Fat Explained

Feb 18, 2011 by Tatianna

 

People in generally are scared of the word fat.   I know I was :).  Because they believe that fat is what makes them fat.  That is actually a myth in a way.

Fats have 9 calories per gram while carbs and proteins contain only 4, so it is easy to see why foods high in fat are also high in calories.  Even though carbs are the body’s major source of energy, fat is the most highly concentrated source of energy, over carbohydrates and proteins.

It is the wrong fat that makes you fat,  simply because it is useless to our bodies.  But the right kind of fat in the right amounts, is essential to your body and your brain.

There is a lot of reasons why our bodies need fat.  Fat is an essential ingredient for healthy skin and hair, and acts as a carrying agent in the transportation of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Dietary fat provides us with essential fatty acids, which the body does not manufacture on it’s own. Fatty acids aid in many bodily functions, including the regulation of blood pressure, it also helps to regulate cholesterol in your blood.   Fats make you feel full because they increase the time needed to empty food from your stomach.

The trick is to know the good fat from the bad.
Saturated and Trans fat is the artery-clogging fat that increase blood cholesterol.  Those are the ones you have to cut down on.   Saturated fat comes mainly from animal sources like meat and dairy products,  but it can also be found in coconut and palm oils.
Trans fat comes from hydrogenated vegetable oils like margarine and vegetable shortening.

The Good Fat – or more healthy fat, is unsaturated fat, generally found found in olive oil, canola oil peanut oil, avocados and nuts.   This types of fat considered the healthiest for your heart and body.

15% of your daily nutrition intake should come from good fat.

Saturated and Trans fat are the once you want to avoid like a plague. Trans fats are found in hundreds of processed foods usually to enhance the flavor or prevent the products from going bad.   God only know how long those foods has been on those shelves.   Restaurants tend to use a lot of Trans fat (hydrogenated vegetable oil),  especially for frying.   Trans fats are the worst for the cardiovascular system than saturated fats.

Researchers have calculated that Trans fats alone are responsible for at least 30,000 premature deaths from heart disease every year in the US.

Diet high in Saturated Fat ,  may promote breast,  colon,  lung,  prostate and rectal cancers.

I personally believe that all of those processed foods that american’s love so much, are responsible for highest obesity rating in the world.  It is so sad to me,   I see so many people are suffering and yet the processed foods manufacturers are still on the top.

 

What did you think about my post?

 

Tatianna