<div><em>There are different kinds of fats, and the human body needs the uncooked fat and not the cooked one, <strong>Rachna Chhachhi</strong> explains</em></div><div> </div><div>Yes, you read it right. We need fats. We need fats for healthy brain and thyroid functioning and regulation of hormones, to control our mood swings, to lose weight, for a good skin, improved eye health, for absorption of fat soluble vitamins like vitamin A, D, E that ensure that we have a good immunity to fight off infections and diseases, and to lubricate our joints.</div><div> </div><div>But fat also makes us fat, clogs our arteries, gives us cholesterol, makes us lazy, hungry and cranky, makes us crave. Confused? Don’t be. There are different kinds of fats, and the human body needs the uncooked fat and not the cooked one. So how can you incorporate fats into your foods, and get the healthy benefits without gaining weight and getting heart disease?</div><div> </div><div>Use minimal oil in cooking. You don’t need fat that becomes carcinogenic on heating. Use an oil with a high flame point like canola, sunflower or mustard for all your cooking. This will ensure that the fat you cook with doesn’t get cancerous. Oils with low flame points get carcinogenic when heated at high temperature. Use as less as possible.</div><div> </div><div><strong>Start the cold pressed oils.</strong> Extra virgin olive oil, flaxseed oil, evening primrose oil and virgin coconut oil are meant to be consumed without heating. Use them instead of butter for bread spreads, make dips with them, pour them on raw salads, and you will get the benefits of good fats that make you calm, increase your good cholesterol, burns bad fat and aids absorption of vitamins and minerals from food.</div><div> </div><div><strong>Eat your nuts. </strong>I couldn’t emphasise this more. Eating nuts (except cashews) has been documented to raise cognitive memory, hence warding off the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia. As working professionals, eating nuts in small quantities helps keep our brains sharp at work. A pretty good reason to keep a jar in the office for snack time, instead of the samosa!</div><div> </div><div><strong>Replace the carbs.</strong> Eating good fats means that you are satiated faster, making your carbohydrate consumption lower, and hence your blood sugar better is regulated. This means that you are lowering internal inflammation, keeping diabetes at bay by reducing insulin sensitivity and raising your BMR.</div><div> </div><div><strong>Choose oily fish.</strong> Tuna, sardines, salmon, mackerel, rawas, betki are all full of good fats. Have thrice a week for best benefits.</div><div>Eat eggs. The age-old myth about eggs being high in cholesterol can be junked for sure. Eggs are the healthiest way to lose weight, stay energetic, stay happy. Two eggs thrice a week keep our haemoglobin up, our energy high, our hairfall less and our skins glowing.</div><div> </div><div><strong>Follow the 70-30 rule.</strong> Thirty per cent of your calories should come from the above good fats, and 70 per cent from proteins, carbohydrates and raw fibre. This means that if you’re eating 2,000 calories in a day, 600 calories should come from good fats: which means 6 eggs a week (100 calories per egg), one tablespoon of good oils (150 calories), a handful of nuts a day (250 calories)and a portion of fish thrice a week (200 calories per portion), all averaging to 600 calories a day. This means the fat from your cooked food should be minimal.</div><div> </div><div>Do all the above, and see your relaxed, healthier, leaner side emerge.</div><div> </div><div><div><strong>Question Of The Fortnight</strong></div><div> </div><div>Send in your questions to askrachnachhachhi@gmail.com</div><div> </div><div>I am a vegetarian. How can I incorporate fish oil in my diet? If I take pills, how should I eat them?</div><div> </div><div>— Sanjeev Jain, Noida</div><div> </div><div>Dear Sanjeev, You can take omega-3 fish oil capsules (1,000 mg) that contain EPA & DHA (check the label), and combine these with a fruit like apple or papaya for better absorption.</div></div><div> </div><div><em>The author is a certified nutritional therapist and WHO certified in nutrition. She is the writer of Restore, a book on how to fight diseases for working professionals. Order your copy from amazon.in</em></div><div> </div><div>(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 24-08-2015)</div>
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