Facts for a healthier diet

Have you experienced days when you just can’t seem to muster the energy you need to get through your day? Do you find your child complaining of not having enough energy to complete a task? Have you ever stopped to wonder why? Well, one reason can be unhealthy diet. After all, we are what we eat right? This means that amongst other things the food we eat is also responsible for how good we look and feel. Therefore, it is imperative that we all know what foods are good for us and what are bad.

Fat makes our food palatable and tasty and is an important part of our diet, not only because it delivers the energy our body needs of r optimal functioning, but also because it serves as a carrier for fat soluble micronutrients (e.g. vitamins). Fats also play a vital role in maintaining healthy skin and hair, insulating body organs against shock, maintaining body temperature, and promoting healthy cell function.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that 30 percent of calories should come from fats. Furthermore, two-third of these fats should be good fats, whereas the remaining one third can some from saturated fats. Unsaturated fats are referred to as ‘good fats’ and can be found in vegetable oils like repressed oil, sunflower seed oil, walnut oil, almond oil, soybean oil and olive oil and products made thereof like soft margarines and salad dressings. Certain food items containing good fats are usually high in Omega 3 and Omega 6 Essential fatty acids (EFAs). These fats are known as essential fats because they cannot be produced by our body and need to be derived from our diet.

Continue>>