There have been a of diets out there that have pretty much picket signed fats as being the culprit for your weight gain. This has lead many people to question the health benefits of fat and try to avoid it because they think it causes weight gain. But at the end of the day are fats good for you? Well yes in a sense. Just like anything else in this life, there is good and evil.
The same applies to fat consumption. There are some fats that you want to never or rarely ingest. And there are fats that you want to put in your diet on a daily basis. But before we jump into this article, I want to debunk the myth that fat is bad for you and will make you fat. Fat, the good type will aide in satiating your hunger pans. They are nutrient rich and your body needs fat to function. Now I’m not saying that you want to eat a diet that is ONLY calories from fat. I’m saying eating fat won’t GET you fat. Eating TOO MANY calories will.
Fats That Are Good For You
Polyunsaturated fat. This words sounds a little intimidating but honestly it just means it has more multiple carbon bonds that make up the fat strand. The other good fat is referred to as Monounsaturated fat. Mono which actually means “one” or “single” is simply a carbon fat bond that has one molecule. So in laymen’s these are good fats that have either one carbon bond or multiple carbon bonds in their genetic chain and are BOTH good for you. Some forms of foods that these types of unsaturated fats can be found in are:
- Olive Oil
- Sunflower Oil
- Peanut Butter
- Almond Butter
- Sardines
- Salmon
- Flax Seed
- Avacado
- Cream Cheese
- Herring
- Pistachios
- Cashews
- Black Olives
Fat That is Bad For You
BAD fats are those that are referred to as saturated fats as well as transfats. They unfortunately tend to make the food your are tasting taste fantastic. They also have addictive qualities to them that can create a craving for them, keeping you coming back for more. They also have additives in them that give them better shelf longevity, allowing for a longer expiration date.
These fats are not beneficial for your health really an any way shape or form. They will make you fat as they have little to no nutritional value to them. They are also famous for contributing to heart disease via lowering the HDL cholesterol levels, which this is the good type of cholesterol in your body. The most common foods that contain saturated fats that you should look out for and limit your consumption of are:
- Processed Foods
- Dairy Products
- Doughnuts (Anything Deep Fried)
- Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
- Crackers
- Cookies
- Margarine
The best way to navigate between products that have trans fats is to buy products that are whole foods and that expire within weeks, not months or years. This will ensure that you are most likely consuming something that is nutrient rich and is going to be beneficial for you health and wellness.
Conclusion
So not only can fats be good for you, they are a vital part of optimal health. Taking them out of your diet can cause a host of undesirable symptoms like:
- Depression
- Fatigue
- Thinking Problems
- Vision Problems
- Ashy Skin
- Digestive Problems
The only time the amount of fat ingestion should really be limited to a small amount of grams is when you if you are dieting for a show. And in which case professional bodybuilders do not even do so until around eight weeks out of a competition.
Fat in itself is VERY calorie dense. Where as protein and carbs are calculated at 4 calories per gram, fat is at 9 calories per gram. Calories can add up quick with a high fat diet, so just be mindful of how much you are consuming. The FDA recommends having a fat intake between 20-35 percent of your daily caloric intake.
So at the end of the day be a hawk when it comes to looking at ingredients. You can quickly scan the back of the nutritional facts on any product checking how much good fat (unsaturated) and how bad fat (saturated) the product contains. Integrate more unsaturated fats into your diet for better health and feeling more full throughout the day.
