For years there has been much debate about fat and whether you should eat fats or avoid them.
Here you will discover the truth about fats and find the answer to the important question: Does eating fat make you healthy or unhealthy?
You will also learn whether eating fat affects the amount of fat on your body, and if it helps or hinders you when trying to lose weight.
Not all fats are the same
The most important thing to remember about fats is that they are NOT all the same!
There are four different types of fats and some are healthier than others, so it’s very helpful to know which are the best fats to eat and which you should avoid. Here they are…
Unsaturated fats – There are two types of unsaturated fats which are called polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats. These are the most healthy fats and are proven to be good for your health.
They help you have a healthy heart, arteries, and cholesterol levels, as well as helping your brain function well. You should definitely include these fats as part of your diet.
Some great examples are nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, and oily fish like mackerel, salmon, herring, sardines, and tuna.
Saturated fats – These fats are often found in meat and dairy products. They were once thought to be unhealthy fats, although the latest research suggests this may not be the case.
So the best thing to do with saturated fats, and the medical advice, is to keep your saturated fats low and mainly eat the proven, healthy unsaturated fats which are polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats.
By eating the healthy unsaturated fats in place of saturated fats, it’s been proven to lower your risk of heart disease.
Trans fats – This type of fat is shown to be bad for your health, for example by negatively affecting your heart and arteries.
These fats are being eliminated as much as possible in many countries, although if you still see “trans fats” or “hydrogenated oil” on a nutrition label then it’s best to avoid those foods.
Why you should eat plenty of fats
Fats are very important to include in your diet. Along with carbohydrates and protein, they are essential for you to have a healthy body and reach a healthy weight.
There’s no need at all to cut out or minimise fats because doing so will only negatively affect your physical and mental health AND make it harder to lose weight.
So you need fats… But remember that you still need the right fats!
The most healthy fats (unsaturated fats) help your body to function better. They are good for your heart, arteries, brain, and joints. They also help you look at your best by keeping your hair, skin, and nails as healthy as possible.
Does eating fats make you fat?
You may have heard the myth that eating fats makes you fat. This is completely false.
When you eat fat, it does NOT automatically get added to your body as fat. Instead, the way that you gain fat and gain weight is by eating excess calories. It’s calories that matter!
If you eat too many calories, your body will store the excess energy as fat.
Having said this, you do need to be careful with high fat foods. This is because fat has more calories per gram of weight than carbohydrates and protein…
Each gram of fat that you eat contains 9 calories, whereas each gram of carbohydrates and protein that you eat contains 4 calories.
This means that if you eat high fat foods, you are more likely to be eating foods that are also high in calories. And remember, it’s this high number of calories that is affecting your weight, not the fat.
To lose weight and reach a healthy weight, your focus should be on controlling the number of calories you consume. Then as part of your healthy diet, you should include healthy fats.
Use fats to help you gain health while losing weight
Fats in themselves do not make you healthy or unhealthy. It’s the type of fats you eat that really matters.
Eating the wrong fats is “unhealthy” and will lead to health problems over the longer term. Also, eating too many high fat and high calorie foods will lead to weight gain and weight problems.
On the other hand, eating the right fats is “healthy”. This will lead to you having a healthy body that functions better and helps you avoid various health problems. Then, keeping your high fat and high calorie foods under control will help you to also control your weight.
So to be healthy, to look after your body, and to look after your weight, include healthy fats as part of your diet. Your poor health or great health depends on it!
To get more healthy eating tips and advice, such as the type of foods you should eat and how to structure your eating routines to get the best health and lose weight, get started with the BoostMyLife Online Program.
James Porter
BoostMyLife Founder
P.S. Get your FREE copy of The Top Ten Mistakes You Must Avoid When Losing Weight
