You've been told for years how bad
fats can be for your heart, your waist and your overall health. So naturally,
besides an avocado here or a little olive oil there, you've pretty much
eliminated it from your eating plan altogether. Fat, it turns out, can actually
be your best friend when you're trying to shed a few pounds.
Here are a few fun facts about fat:
- Fat is a macronutrient, a basic component of every eating
plan, which means you need it!
- Fats help you absorb important vitamins, such as A, D
and E, so if your diet doesn't contain healthy fats, chances are you're
not absorbing these key nutrients.
- Fats are vital for your nervous system.
- Eating fats may also reduce your chance of developing
heart disease.
So how does eating fat help you lose
weight? Simple. It boosts the liver's function of releasing fat so that it's
more readily available to burn fat.
Yes, you need fat to burn fat.
The key: choose the good-for-you
fats and limit the bad kinds.
Unsaturated fats, such as monounsaturated
fats and polyunsaturated fats, are the "good" fats. They help raise
good (HDL) cholesterol and lower bad (LDL) cholesterol. They protect against
plaque building up in your arteries. And according to research, unsaturated
fats also help prevent belly fat. Additionally, these healthy fats may help
boost brain function, strengthen the immune system and improve your mood. These
healthy fats pack a mighty punch when it comes to your total health!
So what kinds of fats are good for
you?
- Olives
- Olive oil
- Coconut oil
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Peanuts
- Nut butters
- Avocados
- Fatty fish, such as salmon and mackerel
- Flaxseeds
- Walnuts
Surprisingly, ingestion of some
saturated fats may help improve total fat loss, too. How? Saturated fat
encourages healthy liver function, which in turn helps your body burn more fat.
In fact, low carb diets high in saturated fat can actually lead to more weight
loss than low-fat diets. The key here is to select organic sources, especially
for butter, beef, pork and chicken.
Try to stay away from trans-fat,
which are typically found in fried foods like French fries, doughnuts and
chips.
