Daily tip #22| Fats

Fats are made to look evil by the media, and uninformed people too, ofcourse. While that is true, there are good and bad fats, although everything is bad when there's too much of it. So let me explain.


You might be confused with all the blame on fat for obesity, why would fat be good? Fat is actually crucial for the human body. Many processes of the body rely on fat, without fat, fat-soluble vitamins could not be distributed. One of the good fats is saturated fat, found in tropical plants, dairy products and meat. Why is it considered good? Well, saturated fats make 50% of the cells membranes, which gives the cells their very needed stiffness. Saturated fats are also very important for your bones. In order for calcium (important for bones) to be properly absorbed, half of the fats you consume must be saturated fats. Saturated fats also help protect the liver better from toxins like alchohol and others. These fats also enhance the immune system, letting you stay less prone to diseases. They're also needed to properly utilize important fatty acids like omega-3, these fatty acids are better kept in the tissues when there are more saturated fats.



So as you see, fats are essential in order to stay healthy. Unsaturated fats are also healthy, the difference between unsaturated and saturated fats is that unsaturated fats contain a double bond between carbon atoms, while saturated fats only have one bond.


Unsaturated fats reduce thickness of the blood and clotting, help you regulate blood pressure, they lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol, which is used to repair blood vessels and transport fat-soluble vitamins throughout the body.

There are also polyunsaturated fats which have two and more double bonds between carbon atoms. These fats are good too and they're in liquid form. Corn oil, fish oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, flaxseed oil and hemp oil are all polyunsaturated fats. And as you know, they're in liquid form. Why did I mention liquid form?..


Trans fats.. These are the fats you should avoid. They're made by hydrogenating of partially hydrogenating oils. Why should you avoid them? They lower good cholesterol and raise the bad type. They raise the total serum cholesterol levels. Trans fats increase insulin levels and resistance, thus giving you more risk of diabetes, and making it worse for diabetics.




Trans fats are found everywhere, mostly found in processed foods, like baked goods, snack foods (mostly all of them, cookies, crackers, potato chips, popcorn) and fried foods like fried chicken and french fries.Trans fat consumtion should be kept to a bare minimum, for obvious reasons mentioned above. What you don't realise is that 'fat free' foods are the most horrible foods you can eat. Fat has gotten such a bad reputation from the media, when in reality it is essential if you want to be healthy. So what do companies do? They make 'fat free' products, with trans fats and refined sugars, which is obviously far worse than saturated and unsaturated fats. You shouldn't think that if you eat 'fat free' foods you won't consume any calories, in fact you might become even less healthy if you keep consuming trans fats.


Avoid those 'free fat', 'non fat' foods at all costs, carefully read the labels for anything that is 'hydrogenated' or 'partially hydrogenated'. Also avoid margarine and butter substitutes.


I'll recommend on how to cut down on these:

Eat healthy snacks, like sprouted nuts and seeds. They're rich in omega-3.
Make more foods with organic flax meals. (fibers, healthier digestion)
Use olive oil.
Use 'raw' butter and dairy products instead of 'fat free' ones, explained above why.
When cooking, use virgin coconut oil. (healthier intestinal tract, improves digestion, absorbtion of nutrients, helps control sugar levels, helps keep cholesterol healthy.)



After reading this post I'm sure you've realised mistakes which you might have been doing every day. Maybe  that's why that fat hasn't been in the mood to leave?..


As always, sleep better, eat after working out and drink water. Remember! It's better to cheat for a day than  quit! Have a nice day.

Posted in: avoid,bad,best,blood pressure,cholesterol,choose,fat,fats,foods,good,heart disease,hydrogenated,label,oil,saturated,tips,trans,truth,type,unsaturated