Food consists of 3 major macronutrients: carbs, proteins & fats. Fat contains more energy than the other two. Fat is essential for forming cell membranes & hormone production. Inadequate fat intake can lead to vitamin deficiency since fats acts as a carrier for fat soluble vitamins like A, D, E & K. It's found in both animal & vegetable products, adds flavor to foods & satisfies hunger as well. Good fats are essential to maintaining health.
Although many agencies tell us we need to eat low fat to be healthy, numerous imbalances & vitamin deficiencies have become apparent in low fat diets. With the food pyramid they even focus on grains and little to no fats info as to why we should ingest healthy fats.
Fat in diet does not necessarily mean weight gain. Adequate intake of good fats from whole foods gives satiety which helps us not to overeat. Every cell membrane in the body contains fat & all steroid hormones are produced from cholesterol which is a fat-like substance. Now cholesterol is an important molecule for the body...it works with hormone production & helps the immune system to function properly.
Good fats are those that have not been hydrogenated & can be saturated, mono-saturated or polyunsaturated. Bad fats provide no nutrition to the body, but also cause the immune system to malfunction & can lead to a variety of illnesses from obesity to cancer to auto immune problems.
Bad fats consist of: 1) Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils 2) Processed vegetable oils such as soy, corn, canola & cottonseed (plus these are GMO's). 3) Trans fats.
Saturated fats have gotten a bad rap from physicians, dieticians as well as the media. They can withstand higher cooking temps without producing tissue damaging free radicals. They are solid at room temperatures & come mainly from animal sources like meat & dairy products. Optimal health is not possible without adequate amounts of saturated fats in our bodies. It gives our cells the strength to maintain structure & it is predominate in our brains.
Healthy foods that contain significant amounts of saturated fats include: coconut oil, cultured dairy (i.e. yogurt, kefir), organic butter, organic free-range red meat & palm oil.
Great article...good days should be a major part of a healthy diet..
ReplyDeleteSo many people cut out fat completely because they don't realize their body still NEEDS fat to function properly! Interesting read!
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