Healthy diets are like weather. Yesterday it was a low-fat diet, today it is a high-fat diet, and who knows what it is going to be tomorrow.
I think healthy diets do not need to be complicated. You do not even need to eliminate “bad” foods from your diet.
The healthy diets are simply those that provide you with a balanced combination of protein, fat and carbohydrates, while minimizing your exposure to “bad” foods.
According to a recent study, a healthy diet of the day is a high-fat Mediterranean diet. In CBS’s “The Benefits Of Fat” interview, Dr. Emily Senay explains what this study found and why it is important to choose the right kinds of fat.
Among other things, Dr. Emily Senay recommends virgin olive oil, walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds. What is wrong with it?
In moderation, these foods can be a part of a healthy diet. However, hazelnuts and almonds are very high in omega-6 fat. Since a typical Western diet is already high in omega-6 fatty acids, you can do better than that.
In healthy diets, the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids plays an important factor.
When it comes to a fatty acid composition of oils, the best omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is found in flaxseed, canola, walnut, olive, and avocado oils.
Omega-6:Omega-3 Ratio in oils:
Flaxseed – 0:24
Canola – 2:00
Walnut – 5:08
Olive – 13:1
Avocado – 13:0
In nuts, the best omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is in walnuts, macadamia, pecans, cashews, and pine nuts.
Omega-6:Omega-3 Ratio in nuts:
Walnuts – 4:2
Macadamia – 6:3
Pecans – 20:9
Pine – 31:6
Cashews – 47:6
If you have a choice, it is a good idea to use nuts and oils with a good omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.