Sources Of Healthy Fats

Posted by Coach Todd on Jan 7, 2014 in Nutrition | 1 comment

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I have been getting a lot of questions lately about sources of healthy fats. I am not surprised though. With the release of P90X3 and the new P90X3 nutrition plan that calls for a lower protein intake and a higher carb/fat intake than we are used to seeing with the other P90X programs…I can see why the question is popping up more frequently.

I am currently on Day-9 of my own P90X3 journey and I’m lovin it! I am taking in 2400 calories per day at a 30/40/30 macronutrient ratio of proteins/carbs/fats and I lost 3% body fat in the first 6 days. It blew me away that in just 30 minutes per day of working out, eating MORE than I have in times past when trying to lose weight…that I was able to drop my body fat down that much in such a short amount of time. That pace will taper off once I start getting into single digit body fat percentages again, but none the less…I think a huge part of it has to do with the X3 nutrition plan. The higher fats sort of scared be, but I trusted the science and had to start looking for sources of healthy fats myself.

…So here is what I want to do. I want to show you what I personally use on a day to day basis to hit my fat intake with sources of healthy fats. And thats key! Its easy to hit your fat targets when you take a trip to Carl’s Jr or Burger King! Its a whole other story when you want those fats to work FOR you rather than against you though. So lets take a look at the sources of healthy fats that I enjoy most!

Sources of Healthy Fats

I will reference a few key articles where you can learn more about each of these fatty food sources!

#1 – Almonds

A high-fat food that’s good for your health? That’s not an oxymoron, its almonds. Almonds are high in monounsaturated fats, the same type of health-promoting fats as are found in olive oil, which have been associated with reduced risk of heart disease. Five large human epidemiological studies, including the Nurses Health Study, the Iowa Health Study, the Adventist Health Study and the Physicians Health Study, all found that nut consumption is linked to a lower risk for heart disease. Researchers who studied data from the Nurses Health Study estimated that substituting nuts for an equivalent amount of carbohydrate in an average diet resulted in a 30% reduction in heart disease risk. Researchers calculated even more impressive risk reduction—45%—when fat from nuts was substituted for saturated fats (found primarily found in meat and dairy products).

#2 – Olive Oil

I usually cook with olive oil rather than butter and all of my salad dressings are olive oil based, like balsamic vinaigrette.

Maria-Isabel Covas, at the Parc de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona, Spain, carried out an extensive review of studies that had focused on the biological and clinical effects of olive oil. The study was published in the journal Pharmacological Research. The study found that people who regularly consume olive oil are much less likely to develop cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension (high blood pressure), stroke, and hyperlipidemia (high blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels). Covas also found that regular olive oil intake helps reduce inflammation, endothelial dysfunction (problems with the inner linings of blood vessels), thrombosis and carbohydrate metabolism.

#3 – Nut Butters

Natural nut butters have the same health benefits of most healthy sources of fat: reduced risk of heart disease, less likely to develop high blood pressure, stroke, and high cholesterol…all things you dont want to hear your doctor tell you that you have, lol.

When you get nut butters though which can include peanut butter, almond butter, walnut butter, etc…you want to be sure that you get NATURAL nut butters. Its the stuff you have to stir the oil into usually. I know people hate that, but just stir it up once and keep it in the fridge and it will stay mixed and soft! What you are avoiding when you by the natural stuff is all the nasty hydrogenated oils. You can read more about The Danger of Hydrogenated or Partially Hydrogenated Fats << click here. Also, try to get the “no salt added” version as well. The more natural the better!

#4 – Avocados

Avocados are amazing!! One single avocado provides contains vitamins A, C, E, K and B6, along with an enormous dose of potassium and “healthy” fat. The coolest benefit of avocados is that by adding avocado to certain foods, you can improve your absorption of nutrients. Here is what I mean… When you combine other fat burning foods with avocado, you can improve your nutrient absorption up to 400%! It really is a miracle food.

#5 – Fish

Fish is a good source of protein and, unlike fatty meat products, it’s not high in saturated fat. Fish is also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids benefit the heart of healthy people, and those at high risk of — or who have — cardiovascular disease. Research has shown that omega-3 fatty acids decrease risk of arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeats), which can lead to sudden death. Omega-3 fatty acids also decrease triglyceride levels, slow growth rate of atherosclerotic plaque, and lower blood pressure (slightly).

I love salmon and talapia! Those are my favorite sources of these Omega-3 fatty acids. I also enjoy a good can of tuna…tuna tuna tuna! (Lets see who got the Anchor man reference there) LOL. Just be sure you dont add a bunch of nasty butter or tarter sauces to liven up the flavor of these items. Do some googling and find some healthy ways to prepare these lean fatty meats!

Questions About Sources of Healthy Fats?

If you have any question along the way about other “sources of healthy fats” or just want to get plugged in with our team to learn how we are getting such amazing results, shoot me an email at coachtodd@rippedclub.net to learn more. Or an even better way to get started is to sign up for my free 5-day video bootcamp where I show you HOW to prevent failure and get the BEST results possible from P90x3 or any Beachbody fitness program!

If this post was helpful, be sure to LIKE & SHARE it so that other people can find it as well! The success of the members of RIPPEDCLUB would not be what it is today if it weren’t for people like yourself sharing info just like this.

Get Ready To BRING IT…Faster!

Coach Todd