Why You Need Fat In Your Diet
Fats, also known as lipids, are valuable sources of slow, but long-lasting energy consumed in the diet.
This valuable nutrient is great for helping you stay fuller for longer but is easy to overconsume, and just like anything else you eat, if you do not use it for energy, then it is stored as body fat.
There are three types of Fat:
- Saturated Fat,
- Unsaturated Fat,
- and Cholesterol.
Saturated Fat
First, saturated fat is known as “bad” fat due to its properties linking it to many heart illnesses.
However, one important thing to remember about saturated fat is that it is created in the body. For fat to be stored in the body it must be converted into saturated fat so that it can be solidified at normal body temperature.
This means that saturated fat does not need to be in the diet!
Yet, it is not recommended to avoid natural meats that have relatively high amounts of saturated fat, because these meats also have higher nutrient content as well. Without saturated fat in your diet, your health will suffer through a lack of fat soluble vitamins.
To avoid excess saturated fat, simply do not eat the fat that you see on meat and avoid foods that have an abundance of saturated fat in them, with few other key nutrients.
Unsaturated Fat
Next, there are two types of unsaturated fat:
- Polyunsaturated
- and Monounsaturated.
Both forms of unsaturated fats are essential and must be consumed often to maintain a healthy body.
To ensure you get an adequate amount of these essential fats, consume foods rich in unsaturated fat and low in saturated fat, such as nuts, avocados, olive oil, fish and lean meats.
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is also linked to many heart illnesses, but this is more due to the excessive saturated fat in our diets rather than the cholesterol consumed.
Like saturated fat, cholesterol is also formed in the body.
Cholesterol is used by the body to create hormones such as estrogen and testosterone. This makes cholesterol a highly valuable nutrient, especially for those looking to build muscle and get stronger.
We are told to avoid excessive cholesterol in our diets, however, the body makes way more cholesterol than is consumed in a regular diet, and those that train hard need a lot of cholesterol to keep their hormones up.
It has been found that only when saturated fat is high in the diet alongside a lack of exercise, so too are the dangers associated with cholesterol and heart illness.
With this in mind, realize that cholesterol is not harmful. Lack of a healthy diet combined with a lack of exercise is.
Eat Your Fat!
Realize that fat is important for every diet. Even body fat is important for optimal body function as well as fat-soluble vitamin storage.
Fat is a great source of energy, an insulator and allows the body to perform optimally. Without proper amounts of all 3 types of fat in your diet, your health and performance will suffer.
To ensure an adequate amount of these essential nutrients, consume these foods regularly:
- Eggs
- Red Meat
- Lean Meat
- Fish
- Nuts
- Avocados
- Olive Oil
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