Balancing Intake with Healthy Cooking Oils and Lifestyle Choices
Contrary to unfair criticism, fats are the most misunderstood element in health discussions. But don’t be misled; fats contribute real value. Fire the enemy: they just happen to be one of the foods that provide essential fatty acids, vitamins that will be absorbed by them, and energy for you.
Contribute to the Importance of Fats
Fats serve several important purposes in the body, including their action in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K), their provision of energy during the use of digestive enzymes in the body, and their structure and function in the latitude of cells. It further improves the essential fatty acids from diet for the brain’s well-being and promotes their use in growth and development, besides controlling its inflammation regulation.
Fats from Cooking Oils
Some may think that the cooking oil we use for frying and sautéing is merely a medium through which the process happens; however, it is an important part of the diet because different oils provide us with different types of fats. The following are some of the fats we obtain from oils when cooking: saturated fats, monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats, each of which has its health effects.
Monounsaturated fats, such as mustard oil, olive oil, peanut oil, and avocado oil, are generally heart-healthy, as they help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Thus, oils rich in monounsaturated fatty acids can decrease risk factors for heart disease by improving one of them: “bad” cholesterol levels (or LDL) are lowered while “good” (or HDL) cholesterol levels are raised. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are classified as polyunsaturated fats, which are essential fats that the body cannot produce on its own; found in flaxseed oil, walnut oil, fish oil, soybean oil, and sunflower oil, these fatty acids play critical roles in brain function and cell growth.
Soybean and sunflower oils contain a high amount of omega-6 fatty acids, which, when in proper balance with omega-3s, enhance brain function as well as maintain cellular health. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated deep-fried oils that are low in saturated fats will help sustain a diet. Guests should also consider the smoke point of oil to use it in a manner that retains its nutritional value. However, that should be below the level of saturated fat typically found in palm oil.
Beyond Diets: Here, exercise and portion control are all important factors
Having healthy fats in one’s diet must be accompanied by exercise and portion control as an overall approach to health and not just nutrition. Exercise is indeed as important as portion control.
- Regular exercise: complements a healthy diet from aerobics and strength training to flexibility exercises, with positive effects on heart health, increased stamina, stress relief, and weight management. Exercise does not just burn calories; it helps regulate appetite and improve metabolic health.
- Control Portion Size: It doesn’t matter how healthy a cooking oil is. Quantity fits into this definition of food. It is portion control that is critical in eating a balanced diet to prevent overeating from getting too much of everything without the right calories, fats, and nutrients from meals.