One of the biggest debates when losing weight is whether all fats should be eliminated from your diet. The quick answer is no.
There are good fats and bad fats. The body needs fat to fight disease and reach optimum health.
Why do I needs fats?
Your body needs good fats to function smoothly. They work like little protectors of the body’s cells and fight against disease, promote emotional health and keep the body functioning smoothly, fight fatigue and (believe it or not) can help you control your weight.
There are so many fats, how do I choose which are essential for my health?
I won’t go into the science of why some fats are good or bad, but in short your body needs good fats to live and function properly. Your ideal body fat percentage depends on your age and gender but below I have just listed the essential body fat for both men and women:
Men : 2-5%
Women: 10 – 13 %
If you had no body fat it is just as dangerous if you have too much.
Unsaturated fats are the good fats, they’re broken down into monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. These are the good fats as they lower cholesterol, are good for the heart and great for all round general health (skin, hair, nails, functioning of the body’s various complex systems). Here you will find omega 3, 6 & 9 which are essential to your health both mentally and physically, and can be found in fish, nuts, seeds, avocado etc.
Monounsaturated Fats, are fats that are liquid at room temperature. These consist of oils such as olive oil, avocado oil etc these are good for your health and in fact have proven to lower LDL ‘low density lipoproteins’ (bad) and maintain HDL ‘high density lipoproteins’ (good), in-turn reducing the risk of heart disease.
Polyunsaturated Fats, are also liquid at room temperature they are found in plant based foods such as sunflower, sesame, corn, cottonseed and soybean oils. They have also proven to reduce the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Saturated Fats You find saturated fat in animal products like meat, butter, egg yolks etc. Saturated fat can help liver function, boosts the immune system and has been proven to increase testosterone which helps repair tissue and increase sexual function, but limit your intake.
Trans Fats. All I will say is STAY AWAY from these fats! These are not found in nature and can’t be broken down in the body. Hydrogen is added to vegetable oil and causes the oil to solidify at room temperature and is used to give processed foods a longer shelf life.
Conclusion
So there you are, go eat both saturated and unsaturated fats and not feel guilty, also if your trying to lose weigh you should pair your diet with a workout schedule to see the most effects.
However if you are completely overwhelmed by this information download my Fat Cheat Sheet on what foods are good and bad.
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