Facts About Fats - Do We Really Understand Them?

All this controversy about fat! We've been told fat is bad for our health; we became scared of just the word. When we see overweight or obese people we immediately assume they are on a fat rich diet; we actually think that they love and embrace fat. Not necessary so! Just consider this: Soft-drinks and sodas don't contain any fat, but these beverages are one of the leading causes of obesity. Many times there is this wrong conception and misunderstanding of fat contributing to weight gain and bad health.


The important thing to understand about fat is that there is more than one kind. Our body needs fat; we couldn't survive without it, however we must choose the right one.

Let's have a look at the bad! There is lots of talk about diets fat free, how to eat lean meals to keep the weight and calories low. This becomes confusing and many people misunderstand this issue. When that extra build up happens around the belly, arms and hanging from the chin it isn't caused by eating fat.

Our body produces its own fat naturally; this can convert into calories. If your body consumes more calories than you can burn the leftovers remain as fat in your body. It doesn't matter if you're eating fat, carbohydrates or protein. If you're consuming too many calories, you're going to gain weight.

The saturated trans - fats are the ones in really question here.They have no nutritional value, and when consumed in excess they are the real threat to your health. The biggest amount of trans-fats is synthetic and added during food processing. With any take-away or eating in a fast food restaurant, you can count on getting your big share of trans-fat in the food. Saturated fats also come from animal meat like beef, pork, butter etc.

Although not all of them are bad for you. The most dangerous ones are found in fast foods and processed foods. These are the ones that increase your "bad" LDL cholesterol, and greatly increase your risk of heart attack, heart disease, and stroke. Therefore it is important to avoid trans-fatty acids as much as possible.

The better alternatives! Saturated fats from animal and vegetable sources are of important health benefits your body needs. Cutting out fat of your diet, or even limiting it, can have a negative impact on your overall health. On the other hand we must avoid going to the extreme. Fat sources are all very dense when it comes to calories and therefore should be consumed moderately. The daily recommended fat intake should be about twenty to 35% of your daily calories.

Monounsaturated fats are good and are found in a variety of oils and foods such as olive oil, avocados, almonds, and in most nuts. There are also plants which contain plant sterols. These are found in the fatty tissues of plants such as wheat bran, Brussels sprout, wheat germ and sesame oil; they are rich in plant sterols.

These foods can help to increase your HDL (good) cholesterol and at the same time it can lower LDL (bad) cholesterol level. They are also known to help limit insulin spikes and regulate blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. Just chewing some almonds can help to protect from a spike in insulin. If you are on a diet with sufficient amount of plant sterols the body absorbs less cholesterol because plant sterols compete with cholesterol for absorption in to the blood.

Polyunsaturated fats are found in plants and oils. One of the best and most important one is omega-3 which is typically derived from fish, salmon, mackerel, and anchovies. Omega-3 also available as a supplement for people who may not like certain types of food.

For more information about health and how to choose the best supplement with omega 3, 6, and 9, (healthy fats) to add to your daily diet, just follow the link below, information is free.

Josef Bichler has a passion for wellness and showing others how to live healthy lives. He has helped countless others achieve their health objectives by exposing unhealthy food to make people aware and understand the benefits of eating healthy and avoiding the culprits that affect our health. For more information on Josef and how he can help you live a healthy and pain free life, visit his site at http://josefbichler.com/free


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