Is There Anything Such As Healthier Fat? Not All Fats Are Bad Fats! Let’s Us Help You Break Down The Foods That Will Help Your Body Be Healthy And Keep It Satiated.
What do you think makes you fat?
Many people believe that fats, and even carbs, are the “evildoers” that ultimately pack on all the pounds. But we need to look closer if we’re going to find the truth. Do want to know what makes you fat from a nutritional point of view, besides basic overeating of any kind? Eating nutrient poor fats and carbs, and protein for that matter; all will do you in.
In this article we are talking about fats.
Here’s the lowdown on the different types of fats, how they affect your body, and more why healthier fats are not what you’re aiming for. It’s healthy fats, period!
1. Trans Fat
Let’s start with the absolute disaster: Trans-fat is man-made through a process called hydrogenation, which basically involves heating up vegetable oil in the presence of hydrogen gas and changing the structure so that the fat stays solid at room temperature but melts when heated. Trans-fats raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, lower HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and increase inflammation, among many other negative effects.
And get this: Recent studies suggest that even if only 3 percent of your daily calories come from trans- fats, you can end up raising your risk of heart disease by a whopping 23 percent. Trans-fats are DEADLY.
You should never EVER consume trans-fats; you have no nutritional need for them and any food that has them is nutrient barren as a whole guaranteed. This is an unhealthy fat.
2. Saturated Fat
This type of fat is derived from animal sources. You generally find it in meat, butter, and dairy products. Saturated fat has gotten a really bad reputation over the years because it raises LDL cholesterol, and rightly so. But because there is research that floats around the Internet saying that saturated fat also raises HDL cholesterol, the thinking is that the effects of saturated fats on LDL and HDL appear to cancel each other out.
Now, saturated fats are considered good in “moderation.” All to say that animal proteins are no longer under suspicion for being the main culprits in raising cholesterol and increasing your risk of diabetes… Instead, it turns out that processed carbs (like Twinkies!) are to blame.
The problem is, if you are eating saturated fat with the exception of coconut and palm, you are eating micronutrient (vitamin, mineral, fiber and phytochemical-poor foods and “saturated fat” is only one of your problems.
Even though you can use saturated fat as an energy source, and they are
healthier than trans-fats, you still have no nutritional need for saturated fat, and any food that has them is nutrient poor as a whole guaranteed and not a whole food.
3. Monounsaturated Fat
This is pretty much hands-down a beneficial fat. Monounsaturated fat raises your HDL cholesterol and lowers LDL, helping to reduce your risk of heart disease and other health conditions. Monounsaturated fats are also easier to burn, so they’re less likely to be stored as fat. Get your monounsaturated fats guilt-free but still in MODERATION, from healthy sources like, almonds, avocados, cashews, macadamia nuts, peanuts and, pecans, pistachios.
There fats are again healthier, but now the conversation shifts since you are now eating healthy foods, that contain monounsaturated fats. Does that mean get your fats from extra-virgin olive oil, or any oil for that matter? No, oils are nutrient barren and make you fat even with the monounsaturated fats they contain, which are nutrient barren.
4. Polyunsaturated Fat
Some of the polyunsaturated fats that are high in omega-6 fatty acids, like walnuts, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds are really good for you. Others though, like corn, can create hormone-disrupting chemicals, or eicosanoids, that cause inflammation and damage your blood vessels.
Polyunsaturated fats that are high in omega-3 fatty acids, on the other hand, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and tofu, are the best kind of fats you can possibly eat. Both omega-6s and omega-3s lower your “bad” LDL cholesterol, but they also lower your “good” HDL. What makes omega-3s extremely beneficial is that they also reduce inflammation, lower your risk of heart disease and heart attacks, and they’re believed to help combat many other conditions from diabetes to bipolar disorder. And like monounsaturated fats, they’re easy to burn, which makes them unlikely to stick around as stored fat.
We now know that fat is an important element of nutrition. It is crucial for brain function. Consuming fat is also essential for pregnant women because it is integral to fetal brain development as omega 3 fats are converted to EPA and DHA. Fat helps fortify cell membranes, and it insulates and helps protect your nerves. Fat contributes to heart health, digestion, lung function, and even your eye health. It provides a constant level of energy and enables your body to absorb more nutrients, including essential vitamins and antioxidants. And finally, fat makes food taste GOOD and helps us feel satiated.
These are both healthier still and healthy, but not because of the fat itself, but because of the whole food they come packaged in. Foods that are nutrient rich, that provide you what you need and no significant amount of what you don’t need, when eaten in as natural a state as possible will enable you eat foods that contain essential fats and not get fat.
Bottom Line, there is much more than can be said about fat, but it’s not fat that’s bad; you don’t even need to eat a low fat diet, depending on your activity level. It your source of fat and what it comes packaged with that matters. Your fat must come packaged with micronutrients, and if what you are learning about fat is not getting in that that, then you are missing the main point.
Nutrient poor and nutrient barren fat are no good by definition. Only nutrient-rich fat doesn’t make you fat, unless you over eat it, and keeps you healthy.
- Nutrient Rich fat comes from plants
- Nutrient poor fat comes from animals
- Nutrient barren fat comes from refined foods.
If you’re still confused about why you should stop blaming fat, an essential nutrient, as your enemy in the battle of the bulge, then begin learning how to eat More Plant Based Nutrient Rich and you’ll finally understand, the difference between nutrient rich, nutrient poor and nutrient barren fats.