Fats: The good, the bad and the ugly!

Fats:  The good, the bad and the ugly!   

 It’s time to clear up some of the clutter around fats.

Did you know that fat is an energy source? Did you know that fat has just over double the energetic output of carbohydrate? And did you know that fat helps you to lose weight?

You probably did. But at the same time you probably also knew that fat makes you fat, fat has a lot of energy and overweight people are called ‘FAT’ people so I shouldn't eat fat.  

Especially for those born before the year 2000, you will have been taught that FAT IS BAD. Eat everything low fat! It’s all in the adverts.  Low fat yogurt to look like the model they paid to hold it.  Low fat cheese - Low fat milk - Low fat Mayonnaise… I’m fishing for ideas now because I don’t eat anything low fat (or at least that is advertised and altered to be LOW FAT).  

Image 1: Proof that fats are structures - Not the devil (Otherwise they would be called Damians...)

Fats are found in NUTS, SEEDS, MEAT, FISH, EGGS, DAIRY, AVOCADOS, OILS, NUT BUTTERS, OLIVES, TOFU and I'm sure many other sub-foods.  

So here are 3 facts regarding FATS and why you should be eating a lot more of them.

• 1 gram of fat = 9 Kcal compared to 1g of Carbohydrate = 4Kcal

This means that eating smaller portions of these provide high fat food will give you with the same amount of energy that just over 2x the size of the meal   would have to be in carbohydrates.  

• Most food, if not all food listed above are also packed with protein.  

Protein is proven to fill you up for longer and you can test this.  People say they feel fuller or more energised and less hungry when they eat a protein based breakfast compared to that of a Carbohydrate based breakfast.  This is relevant because as i mentioned you can pick a high fat breakfast and feel fuller longer due to the protein.

Try it for yourself.  

Day 1- Eat something like a Banana at 7am and see how long it takes till you are hungry again.  (I would say the typical toast breakfast but I’ll put an article out soon as to why this is not a good idea however for science and your own good, try it).

Day 2 - Eat some eggs and avocado or a handful of Almonds again at 7am.   

• There are such a thing as good fats

Good fats come from natural foods.  Nuts, seeds, meat, fish.  I won't repeat the whole list but, these fats have not been chemically altered.  The chemical structure that is, has not been changed.  It’s not processed or fake.  

• The body does store energy as FAT

But it also stores it as sugar in your muscles.  The point I want to make is that you need some storage, and you can never be healthy and deplete all of your storage.  However you can reduce the amount of Fat stored in your body by simply eating less.  Only eating what you body needs will mean energy in is energy out and you stay the same.  Eating less energy and energy being used will cause weight loss and eating more energy than required will cause an increase of fat storage.  Simple stuff.  But it doesn't mean avoid fat.

IT MEANS AVOID OVEREATING!