The Benefits of Eating More Fat

Do you think that eating fat will make you fat? If so, you’re not to blame! The media and incorrectly reported research has led us to believe that we are what we eat (read our in-depth article here). However, that thinking’s simply not true! In fact, the right fats are extremely good for you. So much so that they’re an ESSENTIAL part of your everyday diet. Including healthy fats in your diet can even help you to lose weight and get the lean, chiselled body you’re after. If you’re still hesitant, read on to find out what the benefits of eating more fat are, which to include and which to avoid.

The Benefits of Eating More Fat

• Helps in achieving weight loss – Encourages your body to burn fat stores, discourages fat storage, fills you up and keeps you satisfied for longer so you’re less likely to overeat
• Contain essential nutrients
• Improves digestive function
• Encourages protein synthesis for greater strength and lean muscle gains
• Reduces muscle soreness
• Helps to create healthy skin and hair
• Balances your hormones
• Helps to prevent diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, type II diabetes and heart problems

Which Fats to Include in Your Diet

• Omega-3’s – Omega-3’s including EPA, DHA and AHA are first and foremost the most important sources of fat to include in your diet. They’re responsible for lowering your risk of developing numerous diseases as well as decreasing inflammation and improving your metabolism. Aim to get the majority of your omega-3’s from whole food sources such as fatty fish, flaxseeds and walnuts before turning to supplements.
• Coconut oil – Coconut oil is great for cooking at high temperatures as it has a high smoke point.
• Butter – Butter contains a lot of fat soluble vitamins including vitamin K that helps your body to better absorb calcium. It also contains linoleic acid which helps to fight cancer, build muscles and aid in weight loss.
• Avocado
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Nuts – Full of healthy fats and an array of vitamins, nuts are a great snack that helps with weight loss and protecting overall health. Watch out for roasted nuts that are coated in unhealthy vegetable oils and sugared nuts. Instead buy raw nuts and toast yourself if you like them crunchy

Things to Avoid When Eating More Fats

While it is true that including enough healthy fat in your diet is great for your general health and can help you to lose weight, that doesn’t mean you should eat all fatty foods with abandon! Try to avoid:

• Lots of carbs, particular processed ones – Carbs (particularly refined ones) cause inflammation, increase your cholesterol and disrupt your insulin levels. By limiting your carbohydrate intake you’ll be able to effectively improve your health and optimise your metabolism.
• Vegetable oils – Oils such as canola, corn, soy and sunflower look healthy on the surface. With high levels of monounsaturated fats and omega-6’s, they’re promoted as being ‘heart healthy’ but are anything but. Vegetable oils are actually highly processed. They’ve been heated, washed and treated with chemicals to disrupt their profiles in a way that’s damaging to the body.
• Deep fried foods – Fried foods are typically highly processed and cooked in harmful vegetable oils.

Eating Fat for Weight Loss

As you can see, there are plenty of great benefits of eating more fat. Just remember, that fat has more calories per gram than protein or carbs so some sense is required if weight loss is your goal. Follow these guidelines of which types of fats to include and exclude from your diet, honour your natural hunger cues and maintain an active life.

If you’re looking for a healthy way to lose fat and live in the St Kilda area, contact us today about personal or group training. Eating more healthy fats will be part of the plan!