Fat - uses,myths and daily intake

Fat uses
  • A source of energy 
  • Energy store 
  • Essential fatty acids – Dietary fats that are essential for growth development and cell functions
  • Proper functioning of nerves and brain- 
  • Maintaining healthy skin and other tissues.  All our body cells need to contain some fats  as essential parts of cell membranes, 
  • Transporting fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K through the bloodstream to where they are needed
  • Forming steroid hormones needed to regulate many bodily processes

Facts about fat
  • Fats are filling, they can help curb overeating.
  • Health risks are higher when you tend to carry fat around abdomen rather than hips and thighs
  • Cutting calories is the key to weight loss and not a imbalanced low fat diet 
  • Fat intake depends on 
  1. The amount of fat as a percentage of required  calorie consumption ( how to calculate my calorie requirements )  and
  2. The mix of fats

General guidelines 
The key is to eat more good fats- monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats and less bad fats-Trans fats and saturated fats.  are bad for you because they raise your cholesterol and increase your risk for heart disease. 
  • Try to eliminate trans fats from your diet. 
  • Limit your intake of saturated fats 
  • Eat omega-3  fats every day
  • Keep total fat intake to 20-35% of calories ( How to calculate my calorie requirements )
  • Limit saturated fats to less than 10% of your calories (200 calories for a 2000 calorie diet)
  • Limit trans fats to 1% of calories (20 calories per day for a 2000 calorie diet)

What to consume
o    Eat less red meat (beef, pork, or lamb) and more fish and chicken
o    Go for lean cuts of meat, and stick to white meat, which has less saturated fat.
o    Bake, broil, or grill instead of frying.
o    Remove the skin from chicken and trim as much fat off of meat as possible before cooking.

GOOD FATS
Monounsaturated fat
Polyunsaturated fat
·       Olive oil
·       Canola oil
·       Sunflower oil
·       Peanut oil
·       Sesame oil
·       Avocados
·       Olives
·       Nuts (almonds, peanuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, cashews)
·       Peanut butter
·       Soybean oil
·       Corn oil
·       Safflower oil
·       Walnuts
·       Sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin seeds
·       Flaxseed
·       Fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, trout, sardines)
·       Soymilk
·       Tofu

BAD FATS
Saturated fat
Trans fat
o    High-fat cuts of meat (beef, lamb, pork)
o    Chicken with the skin
o    Whole-fat dairy products (milk and cream)
o    Butter
o    Cheese
o    Ice cream
o    Palm and coconut oil
o    Lard
o    Commercially-baked pastries, cookies, doughnuts, muffins, cakes, pizza dough
o    Packaged snack foods (crackers, microwave popcorn, chips)
o    Stick margarine
o    Vegetable shortening
o    Fried foods (French fries, fried chicken, chicken nuggets, breaded fish)
o    Candy bars
       
         Appearance-wise, saturated fats and Trans fats tend to be solid at room temperature (think of butter or traditional stick margarine), while monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats tend to be liquid (think of olive or corn oil).


References

  • http://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/choosing-healthy-fats.htm
  • http://www.eatbalanced.com/why-eat-balanced/why-do-we-need-fat/