A lot of people think that the best way to lose weight is actually to stop eating.  However, doing this consistently is probably one of the worst things you can do.

For some reason, people have got into their heads that eating fatty food will make you put on weight.

The truth is, eating high quality a fatty food is essential for optimal health building muscle and part of a well-balanced diet.

It doesn't really matter what sort of diet you are on they should always include a healthy dose of high-quality fats. 

The key is,  they must be divided equally between monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat sources.

Don't get me wrong,  there are quite a few bad fats out there such as a fact that are found in Fast Food meals,  takeaways, and various snacks.

Many of these meals have been linked to obesity, heart disease uneven cancer.

If you're interested in finding out about the healthy fats available to you, then this article is for you.

Burn off your belly

As I mentioned previously is eating the right fatty foods that are key to a proper healthy diet, I'm not eating high-fat junk foods and sugary drinks.

In fact, studies have shown that those that have a healthy fat diet had better insulin sensitivity which means they can burn off the fat and build muscle and greater ease.

Sharpen your brain

Did you know that eating the right fats is that any good for your health it also makes you smarter? Eating oily fish such as salmon contains a ton of omega-3 fatty oils.

Studies have shown that eating a healthy dose of omega-3 reduces depression and dementia and also means you have a healthier functioning brain.

The idea isn't to overdose on this, too much of anything is bad for you. It is recommended that we eat a minimum of 250-500 mg combined EPA and DHA each day.

Some people have suggested that you can eat more, but I would stick to that daily average on the safe side.

Look and feel better

The vast majority of people think that hitting your five-a-day target of fruit and veg is all they need to do but this is only half of the story.

Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble, this means for them to stop working their way through your system they need to be adequately absorbed into your intestines, and this can only be done if fat is present.

Best foods for healthy fats

Avocados

You might be surprised to hear that avocados are incredibly high in fat. The good thing is it's a healthy fat classed as monounsaturated fat.

This is the sort of fat that will help you lower your cholesterol level as long as you eat in moderation.

Even though you can consume avocados as part of your daily healthy diet, avocados have a lot of calories.

The recommended daily portion size is 1/3 of a medium avocado which is (50 grams 0r 1.7 ounces).

Another added benefit of eating avocados is the high nutrient level, and that's why they are classed as one of the so-called “superfoods.”

Here are some of the most abundant nutrients, in a single 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving:

Vitamin K: 26% of the daily value (DV)

Folate: 20% of the DV

Vitamin C: 17% of the DV

Potassium: 14% of the DV

Vitamin B5: 14% of the DV

Vitamin B6: 13% of the DV

Vitamin E: 10% of the DV

Salmon

Since salmon is exceptionally high in Omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) It means that it is one of the best foods to contain healthy fats.

As I mentioned previously,  not only does it improve brain function it also reduces inflammation of the joints as well as a lot of other health benefits.

One three-ounce serving (about 85 grams) of cooked wild-caught salmon contains approximately:

155 calories

21.6 grams of protein

6.9 grams of fat

39.8 micrograms selenium (57 percent DV)

8.6 milligrams niacin (43 percent DV)

2.6 micrograms vitamin B12 (43 percent DV)

0.8-milligram vitamin B6 (40 percent DV)

0.4-milligram riboflavin (24 percent DV)

218 milligrams phosphorus (22 percent DV)

0.2-milligram thiamine (16 percent DV)

1.6 milligrams pantothenic acid (16 percent DV)

534 milligrams potassium (15 percent DV)

0.3-milligram copper (14 percent DV)

31.5 milligrams magnesium (8 percent DV)

24.6 micrograms folate (6 percent DV)

0.9-milligram iron (5 percent DV)

0.7-milligram zinc (5 percent DV)

Peanut Butter

Even though I've added peanut butter to this list of healthy fats, it must also be stressed that it's not a good idea to eat too much of this.

One of the main reasons is the fact that it has a high-calorie content. As you're probably aware,  having a healthy balanced diet means keeping control of your calorie intake.

Eating too much peanut butter will probably take you over your maximum calorie intake for the day. Always consumer peanut butter in moderation.

Depending on how you wish to consume peanut butter as part of a daily diet it can help improve blood sugar levels and provides a lot of protein which is excellent for muscle building and weight training.

Nutrients:

Protein. Peanut butter contains 7.02 grams (g) of protein per 2-tbsp serving.

Magnesium. With 57 milligrams (mg) of magnesium. Magnesium is essential for health, playing a role in over 300 chemical processes in the body.

Phosphorous. Each serving contains 107 mg of phosphorus. Phosphorus helps the body to build healthy cells and bones and helps cells to produce energy.

Zinc - provides 0.85 mg of zinc. Zinc is necessary for immunity, protein synthesis, and DNA formation.

Niacin. Peanut butter contains 4.21 mg of niacin per serving, which makes a useful contribution towards a person's recommended intake of 14 to 16 mg. Niacin benefits digestion.

Vitamin B-6. With 0.17 g of vitamin B-6 per serving.

Olive Oil

Even though olive oil isn't a type of food, it is widely used (especially in Mediterranean countries)  as part of a healthy diet. In fact, it has high monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs).

The idea is, if you can replace foods with high saturated and trans fats with unsaturated fats like MUFAs then this will go a long way to having a healthy balanced diet and the health benefits would be exponential. 

Not only does it risk your chances of heart disease it's also known to lower your cholesterol which benefits your insulin levels allowing you to have better blood sugar control.In turn, will decrease your risk of contracting diabetes.

Flaxseeds

Seeds from this plant are a rich source of healthy fat. They are high in fiber, rich in alpha-linoleic acid (ALA) and also a great source of antioxidants. To top it off they also contain a lot of protein.

Similar to the other items listed here, flaxseeds also help lower your risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), a 2.5-gram, or 1-teaspoon, serving of flaxseed contains:

13 calories

0.72 g of carbohydrates, of which 0.04 g are sugars

0.46 g of protein

0.7 g of fiber

1.05 g of fat, of which 0.906 g are unsaturated

0 cholesterol

6 mg of calcium

0.14 mg of iron

10 mg of magnesium

16 mg of phosphorus

20 mg of potassium

1 mg of sodium

0.11 mg of zinc

2 micrograms (mcg) of folate

0.1 mcg of vitamin K

Walnuts

A lot of people don't realise this, but walnuts and actually high in Omega-3 fats and as you know these types of foods are an excellent antioxidant. For this reason, they're high in helping to prevent heart disease and also cancer.

The beautiful thing about this type of food is they can either be eaten on their own or as part of a meal (typically added to breakfast cereal, soups, salads, and pasta).

A 100g serving provides:

Water [g] 6.28

Energy [kcal] 500

Protein [g] 8.28

Total lipid (fat) [g] 35.71

Carbohydrate, by difference [g] 47.59

Fiber, total dietary [g] 3.6

Sugars, total [g] 32.14

Calcium, Ca [mg] 71

Iron, Fe [mg] 1.29

Potassium, K [mg] 232

Sodium, Na [mg] 446

Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid [mg] 0

Vitamin A, IU [IU] 0

Fatty acids, total saturated [g] 3.57

Fatty acids, total monounsaturated [g] 5.36

Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated [g]    25

Fatty acids, total trans [g] 0

Cholesterol [mg] 0