Following on from the Mediterranean diet which emphasises an appropriate intake of healthy fats, but what are they?
Dietary fat can impact our cardiovascular system and one of the greatest risks in SCI individuals is cardiovascular disease due to the damage in some parts of the nervous system or decreased mobility to perform exercise. It is important to do as much as we can to ensure we have a strong and healthy heart to look after our entire body and all its systems and using dietary fats for its health benefits can be promising.
Bad fats which are called ‘saturated’ fats have very thick bonds that are tightly packed and hard to break down in our bloodstream. They ‘clog’ up our arteries. Saturated fats should be limited to no more than 10% of your total diet and include foods such as the fat edge on meat cuts, processed meats (salami), pies, sausage rolls, cakes, chocolate. Avoiding these foods altogether is difficult as it’s usually apart of people’s social lives and eating certain foods can be an enjoyable time, however, we need to understand the impacts these foods may have on our health and moderate them accordingly.
Good fats on the other hand are called ‘unsaturated’ fats as this means their bonds can be broken down much easier. Once broken down they perform a job where they can clean and pick away at any of the saturated fats that may be filling up our arteries. That’s why these unsaturated fats are extremely good for our cardiovascular system and should make up to 20-35% of our total energy intake. Unsaturated fats are usually found in extra virgin olive oils, nuts and seeds, avocado, oily fish and soft cheeses.
Tips on increasing ‘Good Fats’ in your diet
- Always use extra virgin olive oil when using a frypan
- Use avocado as a spread or dip
- Use nuts as a source of snacks or add pine nuts to salads
- Aim to eat oily fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring
- Add cottage or feta cheese to salads or use on crackers or as a dip
This week’s recipe: Is a lunch time or dinner meal that is full of healthy dietary fats. Eating meals like this week’s recipes once or twice a week can go a long way in promoting good health for your cardiovascular system. Not only does it present like a tasty Asian cuisine dish, but you get to enjoy a range of nutrients and health benefits as well. Enjoy! Jump over to this week’s recipe.
Here is a link to a factsheet for further reading if you are interested in this topic!
https://accesshc.org.au/app/uploads/dietary-fats-factsheet.pdf
Reference: Gregory Bigford, Mark S. Nash; Nutritional Health Considerations for Persons with Spinal Cord Injury. Top Spinal Cord Inj Rehabil 1 June 2017; 23 (3): 188–206. doi: https://doi.org/10.1310/sci2303-188
If you have any questions about your diet or would like one-on-one dietary advice from your Able Dietician, send us a message letting us know what you’re after and we’ll be in touch to help you achieve your goals!
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