Fats- the good, not too bad and the ugly
Most of us are afraid of fats and try to avoid them when losing weight. Some fat is required for our bodies and can actually help with fat loss but you need to know which types of fat can help and which ones to steer clear of.
Polyunsaturated fats include vegetable oil, corn oil, sunflower oil. Our bodies need some of these for vital functions however a lot of the foods we eat already contain these so we don’t need to try to add them.
Monounsaturated fats include olive oil, canola oil, nuts, olives and avocados to make a few. They are the healthy fats and studies show they may help lower cholesterol, lower incidents of breast cancer and improve immunity. These are the fats to include in your diet but are still high in calories.
Because fat takes longer to digest than protein or carbohydrates the can help keep you feeling full longer many people who follow extremely low fat diets often have food cravings and lack of feeling full even after eating. You should aim to eat around 30% of your daily calories from fat. Try to include monounsaturated fats into your diet twice a day and limit the polyunsaturated and saturated. Try cooking with a little olive oil instead of corn or vegetable oil, have a handful of nuts for a snack or add a few olives to your salad.
Want more info about fats and the effects on our bodies? Here is a great article from Harvard Medical School- https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-truth-about-fats-bad-and-good
Fats come from animal and plant based sources. They all contain a lot of calories and should be eaten in moderation.
Each type of fat have different effects on the body. Here is a basic breakdown of each type:
Saturated fats include butter, lard, fatty animal meats, bacon, sausage, cream, gravies, full fat dairy products, palm/palm kernel oil. Diets high in saturated fats have been linked to high blood pressure and heart disease so they should be kept to a very minimum.
Polyunsaturated fats include vegetable oil, corn oil, sunflower oil. Our bodies need some of these for vital functions however a lot of the foods we eat already contain these so we don’t need to try to add them.
Monounsaturated fats include olive oil, canola oil, nuts, olives and avocados to make a few. They are the healthy fats and studies show they may help lower cholesterol, lower incidents of breast cancer and improve immunity. These are the fats to include in your diet but are still high in calories.
Because fat takes longer to digest than protein or carbohydrates the can help keep you feeling full longer many people who follow extremely low fat diets often have food cravings and lack of feeling full even after eating. You should aim to eat around 30% of your daily calories from fat. Try to include monounsaturated fats into your diet twice a day and limit the polyunsaturated and saturated. Try cooking with a little olive oil instead of corn or vegetable oil, have a handful of nuts for a snack or add a few olives to your salad.
Want more info about fats and the effects on our bodies? Here is a great article from Harvard Medical School- https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-truth-about-fats-bad-and-good
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