Fat has had a lot of bad press and for many people, just a mention of the word can evoke misery. You can try to lose it, try to hide it, try to avoid it, but your body still needs it! Did you know that fat helps to insulate our nerve cells, keeps us warm, balances our hormones, keeps skin and arteries supple, lubricates joints and is a component in every cell?

The key issue here is recognizing which type of fat your body needs, how much your body requires and which type is your enemy. Armed with the right information, you can focus on getting more of the good fats and less of the bad fats into your daily diet.

There are two types of fat to be aware of. Saturated fats – let’s call them “the enemy” and unsaturated fats – “the good guys”! It is easy to tell the difference because saturated fats are hard at room temperature. Saturated fats are not essential to your health. They come from animals and are found in meat, eggs and cheese. They are harder to digest and full of cholesterol.

Unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and have been divided into two groups. Monounsaturated fats such as olive oil, and polyunsaturated fats such as sunflower oil. Polyunsaturated fats are split into Omega 3 fatty acids and Omega 6 fatty acids. Monounsaturated fat (Omega 9) although not essential, is not harmful in moderation – a good quality (extra virgin first cold pressed) olive oil is a healthier alternative to the usual vegetable oil. Good sources of Omega 6: safflower oil, sunflower oil, evening primrose oil, walnut oil, pumpkin oil, sesame oil. Good sources of Omega 3 are mackerel, herring, salmon, pilchards, sardines, tuna and flax seed oil. Here are some important facts about fat in our diet.

1. Fat is the ‘energy reserve’ of animals, plants and humans.

2. The ideal body-fat ratio should be approximately 19-26% of a woman’s body weight, and 12-18% of a man’s body weight.

3. There are two different types of body fat – brown and yellow. Brown fat is situated inside the body and is ‘active’, containing mitochondria that produce heat (thermogenesis) and as a result burn energy. Yellow fat is found nearer the surface, is less active and more likely to accumulate. Women tend to have a higher ratio of yellow fat than men.

4. Women need higher levels of fat because it is essential for reproduction and so the body stores it ‘just in case’.

5. An average healthy intake of good fats in the diet should be approximately 30-40 grams a day. The fat content of diets in affluent populations can be nearly four times this amount!

6. Most foods containing fat combine saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat in varying quantities. For instance, butter’s fat content is almost 100%, of which 60% is saturated, 30% monounsaturated and 10% polyunsaturated, compared with sunflower seeds’ fat content of 73%, of which just 12% is saturated and 21% monounsaturated and 67% is polyunsaturated.

7. Heat, light and oxygen destroy essential fatty acids, which is why it is best to keep oils in dark containers.

8. Essential fats must come from the diet because your body cannot produce them. The essential healthy fats are Omega 3 and Omega 6 (known as essential fatty acids).

9. Weight for weight, fat provides more than twice the amount of usable energy than carbohydrates or protein (you’ll find 9 calories in every gram of fat).

10. Fat contributes to the palatability, texture and the smell of many foods, it also slows down the process of digestion providing an extended period of satiation after a meal.

When you know the good from the bad, fat is fabulous!

[Sponsored] Bryan Seawell is the proud owner of this article and he owns a site called: “hoodia balance review“. See how he can help you with his site: “hoodia balance review” and allow him to share with you his best known secrets here at his exclusive site, “hoodia balance review“. Thank you for your trust and belief in Bryan. Hope it will benefit you and others. Have a wonderful day ahead. [Sponsored]

Tags: 3 Fatty Acids, Bad Fats, Body Fat Ratio, Brown Fat, Cold Pressed Olive Oil, Energy Reserve, Evening Primrose Oil, finess, Flax Seed Oil, Good Fats, healt, healt and finess, Nerve Cells, Oil Sunflower, Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Omega 6 Fatty Acids, Omega 9, Polyunsaturated Fats, Safflower, Saturated Fats, Sesame Oil, Unsaturated Fats, Walnut Oil

As it has rightly been said, health is wealth. Maintaining the right health calls for several precautions & decisions, the most important among them being your food.

Healthy eating habits are a necessity to keep fit and maintain the correct body weight. As the global statistics show, obesity is the most common ailment across the globe these days. One of the things to keep in mind when choosing an appropriate oil is that the right oil can also be one heck of an antioxidant formula

Oil – the very name itself sounds terror for those who want to cut down their weight. But does that mean that you stop taking cooking oils in your diet? No! A resounding absolutely not.

There are several healthy cooking oils available in the market. These are quite good and beneficial for the individual due to varied reasons:

1. They help to improve your skin quality.

2. They aid in the healthy growth of your nails and hair.

3. The body needs oils in order to make your body’s hormones.
4. The right oil blend can be a tremendous antioxidant formula

Consuming oil on a weekly or daily basis can work wonders. You would be able to see the positive changes in your hair texture and nails within a very short period of time.

With so many research studies being announced nearly every week, how do you decide which cooking oil is the best for you? Sounds like a mystery that’s in need of clues, right? Well, oils after all are liquid fats.

As an example, one study says coconut oil, olive oil and soya oil contain good fats. Here, understands that fats are grouped in to two broad categories – good and bad. The benefits of fats come from Omega fatty acids. Now, studies say that good fast of these cooking oils supply our body & the palate a pleasing blend of taste & nutrition. However, you can always seem to find one group or another that will argue that these too are bad fats.

Therefore, it becomes more of an individual’s choice. You yourself must be sure of the results of the food you will be preparing. Blindly trusting each and every study or reports you come across won’t help and may only serve to confuse you in the end. Do your research well and test the results. Then choose which one works best for you.

The Rule of Thumb explains that anything in excess needs to be watched carefully. Better avoid the excess in most all of life’s categories and it seems you will be much happier in the long haul. In short overdoing is never good. Even consuming apples that are so good for the health in excess would be harmful.

It is important to understand your body type. The same food gives different experiences to different people. Set your diet plan and see how it works for you. Adding healthy cooking oils in your life can be fun and a little exciting if handled with the proper care.

At the end, use your common sense & research in order to keep fit and healthy forever. Do your best to ensure the oil blend you use also qualifies as an antioxidant formula and leave the rest of the worrying up to your maker.

Tags: antioxidant formula, Bad Fats, Benefits Of Fats, Coconut Oil, Common Ailment, Cooking Oil, Daily Basis, Global Statistics, Good Fats, Hair Texture, health, Healthy Cooking Oils, Healthy Eating Habits, Liquid Fats, Oil Blend, Omega Fatty Acids, Pleasing Blend, Positive Changes, Right Health, Skin Quality, Soya Oil, vitamin, Wellness