I can remember the time when fat was considered unhealthy, the cause of all health complications and generally, viewed as a BAD thing. Now that most of the educated world has caught up with the findings of science, people have started to accept some fats are not just beneficial, but entirely essential for optimal health, wellness and weight loss.
That’s right; fat is an essential macronutrient – your body requires it from your diet. Otherwise, you will suffer significant consequences (more on that later).
Fats are confusing to people still, however, because they’ve been told they were evil, now they hear they’re good, but some still are scared of them because they don’t understand which are good and which are not…
When I was studying to get both by Fitness & Nutrition Specialist certification and Weight Loss Specialist certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine, I learned a lot about this subject and can easily explain it to where it’s simple and easy to understand.
“Healthy” fats are natural sources which are richer in Omega 3s, in the states we tend to eat too many Omega 6s which come from peanut butter, nuts and certain kinds of oils used for cooking. Omega 6s have been shown to create inflammation, which means that cardiac health is at a higher risk, gut health reduced and even digestion compromised.
For fat loss, the really big incentive for getting your Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio improved is related to insulin sensitivity, let me explain…
When you are insulin sensitive it means you’re not able to utilize energy or burn calories efficiently – When it comes to fat loss, nothing is more important- and Omega 3s can really help you here!
Here are some foods that are rich in Omega 3 Fatty Acids…
- Fish
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Krill oil
- Coconut oil
There’s more though…
Saturated fats are *NOT* all bad! Coconut oil which falls under this category is actually one of the healthiest foods you can eat, which is why it is the active ingredient in the frosting of our wildly popular, Clean Cheatz Protein Donuts!
Proper saturated fats like those in coconut oil are really good for building muscle because they provide your body with essential ingredients that produce more testosterone in the body. Elevated levels of testosterone can help you build muscle and lose fat without actually exercising!
Also rich in MCTs (medium chain triglycerides), coconut oil consumption can improve cognitive function, focus, productivity and improve memory.
In summary, consuming fats won’t make you fat when done correctly!
In fact, the argument can be made that lack of proper fat consumption can not only make you fat but due to the profound mental acuity benefits found in MCT’s, can make you dumb as well! 🙂
