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Here is more information regarding the different types of fats. Fats are almost like the "building blocks" of nutrition, but be aware of how much and which types of fat you are ingesting. If you make your own fat based condiments such as mayonnaise then you're better off. If you buy commerically produced mayonnaise, take a care of what types of oils are being used to produce it.

FACTS ABOUT FATS

All fats have the same amount of calories, but their chemical compositions vary. Fats are made of chains of carbon and hydrogen atoms. The saturation refers to whether all the available spaces on the carbon atoms are bonded to hydrogen atoms, or if there are any hydrogen atoms missing. The three forms of fat found in nature are:
  • Saturated Fats These fats have all of their carbon atoms filled with or saturated with hydrogen. Saturated fat is primarily found in high fat cuts of meat, poultry with the skin, whole and 2 percent dairy products, butter, cheese, and tropical oils: coconut, palm, and palm kernel. An eating plan high in saturated fat can cause a person's bad cholesterol (LDL) to rise. The risk of developing certain types of cancer may be associated with a high intake of saturated fat.

    Monounsaturated Fats These fats have one space missing a hydrogen atom, instead containing a double bond between carbon atoms. Monounsaturated fat is found in olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, and in most nuts and nut butters. This type of fat does not cause cholesterol to increase. When a person substitutes monounsaturated fat for saturated fat, it helps to lower the bad cholesterol, and protects the good cholesterol (HDL) from going down.

    Polyunsaturated Fats These fats have more than one space missing in the carbon chain, and contain more than one double bond as a result. Two major categories of polyunsaturated fats are Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-3 means there is a double bond in the third space from the end of the carbon chain. These fats are extremely healthful in that they protect against sudden death from heart attack. They also can help a person lower his or her triglycerides. Omega-3s are used by the body to produce hormone-like substances with anti-inflammatory effects. The best sources of Omega-3s are fatty fish, such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, and rainbow trout, among others. Canola oil, walnuts, and flaxseed also contain some. Omega-6 fats have a double bond in the sixth space from the end of the carbon chain. These fats are found in oils such as corn, soybean, cottonseed, sunflower, and safflower. Omega-6 fatty acids are incorporated into hormone-like substances that promote inflammation. If one replaces saturated fats with Omega-6 fats, their total, bad, and good cholesterol levels may go down. Many health experts suggest that the ratio of Omega 6:Omega 3 fatty acids needs to be 4:1 for optimal health. (Most Americans get 14 - 20:1 — a lot more than needed!) Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats are not listed separately on the food label.
The other type of fat that is found in food, but isn't natural, is:

  • Hydrogenated Fats (also known as Trans-Fats)
    These are manufactured fats. They occur when hydrogen is added to a polyunsaturated fat to make it a solid at room temperature. However, instead of having the qualities of a polyunsaturated fat, it takes on the traits of a saturated fat. Hydrogenated fats are found in many brands of margarine, and in vegetable shortening. A clue in determining a less healthy fat is when it is hard at room temperature; for example, stick margarine has more trans-fats than softer tub margarine. Now some companies are making "trans-fat" free margarine products. Beware of snack items, such as crackers, cookies, and chips — many contain hydrogenated fats because they allow for a longer shelf life than butter or other fats would. Currently, hydrogenated or trans fats are not listed separately in the Nutrition Facts section of the food label. You need to read the ingredient section to find them.

Although too much can have negative results, fats are certainly required for good health. The positives — fats:
  • carry flavors
  • impart desirable textures — smooth, creamy, and crispy, to name a few
  • give us a sense of fullness and satisfy hunger
  • are needed to absorb certain vitamins and plant chemicals
  • can contribute to one's enjoyment of food
However, the calories in fat can add up fast, since they are more concentrated than in protein or carbohydrate. The effects of too much saturated fat in some people result in negative health consequences, as outlined above. The secret is not to stay to one extreme or another, but try to be flexible in one's fat intake. What does that mean? Balance your meals and snacks. If you find you have a high fat meal (especially saturated fat), make the next one lower in fat. Or, if you choose a higher fat food, complement it with a lower fat one.
 
Vegetable Stew...

Here is my vegetable meal... Very easy to prepare and cook...

---------
3 onions(ms)
7-8 green peppers
3 potatoes(ms)
3 aubergines(ms)
3 tomatoes(ms)
2-3 tbsp oil
1/3 cup water
ms: medium size

Slice onions, potatoes,and tomatoes about 1/4 inch tickness... Divide aubergines into 4 or 6 pieces vertical and horizontal....
Settling into Pot...

Some vegetables cook eaiser and quicker than others...So we have to put slower one in bottom of the pot first...
So..
Firstly we put all the onion slices bottom..
Then green peppers
Potatoes
Aubergines
Tomatoes go to top of the pot...

Then pour the oil by spreading equally..Add salt and water... Let it boil by medium heat. After boiling, reduce the heat to low... Cook for 25-30 minutes...
You can add various flavours as you like...

:chef:
 
IronChef--

Fantastic post about fats. Also, I think its worth adding that an excess of fat+carbohydrate meals is often a very poor choice. This combination makes fat storage easier than it would be under a wider or more specific combination.

Either way, its good that others realize the BENEFITS of fat. Having lived through the no-fat revolution I've found that people are drawn to this idea of "fat makes me fat" when truly its just symantics. Fats themselves don't make you fat, in fact eating about 20% fats is a good idea to burn off fat from your body!

Good sources of fat include: flaxseed oils, salmon, natural peanut butter, almonds and other nuts, olive oil to some degree, fish oil, and Udo's Oil if anyone knows what that is...
 
This is one of my favorite recipes and also can be cooked on the grill if you don't want to use the oven.

Asian Foil-Wrapped Chicken


3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
4 (5oz) chicken breast halves
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and sliced ½-inch thick
½ lb. snow peas
½ cup sliced water chestnuts
2 scallions, chopped
2 cups hot cooked rice

Preheat oven to 500º. Spray four 12-inch square sheets of foil with nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic. Place 1 chicken breast half on each foil square and fold edges up but not over the chicken. Scatter red pepper strips, snow peas, water chestnuts, and scallions evenly over each 4 chicken breasts. Spoon equal amounts of the soy sauce mixture over the vegetables. Fold the foil over the chicken and roll edges up tightly to seal. Place the foil packets on baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. Check for doneness by opening one of the foil packets to see if the chicken is firm and juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife. Serve with rice.
 
These are absolutely wonderful - they are even better two days later when the flavors have really blended together.

Wild Alaska Salmon Burgers

1 14.75-ounce can of Alaskan Wild Salmon (drained with vertebra removed)
3 scallions, minced
1 TBS peeled fresh ginger, minced
1 large egg white
1 TBS soy sauce
1 TBS olive oil
1 1/2 cups baby greens

Stir salmon, scallions and ginger until well blended. Beat together the egg white and soy sauce then stir into salmon mixture.

Make 3 one-half inch thick patties. Cook in olive oil turning only once – total cooking time about 6-7 minutes.


When I made them I didn't have any baby greens so I steamed some fresh whole green beans until tender then added a bit of olive oil, tad bit of Smart Beat, kosher salt, and a lot of dill weed.


These were really good doused with Chilula hot sauce. And talk about an inexpensive meal too. But the key is to get the Wild Alaska Salmon.


I think I may dress the baby greens (when I make it again) in some hot sauce with fresh squeezed lemon? Something simple but tasty!
 
Very healthy, but you wouldn't think so.

Whole Wheat spaghetti noodles, cooked al dente, drained and splashed with EVOO.

Sauce:
1 12oz. can diced tomato
2 fresh roma tomatoes, diced
1 12 oz. can tomato sauce
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1/2 yellow cooking onion, quartered and divided
1/2 bell pepper, diced
dash of red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried sweet basil
1/8 tsp. ground rosemary
1/4 tsp. ground thyme
1 lb. lean ground beef.

Get the sauce working buy sweating the onion and garlic in 2 tbs. EVOO. Add the diced tomatoes, both canned and fresh. Let simmer for about 5 mintues. Add the peppers and herbs. Cook and additional 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and paste. Cover and simmer for thirty minutes.

While the suace it cooking, place the ground beef into a heavy frying pan. Sprinkle on the salt. Cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Remove the cover and break up the meat with a spatula. Stir and cover again. Let cook 5 more minutes. Remove the cover and stir. The meat should be cooked through by this time. Pour the meat into a collander or wire mesh sieve to drain.

Collect the relsultant broth and place in the refridgerator. In will make a fat-free broth for another meal. Just take the hardened fat off the top when ready to use.

Rinse the cooked ground beef under very hot water to remove the remaining fat. Return to the frying pan and brown. Add to the spaghetti sauce. Serve over the whole wheat noodles. Srinkle with just a little freshly grated Parmisano Reggiano cheese. Remember, the stronger the cheese, the less you need to use.

Serve with a spinach salad and some raspberry vinagerette dressing.

You don't have to eat boring to eat healthy. :mrgreen:
This is just one of a hundred recipes that people think are unhealthy, or fattening, that with small modifications can be made extremely healthy and desicious.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
 
I'm a snacker...

During the summer I have a harder time sitting down to make/eat an actual meal (unless it's something grilled, then you gotta have your grilled corn and veggies on the side with grilled peaches....ahhhh) so I snack a lot. On a day where I have a little extra time (which isn't very often) I'll make my own pasta and herbed ricotta cheese (I know ricotta isn't the healthiest stuff, but moderation people!) and make ravioli that I can munch on throughout the week. I also like things I can dip my fresh bread in. I'm an herbologist and I love healthy herb dips! Some of the recipes are quite odd so I won't take the time to post them unless requested, then I will be more than happy!

*Note - I submitted this post yesterday but it doesn't show it as a new post, not really sure why... Doesn't even show up in my CP!
 
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Hmmm, still not showing my last post as most recent or in my CP! Anyway, if anybody would like the aboe mentioned recipes, let me know and I'll post them...
 
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