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Writer's pictureGraham Kavanagh

Is fat in the diet important?


Is fat in the diet important? Fat must be bad considering all the health problems it causes? Yet why is it a macro-nutrient if we shouldnt eat it? These are common questions but the fact of the matter is our bodies need fat. The important point is the type of fat and how much of it we consume.


Many fad "diets" prey on unsuspecting individuals who are looking for quick fixes to lose fat.. that actually don't exist or simply not sustainable long term.


Despite many people believing fat to be bad for you, fat has a purpose and in fact multiple purposes that are too long for this blog post. Fat is a macronutrient along with carbohydrates and protein which are the other two macronutients. Macronutrients are needed in substantial proportions for a healthy and functioning body.


🔶 WHAT DOES FAT DO?


Fat helps to protect internal organs.

Provides insulation subcutaneously (fat beneath the skin).

Insulates nerve cells to conduct messages efficiently.

Energy provision.

Assists the growth, repair and development of body tissues.

Maintains healthy reproductive hormones in women.

Adds flavour to food.

Provides essential fatty acids (EFA's).


🔶 ARE ALL FATS THE SAME?


No. Here lies the balance of healthy intake of fat and unhealthy intakes of fat. There are classifications of fat...


🔴 Saturated fats (meat, meat products, eggs and butter for example).

🔴 Poly-unsaturated (regarded as the best or healthiest to eat, vegetables, plant oil, corn oil and oily fish are examples).

🔴 Mono-unsaturated (Avocado, many nuts and seeds and olive oil).

🔴 Trans fats (hydrogenation). The majority are processed by are procedure known as hydrogenation.. converting a liquid fat into a solid fat. Cakes, biscuits, some margarines, fast food and manufactured products including ready made microwave meals.

🔴 Essential fatty acids. (Oily fish, seed and oil, pumpkin seeds and dark green veg are examples). There are certain types of polyunsaturated fats thatvare essential to the human body. This means they cannot be manufactured in the body from other fats and must be provided in the diet. These are Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids.


🔶 QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF FAT.


It is important to understand and weigh up the quality and quantity of fat types towards a healthy balanced diet. The health risks of...


High fat. Too much fat can lead to weight gain and obesity as well as the development of coronary heart disease.


Low fat. Go too low and the risks of fat deficiency are poor skin and hair condition, hormone imbalances and an impaired immune system.


A point to note is that diets high in saturated fats have been linked to plaque formations in the artery walls and in turn leading to coronary heart disease. A point to note on hormone imbalances... hormones are chemical messengers in the body that travel through the bloodstream to organs and tissues.


If a hormone imbalance is left untreated it can result in serious medical conditions such as diabetes. Depending where the imbalance is taking place growth disorders are possible.


🔶 HOW MUCH OF OUR FOOD INTAKE SHOULD BE FAT?


Fat being one of the macro-nutrients should have an intake of no-more than 35% of your caloric values per day. This is a ball park figure that is sometimes stated as no more than 30% of intake.


Of this, no more than 11% should be saturated fats.


Consuming less than 25% fat is not generally sustainable and can be dangerous resulting in fat deficiency problems.


Why do people need essential fatty acids? Essential fatty acids are needed by everyone.


As well as an element of energy provision - EFA's form part of the structure of every cell in the human body and provide... a healthy heart, healthy brain, healthy organs, eyes, skin, hair, joints and immune system.


To see how I can help you make progress with improving fitness levels and managing and improving health conditions.. why not get in touch today and book your FREE consultation?








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