toothpick, I'm going to keep this short and sweet. I made a chart to clarify fats, their sources, and benefits. Bottom line, go with variety throughout the week. Make sure you don't just rely on an avocado with nuts to get fat. You'll be depriving your noggin' some seriously needed nutrients.

Try to keep a 1:1 ratio on the Omega-3's to Omega-6 sources. Another point to keep in mind is that some sources are composed of several types of fat. For example, Spirulina is rich in gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), and also provides alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), linoleic acid (LA), stearidonic acid (SDA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and arachidonic acid (AA).

This is not the most comprehensive list of all time, but it will at least get you started.



TYPE NAME WHERE TO GET IT WHAT IT DOES

SATURATED FAT WILL INCREASE LDL, BUT NOT A PROBLEM IF YOU EAT TRACE OR NO CARBOHYDRATES

LAURIC ACID - COCONUT, PALM OIL - REDUCE/HEAL GUT IRRITATION. ANTI-VIRAL

PALMITIC ACID - PALM OIL, EGGS, BEEF, POULTRY, SEAFOOD- MEMORY AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION

STEARIC ACID - MEAT, EGGS, CHOCOLATE- INCREASES HDL LEVELS


MONOUNSATURATED FAT

OLEIC ACID - AVOCADO, OLIVE OIL, NUTS- IMPROVE INSULIN SENSITIVITY, PREVENT OXIDATIVE DAMAGE TO CELLS


POLYUNSATURATED FAT

OMEGA-3'S - CRITICAL TO BRAIN DEVELOPMENT AND COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS, ANTI-TUMOR, ANTI-INFLAMMATORY

ALA (ALPHA-LINOLENIC ACID) - FLAX, HEMP, CHIA, WALNUTS, ETC - KEEP YOU ALIVE, BUT WILL NOT THRIVE (CAN CONVERT TO DHA, BUT IS INEFFICIENT AND LIMITED)

EPA (EICOSAPENTAENOIC ACID) - COD, HERRING, MACKEREL, SALMON, MENHADEN, SARDINES, FISH OIL- ANTI-INFLAMMATORY, MENTAL WELLNESS

DHA (DOCOSAHEXAENOIC ACID) - ALGEA (SEAWEED), COLD-WATER FISH (SALMON, SARDINES, TUNA), FISH OIL, EGG YOLK - COGNITIVE FUNCTION



OMEGA 6's

LA (LINOLEIC ACID) - VEGETABLE OILS, SAFFLOWER, SUNFLOWER - PRO-INFLAMMATORY, CAN BLOCK EPA AND DHA

GLA (GAMMA LINOLENIC ACID) - BORAGE, PRIM-ROSE, HEMP OIL- ANTI-INFLAMMATORY

DGLA (DIHOMO-GAMMA-LINOLENIC ACID) - CONVERTED FROM GLA- REGULATION OF IMMUNE FUNCTION, INFLAMMATION, AND PAIN

AA (ARACHIDONIC ACID) - ANIMAL PRODUCTS (EGG YOLK) - MUSCLE REPAIR, ADAPTATION, METABOLIC FUNCTIONS, BUT CAN BE TOXIC IN EXCESS



I have this same information on a very pretty excel spreadsheet. If you want me to send to you in a chart form, send me a message.