Published in July 4th, 2009
Advertisements
In order to lose weight successfully, everyone knows that you have to cut out as much fat from your diet as possible… right? Actually, wrong. Believe it or not, your body actually needs certain types of fat on a regular basis in order to run correctly. The right kind of fat can do everything from keeping your brain working smoothly to supporting your immune system. Think of fat as your body’s motor oil- when there isn’t enough of it, things start to go wrong.
This is not to say that you should go out right now and order a double bacon cheeseburger as a health food—far from it. The key to understanding dietary fats is to learn about the different kinds of fat. First I want to start with the good fats- things the average American may actually not be getting enough of.
Let’s start off with monounsaturated fats. Intake of monounsaturated fats has been scientifically proven to boost your levels of “good” cholesterol, or HDL (remember the lubrication I was talking about earlier?) and decrease your levels of “bad” cholesterol, or LDL. These good fats can be found in nuts of all kinds, avocados and many common cooking oils such as sesame oil, corn oil and peanut oil. Just make sure you do not burn the cooking oil as that can break down the fats, rendering them indigestible and potentially harmful to your body.
Next up are polyunsaturated fats. Sensing a trend here? That’s right, UNsaturated fats are good for you. These fats can help strengthen your immune system, boost your thyroid and thus your metabolism, and even help you recover from your workouts faster with less soreness. They are also very good for your heart. They are found in most seafood, especially fatty fish like salmon.
Now for the bad guys. These are what most people mean when they talk about cutting fat out of their diet, or at least what they think they mean. Saturated fats are bad and trans fats are the worst of the worst as far as your body is concerned. While saturated fats can clog your arteries and lead to heart disease and stroke, trans fats have been proven to have a hand in everything from diabetes to liver problems to cancer! Saturated fats are usually found in animal products such as dairy and meat, and trans fats are a mostly man made phenomenon, showing up whenever you see the words ‘partially hydrogenated oil’ on an ingredients list. Don’t be fooled by packaging boasting 0 trans fat per serving- The FDA allows any product with under 1 gram of trans fat per (arbitrary) serving to claim it has none.
The important thing to remember about all fats is that they are very dense in calories, so a smaller portion of something fatty may have as many calories as a portion of something with less fat. If you want to lose weight you need to count your calories, but don’t leave fats out of your diet altogether— just the bad fats.
learn how to lose weight and make your health a priority with dr. sam bakhtiar who owns fitness concepts inc. find out more at http://www.fitconcepts.com/diamond-bar-weight-loss.html” title=”http://www.fitconcepts.com/diamond-bar-weight-loss.html” target=”_blankhttp://www.fitconcepts.com/diamond-bar-weight-loss.html.
Related posts:
- Good Fat vs. Bad Fat Many people believe that all fats and cholesterols should always be avoided. However, studies have shown that there are fats and cholesterols that can reduce your risk of heart disease and potentially improve your overall health. To gain an understanding of both good and bad fats, try to utilize some of the information outlined here [...]...
- Just Say No To Trans-Fat What are trans-fatty acids? It is the common name for a type of unsaturated fat with trans-isomer fatty acid(s). Trans fats may be monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. Unsaturated fat is a fat molecule containing one or more double bonds between the carbon atoms. Since the carbons are double-bonded to each other, there are fewer bonds available [...]...
- Three Big, Fat Dietary Myths The first myth is middle-age spread is inevitable. This one says as we age, we lose muscle, become more sedentary, all while taking in the same amount or more calories, so we gain weight. Funny, this has not happen to Jack LaLanne, nor to my mother, who lived to 97 and was very active her [...]...
- How to Get Six Pack Abs With Healthy Fat This is the oldest question asked in the fitness industry. Is fat a friend or a foe? Well not all fats are created equal. There are fats that kill and fats that heal. Some fats should be avoided like the plaque while others are necessary if you want to have great looking skin and hair, [...]...
- Fats In Your Food – The Good Fats And The Bad Fats We read and hear so much about the problems of fats in our foods these days. Its seems that some fats are bad fats and some are healthy fats – but what are they? Saturated fats: Saturated fats are high on the ‘bad fats’ list in our foods. They are found mostly in foods we [...]...
- The Importance Of Fitness Motivation Why can’t my fitness program sail as smoothly as the ones on TV? Yes, I watch those fitness programs on TV all the time, but the commercials showing “before and after” are accomplished in the blink of an eye, all the while I am still grunting and groaning on my treadmill. It’s so hard to [...]...
- Burn Fat Fast – Your Ultimate Guide It is indeed difficult to take off excess body fats and keep them off permanently. You may have come across and meet different people, successful in every field, thriving and blooming in whatever they do, except for one thing – dieting. These people, and that includes you may have tried different diets from Atkins to [...]...
- The Truth Behind The Cholesterol In Our Body Cholesterol is a lipid or a fat-like substance that the body needs for several processes. The absence or excess of it can cause an imbalance in the body. The Importance of Cholesterol in the Body Cholesterol is responsible for several functions in the body. Here are some of them: 1. It is used to make [...]...
- Sticking to a Low Fat Diet – How Much Fat Should You ... Fat is the largest cause of diseases in the world. Animal foods like red meat, eggs and dairy products contain very high proportions of fat and are responsible for various diseases like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, cataract, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, obesity, etc. Fat consumption is very much in our control; still we indulge in foods [...]...
- Fat Free Foods Will Not Help With Fat Loss They sound great, those fat-free foods. But they’re not, plain and simple. First off, they definitely have fat in them! The claim that they’re free of fat is a lie and that’s why eating these foods can mysteriously make you gain weight! The first thing to tackle here is what fat really is. Most people [...]...
Previous post:
«
The Importance Of Fitness MotivationNext post: Breakfast As A Tool In Your Fitness Plan »