Category: Calories

Good fats can help you lose weight. For over 30 years, fats have been considered responsible for the extra pounds. Diets entirely excluded the fat intake, although the human body needs fat to function properly! Persons who have excluded the fat from the menu have observed imbalances and diseases of certain organs, which until now were considered as obesity effects. It was found that obesity and diseases have appeared because of a diet that excluded the “good fat”.

Excluding fat from daily menu leads to obesity! In the United States, studies have shown that obesity has increased by 20% in the last 20 years due to the exclusion of fats from the daily menu. Although in 1960 the U.S., 45% from the calories eaten in a day were fat and only 13% of them were obese. In 2007, 33% of daily calories came from fat, but the rate of obesity has increased to 34%! Thereby, although Americans consume less fat, they tend to be much more obese than before. In other words, fat can help you maintain your weight, with the condition to know how and what to eat!

The problem is that when it comes to fat, people don’t know the difference between the bad fat and the one that body needs – the good fat. Even if only we consume good fats, you need to know that you may not make excesses! Fats are essential for a healthy body. The human body needs fat to function normally. 60% of the brain is fat, so lipids are very important for it to function properly for a fast learning, memory and an overall good mood. Fat can also protect the cells from the body and help them to regenerate and is an important source of beneficial compound to the cell membrane. All bodies need fat to function normally. 60% of heart energy is produced by burning fats. Good fat should not miss from the daily menu if you do not have heart problems! Nerves, lungs and eyes need fat to function normally and to keep away diseases. Good fat can help your digestion; slowing it and allowing the body to absorb the nutrients before the stomach digest the food. Fats can reduce the inflammations and they are very good for a strong immune system.

Fats are of several types: monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, saturated and trans fats. Monounsaturated fat (good fat) comes from olives, hazel-nuts, avocados, nuts, almonds, peanuts or pumpkin seeds. Mediterranean Diet proposes a rich menu in these fats, which help those who follow this diet to be healthy and have a strong immune system, having the lowest risk of cardiovascular disease in the world! Polyunsaturated fat (good fat) derived from sunflower, corn, soy or fish. This includes Omega 3 fatty acids, which protects your cardiovascular system and brain. Saturated fat (good fat in small quantities, bad fat when taken too much) is derived from red meat, whole milk, coconut oil, palm oil, and very little from the chicken and fish meat. These fats increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, because they have so much cholesterol. Trans fat (hydrogenated or fat such as margarine – bad fat) are very dangerous for your health and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease! You can find these in snacks, fast food meal type and most of the foodstuff that we buy form stores (crackers, cookies, candy, instant puddings and creams, etc.).

The first two categories of fat are considered good fats, saturated ones are not recommended (especially in excess) and the trans ones are truly dangerous to your health! What kind of fat contains your food from your store place? Many of the products we use every day contain several types of fats. Try to choose the unsaturated (mono are ideal), which will help you to have a healthy body and to maintain your form. Eliminate trans fat from your daily menu and you’ll keep away cardiovascular disease! Although you thought that margarine helps you stay in form, you ware wrong because they are rich in trans fats and it was a real danger to your health and can lead to obesity!

Type of fat	Saturated	Monounsaturated	Polyunsaturated
in beef	7.1	6	0.5
in butter	9	4.1	0.6
canola oil	0.8	8.4	4.4
in chicken	4.2	6.4	3
coconut oil	11.7	0.8	0.2
corn oil	1.7	3.4	7.9
cotton seed oil	3.6	2.6	6.9
Crisco	3.8	6	3.8
Lard	5.6	6.4	1.6
olive oil	1.9	9.8	1.2
peanut oil	2.6	6.2	4.1
soya oil	2	3.1	7.8
safflower oil	1.3	1.7	10
sunflower oil	1.4	2.8	8.7

Omega 3 are a real source of health! Omega 3 fatty acids should not miss from the menu of healthy diets! Recent studies have shown that Omega 3 acids protect you from cardiovascular disease, liver cancer, depressions and neurological disorders (including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer or Dementia). Whether you choose to eat fish meat (salmon or tuna) or you choose fish oil supplements, Omega 3 acids will help you to have a healthy body and maintain your weight and form.