With the onset of the fitness and weight loss revolution that many of us have been subjected to for the last couple of decades, the idea that Fat is a dirty word has become very popular. Yet never fear the once dreaded “F” word- fat is neither a bad word nor a bad ingredient to your foods and therefore should not be stricken from your vocabulary nor diet. Whats really surprising is that if your one of the millions who has tried to lose weight and couldn’t you might want to take note that removing fat from your diet doesn’t necessarily removing it from your body and could have actually added to the weight scale.
That’s because not all fats were created equal. Yes, some are not so good. And some, we should avoid like the plague. But some types of fats are not only get ready for it GOOD for you, but they’re actually essential for your body to function properly. So, the type of fat you consume is just as, if not more, important than the amount you take in.
Look at the facts: Despite nearly three decades of a low fat or fat free barrage of advertisements and revolutionary weight loss ideas, the fact still remains that over that same time period obesity hasn’t decreased but increased, nearly doubling. Why is this? you may ask. Well, while this revolution has continued to cut fat out of foods the need for flavor in those foods is still very much a reality. To fill the void then our food has been introduced to simple carbohydrates and sugars not to mention the many synthetic substances and chemicals all added to resemble something like tasty food while at the same time turning into very unhealthy food.
So here’s the skinny on fat. There are four different types of fat that are found in the foods we eat: Monounsaturated, Polyunsaturated, Saturated and Trans. The first two are the good for you kind and can be found in Olive Oil, Avocados, different nuts and seeds and in proteins like fish. Saturated fats, while naturally occurring in meats and dairy as well as some tropical vegetable oils, need to be limited because they contain triglycerides which have been found to raise your LDL (or bad cholesterol) levels and therefore increase your risk of heart disease or stroke.
Interesting though, is that eating the good fats will have the opposite effect. Trans fats, or partially hydrogenated oils as they are sometimes disguised, are mainly lab created fats that help lengthen the shelf life of food. It’s the kind of fat found in shortenings, fast food, snack food, fried food or just to sum up, junk food. All you really need to know when it comes to Trans fats is that, health wise; there are no redeeming qualities what so ever.
So whats next then right? To begin try not to make a rash decision by ridding your fridge and cupboard of anything that contains the bad fats, try to first adjust your thinking that not all fat is bad and that the good fat is actually healthy and let’s face it makes you food taste so much better. Get into a good habit of reading labels, not with the intent of seeing how much fat is in an item but rather what kinds of fats it contains, skipping foods that contain trans and saturated fats. Starting here will help you get on the path of healthy living, and combining this with some simple workout routines will not only make you and your body happier but also your taste buds.
There are many different kinds of Workout Routines available for weight loss. One of my personal favorites though is the Power 90 workout a great program designed to help you dance the weight off.