Eating Fat Will Not Make You Fat But Not Eating Enough Will
One of the mistakes many people make is trying to always eat fat-free or low-fat food. There are quite a few problems with this because many companies substitute natural fat for sugar or salt or other non-nutritious ingredients that will turn into fat, cause you to eat more because of empty carbs and not give your body the fuel it needs from fat to burn calories. This is why eating fat will not make you fat. Of course, there are limits to and types of fats you should be taking in on a daily basis.
Eating The Right Fats Can Make You Healthier
Many studies have shown that eating fat will not make you fat and fats like polyunsaturated lower LDL and triglycerides. Fat is essential for normal growth, development, provides energy, protects our organs, maintains cell membranes, and helps the body absorb and process nutrients. Even better, fat helps the body burn fat! This doesn’t mean you can live on pizza and Big Macs. You can but your health will decrease. Here are fats you can eat and others you should avoid so eating fat will not make you fat.
Good Fats
Monounsaturated fats – this is where a lot of fats come from and one you want to be eating, especially if you want to lose weight. Olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, avocados, and most nuts are all good sources of monounsaturated fats. There is no recommended daily intake of monounsaturated fats, but it’s recommended you should use them using them as much as possible to replace saturated and trans fats.
Polyunsaturated fats – are essential fats required for normal body functions but your body can’t make them. Polyunsaturated fats are used to build cell membranes and the covering of nerves. You need them for muscle movement and inflammation. Eating polyunsaturated fats in place of saturated fats or highly refined carbohydrates reduces harmful LDL cholesterol and improves the cholesterol profile. It also lowers triglycerides. The two main types of polyunsaturated fats that offer health benefits are omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids. Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, mackerel, and sardines, flaxseeds, walnuts, canola oil, and un-hydrogenated soybean oil. Studies link omega-3s to a wide range of health improvements, including reducing risks of dementia. Good sources of Omega-6 fatty acids are vegetable oils such as safflower, soybean, sunflower, walnut, and corn oils.
Fats To Avoid
Trans Fat – perhaps the worse source of fat. Trans fat foods increase the amount of LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream which leads to high blood pressure, inflammation and can cause heart disease, diabetes, strokes and other chronic problems. You need to be careful when reading labels as manufacturers can be sneaky. Avoid anything that says “partially hydrogenated oil” (Trans fat).
Saturated fats – are common in the American diet. Saturated fats are found in red meat, whole milk and other whole-milk dairy foods, cheese, coconut oil, and many commercially prepared baked goods and other foods. Being a steak eater myself, I do not buy into saturated fats being bad for you but I do agree you should limit your intake, i.e., don’t eat steak every day or drink a gallon of milk. Moderation is fine and should not drive up your cholesterol to dangerous levels.
As you can see eating fat will not make you fat. make the right choices in the fats you eat. Remember, your body needs fat!
Leave a Reply