DON’T GO NO FAT , GO GOOD FAT!
FAT FAT FAT!!! 🍰 🍕 🍟
Would all our weight loss problems be solved if we just eliminated fats from our diet? Unfortunately it’s not that simple. Many people today still adhere to the misguided belief that nearly all fats are bad, and the best way to stay slim & healthy is to cut fats, whereas more than just the amount of fat, type of fat you eat that really matters.
Despite what you have been told fat isn’t always the bad guy in waist line wars.
In fact fats & oils play an important role in our body like
· Aid in absorption & storage of fat soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K.
· They insulate your nerve cells.
· Balance your hormones.
· Keep the skin and arteries supple.
· Lubricate your joints.
· Cushions vital organs of the body & to sustain a normal core body temperature.
· Adds flavors & texture to our food.
· Aid in cognitive & neural development.
· Provides Essential fatty acids required for tissues development & other physiological functions.
· Provides concentrated source of energy i.e. 9kcals/ gram.
Even after being so important there are myths revolving around fats & oils. Therefore its time to end the low fat myth & view some common myths & facts about fats. 👇
MYTH 1: ALL FATS ARE EQUAL & EQUALLY BAD FOR YOU ⛔️
Saturated & Trans fats are bad because they raise cholesterol & increase the risk for cardiovascular diseases whereas Mono & Poly unsaturated fats works vice versa.
MYTH 2: FAT FREE MEANS HEALTHY 💪
A Fat free label doesn’t mean you can eat all you want without consequences to your waist line.
MYTH 3: EATING LOW FAT DIET IS THE ONLY KEY TO WEIGHT LOSS 🍎
In fact fats are filling, they can curb over eating habit.
Therefore how much fat is too much depends on your weight, age, health conditions & other factors, so let us become familiar with common terminologies which constitute fats.
Both Fats & Oils belong to a larger family of compounds called Lipids. Fat are solids at room temperature whereas Oils is any substance that is miscible in water, has a greasy feel & is liquid at room temperature.
Fats are classified as Good, Bad & Essential Fats:
Good fats 😃 include MUFA & PUFA whereas Bad fats include Saturated, Unsaturated, Hydrogenated; Transat & Essential fats include Omega3 & Omega6.
MONOUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS (MUFA):
Fats that have one double bonded carbon in the molecule & are liquid at room temperature but start to turn solid when chilled. It comes from food sources like Avocados, Almonds and Peanuts, Peanut oil, Canola oil, Safflower oil, Sunflower seeds, sunflower seeds, Olive oil and Macadamia nuts.
POLY UNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS (PUFA)
Chemically speaking, polyunsaturated fats have more than one (hence the “poly”) double bond in their carbon chain. It is liquid at warm temperatures but hardens when refrigerated. In general, vegetable oils are the most concentrated sources of PUFAs in the American diet and include sunflower oil, safflower oil, corn oil, flax oil, sesame seed oil, pumpkin seed oil and canola (or rapeseed) oil.
SATURATED FATTY ACIDS:
Diets high in saturated fats are major cause of high cholesterol & cardiovascular diseases. Saturated fatty acids have no double bonds between the individual carbon atoms of the fatty acid chain. That is, the chain of carbon atoms is fully “saturated. Cream, cheese, butter, and ghee, suet, tallow, lard and fatty meats as well as certain vegetable products such as coconut oil, cottonseed oil, palm kernel oil, chocolate and many prepared foods are common sources of SFA.
UN-SATURATED FATTY ACIDS:
Unsaturated fatty acids have one or more double bonds between carbon atoms. These fats provide slightly fewer calories than saturated fats and somewhat less energy. Unsaturated fats are in liquid form at room temperature. Herring, Sardines, Salmon, Mackerel, Anchovies, Olive oil, Canola oil, Peanut oil, Sunflower oil, Corn oil, Soybean oil. Flaxseed oil, Avocados, Almonds, Hazelnuts, Pecans, Pumpkin seeds & Sesame seeds are common sources of USFA.
HYDROGENATED FATS:
Hydrogenation is a chemical process whereby ordinary vegetable oils are chemically altered to make them so hard that they won’t melt in your hand. Basically a complete adulteration of the original (healthy) oil occurs. Hydrogenated fat is widely used. We see it listed in the ingredients of margarine, biscuits, cakes, frozen meals, fried foods, sweets, crisps, fish fingers and many dairy products.
TRANS-FATS:
Trans-fatty acids sit like cement in the body, clogging up arteries and impeding hormone production, You can’t do anything with trans-fatty acid except burn it off as calories; basically, its function is to poison your system and generate abnormal biochemistry. Small amounts occur naturally in beef, lamb & full fat dairy products, All types of Spreads, Dips, Whipped toppings, all products made with margarine & & shortenings, butter, package foods, cake mixes, biscuits, soups , Fast foods, fried foods, frozen foods, baked foods like doughnuts & puffs etc, chips, candies, gravy mixes.
ESSENTIAL FATS:
Essential fatty acids are poly unsaturated fatty acids that your body can’t manufacture and, therefore, has to be provided through your diet. It is divided into two groups — omega 3 and omega 6. Omega 6 is found in corn oil, sunflower oil, and soybean oil, while omega 3 is present in salmon, trout and tuna.
QUICK WAYS TO CHOSE HEALTHY FATS:
ü Ditch the trans- fats Check food labels for Trans-fats & also the ingredient lists.
ü Slice up some Avocados & Olives; they are packed with Good fats that helps raise good cholesterol levels.
ü Grab a handful of good nuts like Almonds, Walnuts, Hazelnuts and Macadamia & Pecans.
ü Sprinkle Healthy seeds into the mix- like Flax seeds, Sesame seeds, Sunflower seeds, Poppy seeds, Chia seeds, Pumpkin seeds to your salads, chutney, dough preparations etc.
ü Get cooking with heart healthy oils –like Canola oils( Rapeseed oil), Hazelnut oil, Virgin coconut oil, Olive oil, Mustard oil, Flax seeds oil etc
ü Switch on to Indian version Olive oil-Rice bran oil to save on expenses & also because of presence of cholesterol lowering agent called Oryzanol.
ü Keep rotating your oils-every month than blending oils together as it may also alter taste of the cooked food.
Remember to make healthy choices to promote healthy well being . Choices can get confusing with so many different sources & types of fats & oils- but don’t forget the bottom line is simple. 😄
If you need help with your nutrient needs, you can comment below 👇 or contact ✉️ me here.
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