In Sydney there still seems to be a lot of people asking questions whether fat is good or bad for us. When you see brands saying “low fat, fat free, 99% fat free etc” it’s not as healthy as you it is, it’s just BS trying to trick you into buying food that’s most likely worse for you. I get angry that people get tricked by companies into thinking low fat is healthy and there’s such a bad stigma about fat, when the truth is that fat is an essential nutrient for our bodies, we need it in our diet and without fat we would die.
Watch the video here:
WHAT DOES FAT DO?
Fat is used for many functions in the body. It stores energy, insulates us, protects our vital organs, they act as messengers helping proteins do their jobs and helps with chemical reactions that help control growth,immune function and a range of other things. As you can see fat does play a very important role in the body so it’s essentials that you get some into your diet…. But you need the right kinds of fats.
TYPES OF FATS
There are 4 different forms of fats that you can have, they are:
Trans Fats
Saturated Fats
Polyunsaturated Fats
Monounsaturated Fats
Some of these fats are more beneficial than others and one of the fats (trans fats) you want to completely avoid where possible.
TRANS FATS
Trans fats are not natural and are created after being heated at high temperatures. Trans fats are common in baked goods like donuts, chips and biscuits and deep fried foods. AVOID THESE AT ALL COSTS
SATURATED FATS
Saturated fats cop a lot of flack but they are important in our diet. They are the most commonly found fat and if they’re consumed in moderation they don’t do harm. Saturated fats are found in meat, dairy, eggs, coconut oil etc.
POLYUNSATURATED FATS
Polyunsaturated fats are the healthiest fats to consume. The benefits of this type of fats are many and are great for brain health. Polyunsaturated fats are mostly found in fatty fish like Salmon, other types of seafood and some type of nuts like walnuts and flaxseed. If you don’t eat fish you can take fish oil instead.
MONOUNSATURATED FATS
Monounsaturated fats are another great source of fats and should be essential in your diet. These types of fats are found in nuts, avocado, extra virgin olive oil, grass fed meats and a few other items.
DON’T EAT TOO MUCH
Just because i’ve explained how healthy fat can be and how essential it is, doesn’t mean you can start consuming huge amounts of it. Fats are higher in calories than protein and carbohydrates so if you do consume to much you can put on weight. Don’t go drizzling olive oil over all of your food and throwing back handfuls of nuts because you will pack on the pounds fast. When it comes to using oil, be very scarce with it, use enough to cook with so your food doesn’t stick to the pan, but you don’t need to drown all of your food in it (choose balsamic vinegar instead).Also with nuts you don’t need a handful, 10 – 15 nuts is enough, otherwise calories will start to add up very quickly and your efforts of trying to be healthy will backfire.
TAKE AWAY MESSAGE
You want to focus more on getting your fat sources predominately from Polyunsaturated and Monounsaturated fats, a little bit from saturated and at all costs avoiding Trans fats. Don’t consume too much fat so you avoid putting on unwanted weight and be smart about your choices.
If you have any other questions about this or any other subject make sure to send me a message and share this with a friend to help them become more informed.
What to do next
Stay Strong, Live Long.
T.B
