How to Choose Healthy Fats as Part of a Balanced Diet

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Learning to choose healthy fats for a healthy diet is Step #1 of our 10 Steps to Sexy Diet. Fat isn’t a four-letter word. We need fat. Your sex life could suffer without it, so don’t avoid fats. (Studies show that a diet too low in fat can decrease levels of testosterone.) But you have to eat the right kinds of fats.

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How do you choose healthy fats?

Here are two key tips to get you on the right track when it comes to fat:

- Avoid fats that were created in a lab (like those trans fats, also known as trans-fatty acids, so prevalent in processed foods)
- Try to limit saturated fats

The benefits of healthy fats

You might have heard fats referred to in terms of “good” and “bad” fats. The “bad” fats are the ones that fall into one of the two categories above. They are linked with an increased risk of heart disease and other health problems that will negatively impact your sex life. The “good” fats, on the other hand, are linked with regulating mood and improving mental acuity.

The right fats can help elevate your HDL, also called your good cholesterol. The right kind of fats, like polyunsaturated fats, can reduce your risk of heart disease and even help promote good blood flow. (Without good blood flow, sexual orgasm is an impossibility.) Omega 3 fatty acids are linked not only with the prevention of cardiovascular disease but also with the treatment for mood disorders.

What are foods with good fats?

So now that we’ve sold you on the idea that you need some fat in your diet, you’re probably wondering what are some examples of natural foods with good fats? Natural foods including lean meats, fish and poultry will give you the fats you need to boost brain power, improve mood, fight fatigue and control weight.

Don’t avoid fats in these healthy foods:

Lean meats
Fatty fish, including wild salmon, mackerel, sardines, lake trout and albacore tuna
Poultry
Eggs
Cheese
Chia seeds
Nuts
Avocado, including cooking with avocado oil
Dark chocolate

Healthy fats for vegans

There are plenty of opportunities to choose the best healthy fats no matter your diet preference. Even those who follow a vegan diet have great options for the kinds of fats that keep you super sexy. Besides the chia seeds, nuts and avocados listed above, vegans can get healthy fats from whole foods like cacao nibs, olive oil, seed butters and soybeans.

And, of course, we can all add the aphrodisiac of dark chocolate to your diet. Not only is chocolate one of the world’s most seductive foods but dark chocolate – chocolate that has 65% or more cacao content – contains a high percentage of healthy fats as well as fiber, antioxidants and magnesium. Dark chocolate makes our list of the 10 Best Foods for Women.

Choose your dinner wisely and that romantic meal for two won’t have to end at the restaurant.

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Edited by Delahna Flagg, PhD: This article was reviewed and additional research was provided by Center for Mind-Body Medicine certified practitioner and Eat Something Sexy Nutrition Director Delahna Flagg.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and may not be the best fit for you and your personal situation. It should not be construed as medical advice. The information and education provided here are not intended or implied to supplement or replace professional medical treatment, advice, and/or diagnosis. Always check with your own physician or medical professional. More information

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Amy Reiley

Eat Something Sexy's Creator & Editor-in-Chief Amy Reiley is the award-winning author of five aphrodisiac cookbooks. She has her Master of Arts in Gastronomy, awarded by Le Cordon Bleu and The University of Adelaide. She is also a Certified Nutrition Coach awarded by the International Sports Sciences Association and she is a California Certified Massage Therapist.

Amy is considered a leading authority on aphrodisiacs. Her work in aphrodisiacs is quoted in publications including National Geographic, The New York Times, Epicurious, Wine Enthusiast, Health and Playboy magazines. She speaks internationally on aphrodisiac foods and has brought her knowledge of aphrodisiac history and science to national television shows including The Today Show and CBS Early Show. She is a frequent guest on relationship and lifestyle radio and podcast shows and has been interviewed by BBC and NPR radio, Cosmopolitan radio and popular podcasts including My Dad Wrote a Porno.

Amy is also a freelance food, wine and health researcher and writer as well as a wine competition judge. Her work has appeared in publications ranging from Variety to The Daily Meal. She is an MSN content provider. And she is also a former wine editor for Gayot.com and wine & spirits editor of Las Vegas magazine.

Fun fact: Amy was the creator of the first ever comprehensive food and wine apps, Amy Reiley's Pocket Gourmet and Amy Reiley's Pocket Vineyard for Palm.