Our diet plays a major role in the health of our skin which brings me to the subject of fats – the good and the bad!
Knowing the difference between good fats and bad fats is essential.
One would think that the elimination all fats from our diets would be the solution but it’s not that simple. Fats form an important part of our diet. They provide essential fatty acids, keep our skin soft, deliver fat-soluble vitamins, and are a great source of fuel.
BAD FATS
Bad fats, or trans fats (saturated fats), appear in so many of the foods we consume: processed foods, cakes, biscuits, chocolate, ice cream, cheese and margarine, triggering Type 2 diabetes, certain cancers and heart disease.
Normally trans fats are not too much of a concern, especially if you are choosing low-fat dairy products and lean meats. The problem lies in artificial trans fats, used in frying, baked products, biscuits, snack foods etc.
GOOD FATS
Good fats (unsaturated fats) include polyunsaturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fats. Both, when consumed in moderation, and used to replace saturated or trans fats, can help lower cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease.
One type of polyunsaturated fat is Omega-3 fatty acids, and they have great benefits for heart health. Omega 3’s are found in fish (salmon, trout, mackeral) as well as flaxseed and walnuts.
Monounsaturated fats are a good source of Vitamin E. They can be found in olives and olive oil, avocado,
hazelnut, almonds, cashews, sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds.
THE ROLE OF OMEGA 3’s IN SKIN HEALTH
- Omega 3’s slow down the aging process, are anti-inflammatory, reducing inflammation under the skin’s surface.
- Wheat germ, safflower, sesame, almond, apricot kernel, and avocado oils are close in composition to the natural secretions of the skin. Most of them are also rich in linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid that aids in skin cell renewal.
- Coconut oil promotes clear skin as it is anti-viral and anti-fungal.
- Walnuts – a quarter cup of walnuts provides more than 100 percent of the daily recommended value of plant-based Omega 3 fats, along with high amounts of copper, manganese, molybdenum and biotin.
- Then of course there are brazil nuts, which I have spoken about in another article.
Good fats don’t just assist with controlling your weight, they also help to promote glowing healthy skin from the inside!
