Fit or fat? The good news? If you haven’t noticed by now, you can be BOTH! If you’re already on board the healthy fats train, you know just how easy it is to have your abs and eat your fat, too.

If you’re wondering what all of the hype is about, we’re glad you’re checking in! Because at Dr. Gena Chiropractic in Plantation, we’re all about keeping you in-the-know, healthy, and feeling good – from the inside out.

Monounsaturated fats are the healthy fats that we’re talking about. They’re most commonly found in olive oil, avocados and certain nuts. In fact, the evidence shows that monounsaturated fats have a number of health benefits including:

• Weight Loss
• Reduced Risk of Heart Disease
• Decreased Inflammation

According to this Harvard Medical School article, “The discovery that monounsaturated fat could be healthful came from the Seven Countries Study during the 1960s. It revealed that people in Greece and other parts of the Mediterranean region enjoyed a low rate of heart disease despite a high-fat diet. The main fat in their diet, though, was not the saturated animal fat common in countries with higher rates of heart disease. It was olive oil, which contains mainly monounsaturated fat. This finding produced a surge of interest in olive oil and the "Mediterranean diet," a style of eating regarded as a healthful choice today.”

Aside from the Mediterranean diet which has been popular for years now, is one that focuses on fats and fats alone. This current high-fat diet trend is the KETO diet. Unless you live under a rock, you’ve likely heard of this fat-fueled craze. No, KETO does not stand for ‘keep eating take out.’

KETO is the shortened word for Ketosis, which describes a condition where fat stores are broken down to produce energy, which also produces ketones, a type of acid.

And then weight loss happens.

But none of this can be done without, you guessed it – FAT.

Before you go diving into the good stuff, it’s important to understand that you do not need to follow a diet trend for healthy fats to benefit your life. You simply need to understand the difference between good and bad fats and incorporate what’s going to benefit your body in reasonable amounts.

The bad fats, are the trans fats. These are to your health what a red crayon in a toddler’s hand is to a white couch. They are known as the “worst” type of dietary fat and are most commonly found in fried and processed foods, cookies, pastries, deli meats, and any food where hydrogenated vegetable oil is a key player.

Also reported by the Harvard Medical School website is the fact that “eating foods rich in trans fats increases the amount of harmful LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream and reduces the amount of beneficial HDL cholesterol. Trans fats create inflammation, which is linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other chronic conditions.”

Wondering about the healthy fats Dr. Gena incorporates into her daily life? Below, she is sharing her favorites – so take note!

Omega 3’s & DHA

“Omega 3's and DHA are essential to our health and has many protective benefits to the brain and plays an anti-inflammatory role,” Dr. Gena says. According to popular health website, Mercola, Krill oil is the new fish oil, boasting more benefits. “Krill has the identical fats as fish oil but is a far higher quality source due to astaxanthin protecting the perishable fats, and the phospholipids that massively increase the absorption of the fats.”

Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT)

MCT oil is most commonly used by people looking to lose weight or boost their energy and endurance during a workout. This dietary supplement can be found as a pill, in coconut oil, and even in some dairy products.

“One great way to get your daily dose of MCT’s is by adding Kerrygold butter, or coconut oil to your morning coffee to make it Bulletproof to reap the benefits,” Dr. Gena says – and we agree!

Healthy Fat Foods

Hey, if you’re going to eat – may as well eat what will best benefits your body right? Some of Dr. Gena’s healthy-fat foods favorites include:

Wild Salmon

Avocados

Walnuts

Whole Eggs

Chia Seeds (Great to add to salads and smoothies)

Dark Chocolate

For more information about healthy fats and your health, visit Dr. Gena Chiropractic, a leading family chiropractor just west of Fort Lauderdale, today!

Your health is in your hands, but our hands are here to help.