Page 14 - MyMT EATS Recipe book (Proofed May 2017) (2)

Good Fats, Healthy Fats

Animal fats are generally back in favour, but for women transitioning through peri-menopause and
menopause, who have high blood pressure and high cholesterol, not all fats are equal. Most
studies about the benefits of animal fats have been conducted on males. There is still a lot that
we don’t know about the best types of fats for menopausal women, especially those with
increased abdominal fat and cardiac risk. Caution still needs to be considered when looking at the
types of fats that menopausal women can consume so here is our take on ‘Good Fats, Healthy
Fats’ during menopause.

Fats exist in the body in many forms - Triglycerides, Free-fatty Acids, Phospholipids and Sterols.
All are essential to the health and function of the human body. Some help to protect vital organs,
come act as heat insulation and give us energy for
endurance activities, whilst others are used for
transporting fat-soluble vitamins (A,D, E and K) and to
help build healthy cell membranes. So nearly all fats are
important to the health for the human body, but some
more so than others.

Fats are broken down in the small intestine and the liver,
so having a healthy liver is particularly important for fat
metabolism. The fats that can be harmful to health in
menopause are the ‘bad-fats’ which are implicated in
heart disease, weight gain and metabolic syndrome. We have already talked about these
conditions in our webinars. Unhealthy fats are known as TRANS-FATS. These typically come from
processed fats and partially hydrogenated oils. Healthier fats naturally occurring in some foods
are known as CIS FATS. It’s the CIS FATS that women need to concentrate on in menopause. CIS
fats increase metabolism and improve the role of insulin. They are a great source of Omega 3
Fats. These are the ones you need to concentrate on. Around 20% of total daily food intake needs
to be as CIS Fats. Up to 30% if you are doing a lot of exercise.