Fats, what to know and which to eat, at Nutrition school to learn how to eat healthy!
Our body requires micronutrients (minerals, oligo (trace) elements & vitamins), macronutrients (protein, fat & carbohydrates) & water. These elements are received through nutrition & are necessary for our organism to function normally, it is impossible to do without one of these elements, in particular the macro-nutrients & therefore also fat. Very often with regards to the micronutrients one must integrate them through supplements because the quantity contained in food is not enough to satisfy our organism’s needs.
Fat or lipids (“lipos” from greek) are substances that have one common characteristic, low water solubility. They are made from Hydrogen, Oxygen & carbon. They can be divided into three main categories:
- Simple lipids or triglycerides (present in the adipose tissue & in foods, amongst these we find the essential fats like Omega 3).
- Compound lipids
- Derived lipids (cholesterol)
The simple lipids are divided into saturated & unsaturated. Saturated fats are more dense & usually solid, for this reason they tend to place themselves in the blood vessels, blocking them.
There is also another category of fat created artificially by man, that is Hydrogenated fat, these are saturated fats to which hydrogen has been added, allowing us to obtain a longer lasting & more consistent product but they are also more harmful for human health because they induce our liver to produce “bad” cholesterol & lead to premature ageing & slower metabolism.
Fats must give us approximately 25-30% of our daily calorie allowance. In right quantities they are necessary for our organism because they produce energy & have a protective function towards our organism’s tissue structure, they protect heart, brain, liver & kidneys, moreover the layer under our skin protects our body from climate changes & allow the assumption of fat-soluble vitamins, & also have a fundamental role in the hormone systhesis. However an excessive consumption will leave us with visible unnecessary fat & extra pounds.
The so called “good” fats therefore the unsaturated fats, that keep our arteries clean, could be found in:
-Linseed oil
-Wheat germ oil
-Extra virgin olive oil
-oily fruit & seeds
-oily fish
-avocado
-eggs (eggs contain both saturated & unsaturated fats, therefore they must be consumed with moderation)
Unsaturated fats also prevent the formation of artery plaque, stroke & heart attack.
On the other hand the so called “bad” fats are saturated fats, and obviously also hydrogenated fats, which cause liver problems, atherosclerosis, hypercholesterolemia & hypertension (high blood pressure), therefore they must not be consumed more than 2-3 times a week & are:
-products of animal origin (example; meat, cheese etc)
-Palm & coconut oil
-prepacked & precooked industrial products
-fried foods
Amongst the “bad” fats we have also put hydrogenated fats, but actually whilst saturated fats can be consumed but with moderation, hydrogenated fats should be removed completely from our diet, because they are harmful to liver, heart & brain & induce overweight. We can find them in many bakery products, fast food & precooked industrial foods, therefore we must read the labels carefully before purchasing a product.
Take a look at our tried and tested method: Anti-Diet
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