Recent studies and articles have shown that the when it comes to optimum health and fitness, fat is no longer the enemy.
Good fats provide the body with a great source of fuel, many essential nutrients, and help you to feel fuller for longer. And although many have avoided fat for years in an effort to lose weight, when used correctly and in the right quantities, they can actually stimulate fat burning and weight loss. But which are the good fats? To make sure we are adding the right kinds of fats and oils to our diets, StyleNest spoke to UnoCardio for their top eight healthy fats and oils.
- Olive Oil – olive oil has long been praised for its health giving properties. It is particularly good for promoting optimal cardiovascular function, maintaining good blood flow and bettering cognitive function. Try it drizzled over summer salads for an easy and tasty way to incorporate it into your daily diet.
- Coconut Oil – one of the newest ‘superfoods’, coconut oil is a great choice for those looking to lose or maintain their weight. The fatty acids in coconut oil have been shown to speed up overall metabolism, helping people expend more energy compared with long-chain fats. It can also improve common skin disorders, and is beauty secret of many top models, who not only add it to their daily green smoothie but also use it on their skin, hair, and nails. With a subtle and delicious coconut flavour, it’s a great choice for cooking.
- Borage Oil – borage oil is often used as an anti-inflammatory support for a number of conditions including eczema, psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis. It can be hard to find, so we recommend taking it in supplement format. Try B – Hada, which combines high quality borage oil with fish oils.
- Hemp Seed Oil – named nature’s perfect food due to its balanced concentrations of omega fatty acids 3, 6 and 9, hemp seed oil can help support heart health and promote proper cardiovascular faction. It can also do wonders for your beauty regime, with people who regularly use and consume hemp oil reporting thicker and shinier hair, softer skin and stronger nails.
- Flax Seed Oil – this oil contains one of the highest concentration of Omega 3 fatty acids, essential for optimum health, and the right amount of consumption has been show to improve cardiovascular health, as well as exhibiting chemopreventative effects against colon tumour developments.
- Pumpkin Seed Oil – this oil has great benefits for both men and women. Research has found that pumpkin seed oil can significantly help improve prostate health in men due to its richness in zinc, and also help to decrease menopausal symptoms such as blood pressure, hot flushes, and headaches in women.
- Avocado Oil – we all know that avocados are great for our health, not to mention how great they taste, but the oil also has many health giving properties. Thanks to its nourishing, moisturising and protective fats, avocado oil works wonders on improving skin conditions, and its high levels of antioxidants, such as Vitamin E, help to give skin a boost and keep it soft and smooth.
- Omega 3 Fish Oil – arguably the best type of fat, the fat produced by oily fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines and anchovies) contains the highest concentrations of Omega 3 fatty acids, proven to make a positive difference to both heart and brain health, as well as improving the skeletal system. Not everyone finds it easy to consume the amount of fish needed to reap the benefits of Omega 3, so here at StyleNest we recommend taking your fish oils in supplement form with UnoCardio 1000, recently named the highest quality fish oil on the market.