Across this bridge: Great addition to a balanced diet

Canola oil is a type of cooking oil made from pressed canola seeds. It is a great source of alpha-linoleic acid (ALA), an essential omega-3 fatty acid that can’t be made by your body. (ALA can also be found in soybeans, flaxseed, walnuts, and wheat germ.) Canola oil is also rich in healthy monounsaturated fats and has a neutral taste, so it’s a great substitute for vegetable oil when baking. Over the past 20 years, clinical studies have shown that consuming canola oil can help lower cholesterol and may reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer.

Misleading information circulating on the Internet has caused confusion over the safety of canola oil. Some claim that the seeds used to make canola oil have poisonous qualities, since they are a hybrid of rapeseeds, which may have negative health effects in high concentrations. A study in China found that cooking at very high temperatures with unrefined rapeseed oil produced harmful emissions. In Australia, however, most vegetable oils are refined, contain antioxidants that help prevent these harmful emissions, and are generally used at lower cooking temperatures. So go ahead and use canola — it’s perfectly safe for human consumption and a great addition to a balanced diet.

We have fat labeled as bad, but this is not all true. Fat provides us with energy and also the essential fatty acids we need for better health. One of the main things that fat does for us is help our skin tone to stay healthy looking, regulates our metabolism in digestion, and contributes to prostaglandins. Prostaglandins control other body processes which are essential. The vitamins A, D, K and also E are helped by dietary fat as far as the absorption of it. Your appetite is also satisfied by the consumption of dietary fat.

Now, don't think that a diet too high in fat is good for you. This is not true. Any diet that is very high in fat consumption will promote many health problems including obesity, types of cancer, heart disease especially coronary artery disease, and cholesterol. For the most part, your diet should include 35% of your calories in fat daily.

Your fat that is saturated fat is the bad fat. Saturated fat is the one that raises LDL, or bad cholesterol levels. When these levels are raised in the blood, this is what causes heart disease. Less than 7% of your calories should come from saturated fat alone.

Dietary cholesterol is defined mostly as a fatlike substance. These are foods of animal origin. These fats can also raise LDL cholesterol levels. Your diet in order to keep it on the healthier side, should contain just 200mg a day.

Fats that are essential for your health as a diabetic should include more of the monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, and also not to mention a fat type called polyunsaturated

Your cooking oils that are high in polyunsaturated fats are:

Flaxseed oil Flaxseed oil is derived from the seeds of the flax plant. It can be used as a dietary supplement. It is also good as an Omega-3 source in your diet plan.

Corn oil Corn oil is tasteless and produced from the germ of the corn kernels. It is the oil used a lot in your margarines and economical to buy.

Cottonseed oil The seeds of the cotton plant are how this oil is made, and lint removed. Potato chips and other crispy snack foods are made out of this source.

Enova Soybean and your canola oils are made and processed in this oil type. Enova is really no different than other cooking oils.

Grapeseed oil This oil is medium yellow and derived from the seeds of various grapes. It is good for frying foods and used in stir-frying and also marinades.

Safflower oil Made from seeds of the safflower plant, this oil is colorless and has no flavor. It is a salad dressing favorite since it does not become solid when in the refrigerator.

Soy bean oil This oil is mild and made by cracking soybeans and then drawing out the oils from there. It is an essential oil in omega-3.

Walnut oil Your walnut oil is taken out of the walnut and has a taste that resembles nuts. It is another oil high in omega-3 sources.

Sunflower oil Sunflower seeds are what makes up this oil. It is a great oil for many purposes and also is higher in monounsaturated fats.

Cooking oils that are high in saturated fats include coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and also palm oil. Palm oils are high in beta-carotene which is a good thing, but since it is high in saturated fat, you have to watch your allowance since saturated fat is the bad fat.

Always select oils that are low in saturated fat. Refer back to this article as a good reference for the best in your choices.