How to Live a Healthy and Happy Vegan Lifestyle

Most people know that saturated fats, like those found in meat, cheese, butter, pies and biscuits, are ‘bad’. And unsaturated fats, like those in nuts and seeds, are ‘good’. But are some of the good ones better than others? And where can we find them?   What Are Fats, Anyway? Fatty acids are the building blocks of fats. And they fall into two groups – monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Monounsaturated fatty acids include omega-7 and omega-9 fats, both found in macadamia nut oil and olive oil, for example. Since our bodies make these, they are not considered ‘essential’. But having a direct source of them can provide health benefits. The two main classes of polyunsaturated fats are the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is an omega-3 fat found flaxseed oil, soya bean oil, rapeseed oil and nuts – especially walnuts. ALA is an essential fatty acid, which means our bodies can’t make it; so we do need to get it from our food...  Continue