Certain oils good for body

[yeahright]

Certain oils good for body-(U. Mississippi)

U-WIRE

08-31-06

(U-WIRE) OXFORD, Miss. -- Science has confirmed the positive roles that monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats play in human health.

Monounsaturated sources of fat, olive oil in particular, protect against a variety of cardiovascular diseases by lowering levels of (bad) LDL cholesterol, elevating those of (good) HDL cholesterol and improving a variety of other biological functions.

Every nut and oil has its own nutrient profile. Almonds are high in vitamin E and calcium. Peanuts are rich with folate and potassium. Flaxseed oil has a balanced proportion of omega-3 fatty acids, the same types found in marine fish.

An intake of saturated fat and monounsaturated fat has been scientifically suggested to raise levels of testosterone, the primary anabolic hormone in humans.

For the weightlifter, one of the few negatives about nuts and oils is quickly turned into a positive. Nuts especially provide a great, calorie-dense resource. Just a handful of any kind of nut contains over 200 calories, while a tablespoon of most oils provides in excess of 100 calories.

A complaint that some may have about these sources is how much they cost. For example, a decent-sized bag of almonds costs between $6 and $7.

However, a "Size Matters" investigation into some of a roommate's less-than-healthy food choices reveals that, on a cost-per-calorie analysis, oils and nuts are priced about the same or less than some of the common college student dietary staples like TV dinners and Little Debbie cakes.

The question then arises as to when is the best time to consume these kinds of sources.

A liquid, high monounsaturated fat source should be consumed no later than about 30 minutes after a workout, along with a protein shake, carbohydrates and other supplements, depending on your goals. By "source," I'm referring to either a tablespoon of olive oil or flaxseed oil. A capful of either of these is roughly equivalent to a tablespoon. You'll also do well to "hold" the oil in your mouth while you sip some water and swish it around before it goes down, but you'll figure that out for yourself the first time you try to drink it straight.

The other ideal time for a tablespoon of some healthy oil is before bedtime, again along with a protein drink and a multivitamin.

Nuts provide an ideal snack any time of the day when a time crunch cuts into the eating schedule. It's also a good idea to keep a bag in the car for long trips as a deterrent from pulling into a fast food joint or downing pounds of junk food.

When you are buying olive oil, go for the extra virgin. It contains a higher amount of the phenolic compounds that are responsible for much of olive oil's positive health effects. And when shopping for nuts, buy them with as few gimmicks as possible. Added sodium and "trail mixes" diminish potential benefits.

Speaking of ramping up testosterone production, next week we'll head back to the iron and preview a variation of the squat.

[WannaBeHulk]

good stuff, almost all my fats come from either olive oil, flax, almonds, or alvocado. i think these are all predominately monounsaturated fat sources. the only time i get any other type of fat is from whole eggs or lean beef.

[alan aragon]

Thanks for the article YR. I agree with most of that post with the exception of this:

"A liquid, high monounsaturated fat source should be consumed no later than about 30 minutes after a workout, along with a protein shake, carbohydrates and other supplements, depending on your goals."

I don't see any major detriment of this, but I also don't see the necessity. The author needs to qualify this with something. Anything. But he just sorta moved on with the writeup.

Here's a long-as-hell article with some additional info. The site is a little wacky, but the article is pretty decent & reasonably well referenced. Not sure if this article has been beat to death here yet, but here ya go:

The Skinny on Fats