Fats and how they play an effective role in losing weight
If you go back 30 years every tom, dick and harry demonized all dietary fat. Most people would say fat is bad, fat increases your risk for heart disease and weight gain. The reality is that moderate fat intake supports a healthy body and can help you feel more satisfied so you don't get those urges to eat things you shouldn't. If you eat well and look after your weight your body fat will reduce over time but we always want to have some fat on us and it is critical to support good health. Body fat consists of essential fat and storage fat.
Good fats and there role in your body
Good fat ensure a body that is healthy and functioning properly. Fat is also an essential nutrient for energy. When you exercise for example, depending on your macros and carb consumption most times carbohydrates shall only fuel the first 20-30 minutes in a hard cardio workout. After that good fat fuels much of your effort.
Consuming good fats promotes strong shiny looking hair and ensures skin is smooth and healthy. The essential fatty acids known as omega 3's that are found in salmon and walnuts for example help keep your scalp moist and that means your hair can grow lush. These good fats are a big part of fighting pre mature aging.
Good fat plays a role in the absorption of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Good fat helps you absorb certain antioxidants that are known as carotenoids. Carotenoids are helpful for protecting vision and combating cellular damage, they have also been linked to keeping the liver, prostate, breast, colon and lungs healthy. Carotenoids are found in carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale and tomatoes are some examples. That is why we suggest eating some good fats with your dinner at night.
Good fats that you eat are incorporated in the membranes surrounding the cells in your body. These fats play a role in helping compounds like proteins and vitamins pass in and out of the cells through the membrane. That's another reason we are always saying ensure you have your good fats with protein to help break it down.
Making fat part of your diet
Good fat has 9 calories per gram, normally fats would take up between 20% of your daily macro intake. Try and make sure that no more than 7% of the daily fat intake is saturated.
Saturated fat can increase your levels of bad cholesterol that in turn leads to a high cholesterol result when you go for your check up with the doctor and can also contribute to an increased risk of heart disease.
Tran's fat should be avoided all together. They are oils that have been chemically altered in order to have a longer shelf life. These Tran's fats cause the double whammy of raising bad cholesterol and lowering good cholesterol. Tran's fats are still found in mainly processed snacks and fast restaurant food. They are slowly being phased out and shouldn't exist after 2018. Trans fats can be found in animal fat and dairy but only in tiny amounts used in the making of processed foods.
Examples of fat's
Essential Fats
Avocado
Canola Oil
Olive Oil
Almonds
Walnuts
Brazilian Nuts
Pumpkin Seeds
Chia Seeds
Almond Spread
Flaxseed Oil
Saturated Fats
Animal Fats (look for the marble in meats for signs of high fat)
Sausages, Pepperoni etc
Butter
Chocolate
Cheese
Cream
Potato Chips
Trans Fats
Deep fried food e.g. chips, hash browns
Microwave Popcorn
Biscuits, cookies and cakes
Salted Crackers
Creamy Thick shakes
Pancake Mix
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