5 Healthy Fats You Need For A Fit Body
By Amie Valpone for Glamour
Image via: panerabread.com
Fat gets a bad rap, but healthy fats are essential for a healthy body and normal hormone function—and they definitely don’t make you fat. There are lots of great ways to get healthy fats, including almonds, coconut oil, and flax oil.
Including more healthy fats in your diet is great for your brain function, maintaining a stable metabolism, and stabilizing hormones that affect everything from fertility to body fat content. Add these five healthy fats to your diet for all-around better health.
1. Flax Oil: Make a flax herb oil dressing. Combine 3 tbsp. apple cider, 3 chives, 2 tsp. chopped parsley, 1 tsp. chopped basil, 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard, 1 garlic clove, 3 tbsp. Barlean’s Organic Flax Oil, a pinch of cayenne pepper, and sea salt and pepper to taste in a blender; puree until smooth and serve.
2. Almond Butter: Make this simple chocolate peanut butter dip. In a food processor, combine 1 cup creamy organic peanut butter, 1 cup almond milk, 4 tbsp. pure maple syrup, a dash of vanilla extract, and a pinch of sea salt, and blend until smooth. Then, add 4 tbsp. dark chocolate chips and cocoa powder to taste. Serve with dessert cookies.
3. Raw Walnuts: Make roasted cinnamon walnuts. Combine 2 cups raw walnuts, 2 tbsp. honey, 1 tbsp. olive oil, 2 tsp. ground cinnamon, and sea salt and pepper to taste on a rimmed baking sheet; toss to coat and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, stirring after 7 minutes. Remove from oven; set aside to cool and serve.
4. Organic Eggs: Make hard-boiled eggs. Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan; cover with cold water; heat over high heat and bring to a boil, then turn off heat and let eggs sit for 10 minutes, drain water, and serve eggs.
5. Coconut Oil: Make vegan brownie bites. Combine 1 cup coconut oil, 5 tbsp. honey, 1 1/2 cup coconut flakes, 1 tsp. vanilla or almond extract, 1 cup hemp hearts, and sea salt to taste in a large bowl; mix well using hands. Add more honey if needed. Roll into small balls and place in the fridge until ready to serve.