Healthy and Fat

Fat is probably the most tained macronutrient – everyone can tell a lot about its harmful influence on your health and physical shape, but far less can remember that fact that fat is, actually, one of the milestones of healthy body. Without it such vitamins as A, E, D and K cannot be absorbed, lack of energy will soon appear, as there will be nowhere to get it, and even body cells themselves won’t be able to communicate as there will be no cell membranes… without fat. So to consider fat NOT essential in your nutrition is one of the biggest mistakes you can do.

Still, fat is different and consequently has to be separated in two categories: e.g. good fat (mono- and polyunsaturated fats) and e.g. bad fat (saturated fats and trans fatty acids). Useful fats can benefit your health through increasing GDL cholesterol and substituting LDL cholesterol, while harmful ones can seriously damage your body if not limited.

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are contained in vegetable oils (olive, safflower, flaxseed sunflower seed and others), nuts and fish. Including these products in your diet will help to keep good level of such elements as Linoleic Acid (Omega-6) and Linolenic Acid (Omega-3), also called EFA’s (Essential Fatty Acids). These acids have to be imported as they cannot be manufactured within the body.

Bad fats are considered bad because they increase LDL cholesterol level, which leads, eventually, to coronary diseases. Therefore you need to avoid animal sources, such as meat (except chicken), milk and cheese in big amounts. Processed food is also a rich source of fats that should be limited.

The whole fat intake should be approximately 15-25% of your total calories. Less percent may cause health problems, while going above will promote adipose tissue growth. Combining fats with high GI carbohydrates can also cause some problems, as insulin from the carbohydrates will promote this growth as well.