Fat
Currently the word “fat” strikes fear into the hearts of almost everyone, especially women. We don’t want to be “fat” and we don’t want to consume “fat”. We have become obsessed with counting fat grams and calories to avoid gaining weight. What you might not know about fat is that it is not always a bad thing. Fat is something that our bodies need in order to function properly. Fat is a source of energy. It gives us the fuel we need to complete our day to day activities. Even more important, each and every cell in our body depends on fat to develop properly. It allows hormones and other chemicals to enter and exit the cells in our body. Fat also gives our bodies distinct shapes and protects our organs from trauma. It also helps to maintain our body temperature. So you see, fat isn’t all bad, and it shouldn’t be avoided at all costs.
The problem is that fats contain a higher amount of calories per gram than its competitors, carbohydrates and protein. A whopping 9 calories per gram makes it easy to put on extra pounds when eating a lot of fat. To add fuel to the fire, our bodies store these extra calories from fat much more easily than those from other sources.
We like fats! They give our food a nice taste and texture. It also leaves us feeling more full and content than carbs or protein. While all these things are nice, we must consider the undeniable research that shows that fat intake is directly linked to weight gain and also heart disease as well as some forms of cancer and diabetes.
Not all fats are created equal: There are a few different kinds of fats, some better than others.
Saturated fat:
This kind of fat is found in animal products. Meat and dairy contain a high amount of saturated fat. Some call saturated fat the “bad” fat since it has been shown to increase LDL cholesterol which makes one a very good candidate for heart disease.
Mono unsaturated fat:
This is sometimes called the “good” fat since it is actually beneficial to the heart because it lowers the LDL cholesterol without affecting the other type of cholesterol (HDL). These mono unsaturated fats are commonly found in non-animal products such as nuts, avocados, peanut butter and olive oils.
Polyunsaturated fat:
If mono unsaturated fat is the “good” fat and saturated fat is the “bad” fat, then polyunsaturated fat is the “average” fat. Found in fish, corn, sunflower oils and soybeans, this kind of fat does lower LDL cholesterol, however it can also lower HDL cholesterol which isn’t desirable at all. There are omega 3 polyunsaturated fats which can protect you from diseases such as heart disease and strokes. These omega 3’s are found in foods like tuna and salmon.
Read labels and educate yourself on the different types of fats that you are consuming. You can incorporate some kinds of fats in your diet and stay healthy without putting on pounds and even lower your chances of heart disease. It is important to know how much fat that you are “allowed”. About 30% of your calories should come from fat. This comes up to about 60 grams of fat per day with 20 of those being saturated fat, and the rest mono unsaturated or polyunsaturated fats.
If you need help lowering your fat intake, you can try a few of these ideas.
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Trim the fat off your meat before you cook it.
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Eat beans instead of meat for your protein.
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Watch labels; knowing what you're ingesting is crucial.
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Eat fish!
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Fill up on fruits and vegetables before eating meat at a meal.
Eating a low fat diet doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice taste and eliminate your favorite foods. With so much emphasis on weight loss and lowering fat intake there are many, many low fat options a dieter can take advantage of. Low fat salad dressings, low fat chocolate, low fat bread, meats, cheese and milk are all options available at all local grocery stores today. So eating a low fat diet is easier than ever. If you don’t do it for weight loss reasons, do it for your heart health.
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