How to incorporate healthy fats in my diet after having almost cutting all fat out

[sabrinat324]

Hello ! I became vegan about a month ago and I have come to realize that now that my stomach has not been using enzymes to break down meat, dairy products, and some fats, I might have lost these enzymes. I am afraid that I should incorporate some fish and some good fats in my diet because not eating any will take a toll on my body. But everyone has a different opinion on what fats are really good. I wanna find out which ones I should really be eating for my body to function right and how to slowly get them back into what I eat every day. I would really appreciate someone's help thanks! :)

[Renee Radenberg]

That is great you have become a vegan. Recommend a moderate fat intake which means using polyunsaturated (omega 3, corn oil, nuts, etc) fats and monounsaturated (olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, etc) fats, no saturated fats and no Trans fats. Vegans need vitamin B12 and calcium supplements. Suggest you take a daily multi-vitamin and increase calcium consummation (soy milk, soy cheese, soy yogurt, leafy green vegetables) for stronger bones. It is important to eat the right combination of foods so you have the proper proteins and nutrients for your body too. Eat non-meat sources (soy products, nuts), vegetarian combinations (rice & beans, pasta & beans, soy cheese & pasta, salads with nuts & seeds), substitute dairy products (low fat soy milk/soy yogurt), use plant oils, non trans-fat margarines, and eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. Eat daily high fiber breads and cereals (oatmeal) Suggest you read up on vegetarian and combinations of starches / vegetables and beans / nuts (as allowed) for protein, calcium, and other nutrients. Good sources of information are the American Dietetic Association website, www.eatright.org and Vegetarian Resource Group website, www.vrg.org.  Hoped that helped you.

[cdnskmom]

Udo's Oil with DHA is a completely vegan source (made with red algae) and it tastes great, not fishy! My kids and I take it in our smoothie and my husband just takes it on a spoon. It is awesome stuff. Other than that, off the top I would say avacados and nuts have good oils. From what I understand you really need fats to transport your nutrients, so definitely invest in the Udos oil, can't say enough good about how much better our health is since we started it, emotional, mental, physical, everything. I think most health food stores carry it. Make sure you get the kind with DHA.