Facts on Fat
When we think fat, we think about that squishy thing around our abdomen that we can’t seem to get rid of. Because of this, some of us think of fat as a bad thing. So, when it comes to dieting, most people’s instinct is to try to avoid fat all together.
However, dietary fat is essential in any diet. They provide many important functions in our bodies, such as giving you energy, transporting vitamins in your body and assisting hormone production.
Does this mean you should eat a cheeseburger everyday? Absolutely not. In order to have a balance diet, you need to understand the difference between good fats and bad fats.
The Good Guys – Unsaturated Fats
Unsaturated fats are considered beneficial since they help to reduce cholesterol, stabilise heart rhythm and ease inflammation. These can be found in several foods, like avocados, olives, nuts, fish, etc.
The Mediocre Guys – Saturated Fats
These guys differ from the unsaturated fats by the type of bonds the hydrogen atoms have with the carbon. Instead of having double bonds between carbon and hydrogen, these guys only have single bonds, thus the carbon is saturated with hydrogen. This type of fat is typically found in animals, but can also be found in coconut and palm oils.
Th reason this kind of fat is mediocre is because it isn’t exactly bad for you, but it’s not horrible either. Depending on who you ask, no more than 7%-10% of your daily calories should come from saturated fats. In recent years, studies have found that there isn’t a direct link between saturated fats and heart disease, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. However, it was also found that reducing the intake of saturated fats is beneficial as long as the individual swaps them for unsaturated fats.
By swapping mediocre fats for good fats, this helps to prevent against insulin resistance and it lowers bad cholesterol while raising good cholesterol.
The Bad Guys – Trans Fats
These guys are obtained through a process called hydrogenation. This essentially turns healthy oils into solids (basically how we obtain margarine and vegan mayo). Although they are primarily found in hydrogenated oils, they are also found in beef fat and dairy. The negative health effects of these fats include:
- Inflammation
- Insulin resistance, this increases the risk of type II diabetes.
- Risk of coronary heart disease
- Raise bad cholesterol in the bloodstream while decreasing the amount of good cholesterol.
What has made this type of fat such a major concern is the fact that it is used for frying just about everything. This is why when you go out to eat, you are supposed to avoid anything that says it has been fried. Opt for something baked instead. The other thing to look out for is when you go grocery shopping, make sure to read the ingredients list on everything. If you see “hydrogenated”, put it back on the shelf.
To Eat Fat or Not to Eat Fat
For anyone who has spent enough time looking through health, fitness, and weight loss blogs, we are very familiar with all sorts of fad diets. However, there is some credibility to the statement that eating fat can promote fat loss.
As many of us know, our body needs energy in order to keep our metabolisms going. Since dietary fat has twice the calories per gram than other macronutrients, it is the perfect source of energy to keep our metabolism to going. Essentially, without fat in our diet, we don’t have the energy to burn calories.
As it turns out, there really isn’t anything to fear when it comes to fats. As with everything, there are good alternatives an bad alternatives. So next time you feel tempted to cut fats from your diet, remember that not all fats are the same and that eating good fats is actually beneficial for your body.