Remember ‘Snackwell Sandwich cookies’ and Fat-free Cheese?
For decades, we were told that a low-fat diet is key to weight loss.
While it is your first instinct to eliminate fat from a diet, it turns out that fat is somehow good now and it is can contribute to weight loss and disease prevention.
But how can that be true when for years it was believed that fat was the bad guy?
As crazy as it sounds, it’s actually the sugar which is the real culprit and not the fats.
In fact, dietary fats are essential for many bodily processes and to support cell growth.
What’s more? Healthy fats are the building blocks of our brain, nervous tissue and hormones.
1. Eating Fats helps to burn Fat
High-quality fats build healthy cell walls that metabolize the insulin better, which in turn, keeps blood sugar better regulated.
And without a proper blood sugar control, the body puts away fat for a rainy day.
From a biochemical point of view, the good fats release a hormone called Adiponectin that enhances your metabolism and boosts the rate at which fats are broken down.
Low-fat diets, on the other hand, lead to lower levels of adiponectin.
So, eating the right fats makes you lose weight, whereas eating excess sugar and the wrong types of fat make you fat!
2. Eating Fats increases Metabolism
Did you know that consuming fats can actually increase your metabolism?
There are certain fats that cannot only be easily digested but also be turned into fuel (rather than fat) immediately.
As a matter of fact, not all the fat you consume stays as fat in your body.
Most fat you ingest is turned into energy.
And with increased metabolism, you can also increase the rate at which your body burns fat.
All in all, this could accelerate your journey to weight loss.
3. Eating Fats Curbs your Appetite & makes you feel fuller:
While the metabolic and hormonal benefits of eating more fats are great, the satiating effect of fat is unarguably one of the bests!
They are not only more filling but also allow you to avoid snacking before your next meal or heap up a second helping!
When the fat you consume reaches your small intestine, it sets off the release of the hormones such as CCK and PYY that play a major role in satiety and appetite regulation; leaving you feeling full and satisfied.
4. Eating Fats can Improve Brain Functioning
Did you know that your brain comprises 60 percent of fat?
Of that percentage, the biggest share comes through the omega-3 fat called DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).
Your brain needs DHA to ensure smooth communication in-between the cells.
Therefore, consuming high-quality fat improves memory, learning, cognition, and happiness.
On the contrary, numerous studies prove that a deficit of omega-3 fatty acids leads to anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and even bipolar disorder.
5. Eat Fats because low-fat diets are Heart-Unhealthy and Sugar-High
On a general note, when people consume a lesser amount of fat, they rather tend to consume more starch or sugar which increases their levels of small and dense cholesterol.
And this eventually leads to heart attacks.
In fact, studies prove that 3 out of every 4 people who end up in the emergency ward with a heart attack had normal cholesterol levels, but what lands them in trouble is actually pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes which is aggravated by a low-fat diet.
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