The Facts About Fat
Fat
There's much talk of fat and how
detrimental it can be. The reality is that fat is essential for health and
hormone production. Too much of the wrong fats, saturated fats from animal
and dairy will cause heart disease, high cholesterol and obesity. Consuming
more good fats, ie: omega 3 and 6 from Olive oils, fatty fish, such as fresh
salmon, sardines, etc... is very beneficial to your health and a lean
physique.
Key points for consideration
- Eat less bad fats, saturated fat from animal and dairy produce
- Eat more good fats, Omega 3 & 6, fatty fish, fresh salmon, sardines
- Grill & boil your foods, don't fry
Although it might have been difficult to believe a few years ago, dietary fat has emerged as one of the most important components of the diet for anyone who is healthy and wants to stay that way.
Fat is the part of food that carries its flavour. When your body stores energy, it stores it mostly in the form of fat. There are three main types of fatty acids.
- Saturated
- Monounsaturated
- Polyunsaturated
Saturated fatty acids are mostly found in foods of animal origin. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids are mostly found in foods of plant origin and some seafoods. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are of two kinds, omega-3 or omega-6.
Most foods contain a mixture of different fats.
A bottle of olive oil contains both saturated and unsaturated fats, but the saturated fats are dissolved in the unsaturated fats. To separate them, you can put olive oil in the refrigerator. The saturated fats will solidify and the unsaturated fats will remain liquid.
Fats that you eat enter your digestive system and are eventually turned into triglycerides for transport in the bloodstream. Muscle cells and fat cells absorb the triglycerides either to store them or to burn them as fuel. Contrary to popular belief, you should not aim to eliminate fat from your diet. You need to eat fat for several reasons.
Certain vitamins (such as A, D, E, and K) are fat soluble. The only way to get these vitamins is to eat fat. In the same way that there are essential amino acids, there are essential fatty acids (EFA's). You must get these fatty acids from food you eat because your body has no way to make them.
That is why a no-fat diet will eventually kill you and a low-fat diet can make you very sick. Avoiding fat deprives you of EFA's that your body must have to survive and to thrive. People who begin to use EFA's correctly report dramatic improvement in energy levels within days of putting them into their diet. Essential fatty acids are found in foods such as high-fat, cold-water fish (salmon, mackerel, kippers), nuts (walnuts), and seeds.
