Fats: Exonerated

For most people, "FAT"are three words that bring fear to their hearts.

For the most part, what people believe is that their daily fat intake is responsible for those who are overweight and therefore feel that they need to be eliminated from their diet in order to regain weight.

What makes this worse is the media and all the links between fat and heart disease, cholesterol problems and what not.

But:

In fact, the diet's fat CRUCIAL for our fitness goals and our overall health.

And losing fat is not only harmful to us but actually damages our movement towards a better and more attractive body.

The good part is that fat is not what it is today as it was back in the 80s and 90s. Today, carbohydrates have been blamed for weight gain and therefore, fat has gained some flexibility. The recent omega 3 fats that are really good for all have helped in clearing up the fat for the most part.

So even though fat is starting to lose its negative stigma, not many people talk about the true purpose of fat and its benefits. So my goal with this article is to do that and also explain the specific myths associated with fat.

So here we go

FAT DIETER:

Dietary fats are one of the three macronutrients found in our diet. However it is very energy efficient (9 calories per gram compared to 4 cals / gm for carbohydrates and protein). Because it is a macronutrient, it can be used by the body to provide energy. However, this is only possible if the main source of energy (i.e. carbohydrates) is not available. Fat or lipids belong to a group of nutrients that do not mix with water (called 'hydrophobic' or 'hate water').

Now, there are some areas of dietary fat that I want to focus on. They need to be understood, not only by fitness enthusiasts but also by someone who wants to improve their health and lead a better life.

i) Functions

ii) Classification

iii) Trans fat

iv) Saturated fat and heart disease

v) Fat diet and adipose tissue

i) FUNCTIONS:

Fat plays an important role in the functioning of the human body. They serve many important functions such as:

• One of the biggest functions of dietary fat is to regulate hormones especially anabolic hormones like Testosterone and HGH (growth hormone)


• They are required for the structure of every cell in the human body.


• Fat acts like a 'doorkeeper' which allows nutrients to enter cells and waste.


• They help the cell wall to receive signals from hormones such as insulin


• Many nerve cells in the brain and nervous system are surrounded by fatty acids that help in the faster transmission of nerve signals


• A good balance of essential fatty acids (omega-3s and omega-6s) is required to maintain a healthy blood clot, blood circulation, cholesterol level, inflammation and immune response.


• Essential fats are required to maintain your body's metabolic rate (BMR)


• It is important in maintaining lean body mass (LBM)

ii) CLASSIFICATION:

There are three main categories of fat:

1. Triglycerides


2. Phospholipid


3. Cholesterol

The most common oil in our diet (95%) is triglyceride. So I'm going to talk about them in this article.

I'm going to write about dietary cholesterol in another post just because it deserves priceless attention and the fact that I don't want to make this article too long.

Most people don't have anything to do with Phospholipids so I'll leave it alone (Don't want to bear you with unnecessary information)

So, triglycerides. They are made up of fatty acids. The types of fatty acids are:

1) Saturated fatty acids

• The fat is compact at room temperature.


• All animal fats have unsaturated fatty acids


• Exceptions are fish that have unsaturated fatty acids


• This type of fatty acid has been blamed as the leading cause of heart disease. I will handle this further from this post

2) Insufficient fatty acids

• The fat is liquid at room temperature


• All plant fats have unsaturated fatty acids.


• Exceptions are coconut which has saturated fatty acids


• It is of two types:

a) Non-saturated fatty acids (MUFA) or Omega-9 fatty acids

b) Poly unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) - These are classified as Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats..

iii) FAT TRANS:

If you notice, I do not include Trans fat in the fat classification. Although some traces of trans fat naturally occur in foods, most fats do not naturally occur and are commonly made by humans.

Fat trans THE WORST edible food.

Trans fats are synthetic fats present in processed foods.

Examples of such foods are:

1) Potato chip

2) Fried potatoes and crackers

3) Margarine

4) Pastries, cakes, donuts, cookies / cookies

5) Fried chicken

Trans fats are made by a chemical process known as partial hydrogenation. Fat fats are created because they process more food to give them a longer shelf life.

Trans fats are the worst type of fat and are the leading cause of heart disease and cholesterol problems that many face today.

In fact, they are so terrible that they have a worse effect on food pollutants and pesticides.

Regardless of whether you want to maintain a fit and attractive body, you must avoid trans fats as they damage the body internally and affect your own health.

In fact, by simply eliminating the foods mentioned above, you can take advantage of the following benefits:

1) Fast and lasting fat loss

2) Increase Stamina

3) Healthy and clean environment in the body

4) More energy

5) Drastic reduction in LDL (bad) cholesterol and HDL (good) cholesterol increase

So what are you waiting for?

Get rid of trans fat and move to a healthier, cleaner and sweaty body today!

iv) FAT SATURATION AND HEALTH:

Saturated fats are present in gray areas when they become part of our diet. I will oppose all propaganda and state it saturated fat is actually good for us to some extent. Saturated fats promote testosterone which helps in the process of gaining muscle. However, as these fats are found in hidden sources and are only needed in limited quantities, one does not need to add them clearly to their diet.

One myth associated with saturated fat and making a bad name for it is the connection between Sat-fat and heart disease. This is due to a thorough investigation conducted in 1950 by a scientist named Ancel Keys.

Now, I can go on and explain how his research was fake but again, you can tell that by internet search alone.

v) FATIC DIETER AND ADAPTED TISSUE:

This is something that needs to be understood. Fat diet and body fat (adipose tissue) are NOT THE SAME. And there was no last incident because of the former.

All fats in the body are not adipose tissue.

Adipose tissue is only meant to store unused fat. Absent tissue is found under the skin (subcutaneous fat) throughout the body and around the internal organs (visceral fat).

The purpose of adipose tissue is to

• 
  
  
  
  Serves as an emergency energy reserve


• 
  
  
  
  To keep the body warm (heat insulation)


• 
  
  
  
  To protect the organs from physical effects

Contrary to what many believe, dietary fat does not necessarily lead to increased body fat.

Fat in your diet will be stored as body fat ONLY if it is used more than your body needs to perform its function.

So do carbohydrates and protein. If you take more than you need, it will be stored as fat.

Therefore, your dietary fat is not related to the amount of fat in your body.

This concludes my long article on Fat Diet. I hope it brings you a better understanding of the topic and eliminates the nonsense that has been spread.

Make sure you understand the role of fat and NEED it to be eliminated from your diet regardless of your fitness goals. Struggle to take off 25-30% of your calories from fat (depending on your activity and goals) that most should be saturated fat. Give it a try, and see what difference it makes to your body.

Here are some references to the fats you should take and what you should avoid.

Take:

Single unsaturated fats: Olive oil, Avocados, Olive, Almonds, Peanuts, Macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, nuts, Sunflower oil, Peanut oil, Sesame oil.

Fat table fat: Fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, trout, sardines), walnuts, hemp seeds, corn oil, Safflower oil.

Unsaturated fat: Coconut oil, 2% cottage cheese, 2% milk, natural butter (rare), low fat cheese

Avoid:

Trans fat: Food pastries, biscuits, donuts, muffins, cakes, pizza dough, Snacks (crackers, microwave popcorn, chips), Fried foods (fried potatoes, fried chicken, chicken nuggets,

Unsaturated fat: High fat cuts of meat (beef, goat, pork), chicken with skin, fat dairy products (milk and cream), ice cream, palm oil, fat

Until the future,

Fats: Exonerated


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