Good Fats

People still get confused with the difference between a good fat and a bad fat, I know that I do. So here is an explanation that I think will clear things up for you a little.

So why good fats? What are these good fats, and why are they so good for us?. Why do we need good fats in our daily diet?.

It is not a secret that eating too much fat can make us overweight. We used to try to avoid fat, but we still gained weight. Now we know that we need some fats in our daily diet to keep ourselves healthy, avoiding all fats can be detrimental to our health. The healthy fats are know to us as the “good” fats.

So what exactly are these good fats? and why are they so important in our diet?. We know natural fats as either saturated or unsaturated, the saturated fats are mainly from animal fats like butter, cream, beef. These fats are solid fats and are not good for us in large quantities over time.

Unsaturated fats are mainly oils from vegetables like olive oils and avocados, as well as the oils that we get from seeds, nuts, eggs, oily fish and leafy green vegetables. These are all needed, as they give us the essential fatty acids that we need from the groups Omega 3 and Omega 6. It is important that you get the correct ratio of Omega 3:6 in your daily diet, it is essential for your body for good health and can protect us against certain disorders and food allergies.

These essential fatty acids are needed in the body for many reasons:
- Healthy hormone production
- Healthy immune system
- To protect our internal organs
- Will help to improve cholesterol levels
- Provides us with fuel to burn when needed
- Keep our skin & hair healthy
- Assist in maintaining our mental stability
- To assist in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A,D,E & K, which we need for healthy growth and development.

We all tend to eat too many saturated fats, it is hard to avoid them with the packaged and processed food that we find on the supermarket shelves. Experts have agreed that we should limit our total fat intake to 30 percent, with no more than 10 percent of that coming from saturated fats. Which means that we should be cutting back on our intake of meats, butter, ice-cream and commercial products. Then increasing our intake of fish, flaxseed, eggs, avocado & olive oils to ensure that you have a healthy diet.

When you are next thinking about cutting the fat out on your diet to lose weight, don’t include the “good” ones as you need them for a healthy diet.

Choosing a Weight Loss Program - Programs that I have followed.

Works for Me Wednesday - Get Better Sleep