Get Friendly With Fat!
June 15, 2021 | Sports-Related Injuries
The idea that ‘fat makes you fat’ should be thrown in the trash along with many other myths that exist in the health and fitness realm. Fat is necessary for human survival – without it, certain essential vitamins such as A, D, E, & K cannot be correctly absorbed, or cannot function at all! Fat also adds plenty of flavour to food along with the power nutrition it brings, too.
Unlike carbohydrates, fat cannot be made by the body, and therefore needs to be a part of everyone’s diet. However, like carbs, there are good options & bad options:
👍🏻The good fats (monounsaturated & polyunsaturated fats) help stabilize your level of
HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) as well as help reduce the overall risk of cardiovascular disease. Some examples of where these good fats can be found are included in the list below.
👎🏻The bad fats (trans-unsaturated fats) do the opposite of good fats. They raise your
LDL cholesterol (not good at all) and increase your overall risk of cardiovascular disease (also not good at all). Some food examples of where these bad fats can be hiding are cookies, cakes,
pastries, doughnuts, potato chips & many other junk foods.
👉🏻Saturated fats receive a lot of bad press because they were once known to potentially raise levels of LDL cholesterol which increases the overall risk of cardiovascular disease. However, many recent reputable studies have shown that there is no experimental evidence to suggest that saturated fat is linked to heart disease. Saturated fats can be found in butter, red meat, and coconut oil.
Our summary? Get for at least 25% of your Calories for healthy fats, keep your saturated
fat intake reasonably low (<5% of your total Calories), & avoid Trans fats entirely.
😋But Where can you find these glorious healthy fats?
Check out our little list below:
• Avocado
• Wild Salmon
• Sardines
• Mackerel
• Trout
• Almonds
• Walnuts
• Cashew Nuts
• Pecan Nuts
• Pistachios
• Peanuts
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Sunflower Seeds
• Flax Seeds
• Hummus
• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• Sesame Oil
• Flaxseed Oil
• Avocado Oil
• Canola Oil (for cooking)
• Sunflower Oil