{"id":2304,"date":"2018-02-19T09:01:59","date_gmt":"2018-02-19T09:01:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sirinutrition.com\/?p=2304"},"modified":"2018-04-12T11:34:16","modified_gmt":"2018-04-12T11:34:16","slug":"a-list-of-healthy-fats-for-weight-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sirinutrition.com\/a-list-of-healthy-fats-for-weight-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"A List of Healthy Fats for Weight Loss"},"content":{"rendered":"
Are there such things as healthy fats? Many people associate fat with unhealthy foods. Whenever we hear the word fat, we either think of it as a description of a particular body type or as a nutrient in our food. Fat is one of the three macronutrients, the other being protein and carbohydrates.<\/p>\n
Believe it or not, fats are an essential part of our diet<\/strong>.<\/p>\n It is more energy dense than protein and carbohydrates. 1 gram of fat equates to exactly 9 calories. Unlike carbohydrates, our bodies actually require fats<\/strong> and protein. In this day and age, food seems more commercialized than ever. Not only does it taste better, but it’s also coming cheaper and tends to last longer (mainly due to preservatives).<\/p>\n Unfortunately, it has also become unhealthier, as it contains much more fat than our bodies actually need (such as in fast food and preserved food). But keep in mind that there are fats that are considered healthy<\/strong>, whereby others are not!<\/p>\n I have taken the time to create a list of good and healthy fats for weight loss. This list is based on extensive research that I have done in order to help you with your goal to lose weight.\u00a0 Before we explore more on foods that contain healthy fats, let’s take a deeper look at the various types of fats.<\/p>\n There are different types of fats, whereby some are healthier than the other. Our bodies require healthy fats to function properly. Consuming good amounts of fats at recommended levels can also help to prevent a lot of diseases, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, increased cholesterol<\/strong> and many more[1<\/a>].<\/p>\n Healthy fats can also be beneficial to our bodies as they can increase metabolism, regulate proper hormone production and help in burning fat<\/strong> (Yes, you heard that right! You need to eat fat to burn fat). So, eating the right kind of fats can actually help with weight loss. There are mainly 2 different types of fats.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Saturated fats have predominantly single bonds between carbon molecules (as opposed to a double bond). They are fully saturated with hydrogen molecules. Saturated fats are regarded as unhealthy<\/strong>, as they can raise your LDL cholesterol levels (low-density lipoprotein\u00a0cholesterol, commonly referred to as the bad<\/em> cholesterol<\/em><\/a>). These fats are typically solid at room temperature.<\/p>\n Most of the saturated fats come from meat that we consume, such as beef, chicken, lamb, pork.\u00a0 However, saturated fats are also present in dairy products such as whole milk, eggs, cheese, butter, etc. Saturated foods from plants include coconut oil, palm oil, and tropical plant oils.<\/p>\n Recommended consumption of saturated fats (According to the American Heart Association):<\/strong><\/p>\n Based on a 2,000 calorie diet, 100 to 120 calories should come from saturated fats (This equates to around 11g to 13g a day)<\/p>\n Unsaturated fats are known as healthy fats<\/em>, as they have many health benefits. When consuming at recommended levels, it can lower your LDL cholesterol<\/a>, lower the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes and coronary heart disease[2<\/a>].<\/p>\n There are two types of unsaturated fats, monounsaturated<\/strong> (fats that have a single bond between carbon molecules) and polyunsaturated<\/strong> (fats that have multiple bonds between carbon molecules). These fats are fully saturated with hydrogen molecules.<\/p>\n Monounsaturated fats are typically liquid at room temperature, whereby polyunsaturated fats are usually solid at room temperature.<\/p>\n Recommended consumption of unsaturated fats (According to the American Heart Association):<\/strong><\/p>\n Based on a 2,000 calorie diet, 400 to 600 calories should come from unsaturated fats (This equates to around 45g to 67g a day)<\/p>\n As you have read, unsaturated fats have various health benefits. Out of the two unsaturated fats, monounsaturated fat (also known as monounsaturated fatty acids or MUFA) is known to help with weight loss.<\/p>\n Sometimes cells do not release the correct amount of peptides and fatty acids into our body. This phenomenon is called\u00a0adipose dysfunction. People who are exposed to this find it difficult to maintain a healthy body weight[3<\/a>].<\/p>\n One reason why a monounsaturated diet helps in weight loss is that it can raise insulin sensitivities<\/strong> in your body. It also shows to have a positive effect on adipose dysfunction and is therefore great for people who plan to lose weight[4<\/a>].<\/p>\nDifferent Types of Fats<\/h2>\n
Saturated Fats<\/h3>\n
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Unsaturated Fats<\/h3>\n
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Monounsaturated Fats and Weight Loss<\/h2>\n