Fear Of Fats – Is Low-Fat Diet The Best To Lose Weight?
Before you opt for a low-fat diet to lose weight, there are some things you need to be aware of. For many years now, fat and cholesterol have been painted like the devil in our diets. Since the early 21st century, everyone has been made to believe that this nutrient would obstruct their arteries and lead to health issues such as stroke, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and weight gain.
People do not want to risk developing any of these issues, so they switch to a fat-free or low-fat diet, especially to lose weight or avoid gaining weight. However, is fat really the enemy?
If your goal with taking a low-fat diet is to keep your cholesterol levels down or lose weight, you shouldn’t expect “fat-free” to be a magic bullet. “Fat-free” is more like “taste-free” and food makers need to make up for that. This is why they tend to add other ingredients that add calories. This includes salt, thickeners, flour, and sugar.
Low or fat-free diets can lead to poor brain function, compromised heart health and hormone imbalances, which affect your sex hormones. It also results in overeating, weight gain, high risk of insulin resistance, gut-related problem and a higher risk of depression.
Another study also reveals that good fats are good for heart health. Studies have revealed that foods high in fat lower depression and improve depression symptoms. A 2012 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association confirms that high-fat diets burn more calories and improves insulin sensitivity.
In fact, several research studies have revealed that you need to eat fat to lose fat, which contradicts eating a low-fat diet to lose weight. Fat has the ability to turn off hunger, makes you stop overeating, make food taste great and curb unnecessary cravings. This is how fat contributes to weight management.
So, fat is not the enemy.
Fats are important nutrient and a primary source of energy for the body. They play a big role in absorbing nutrients, regulating body temperature, maintaining healthy hair and skin, weight management, hormonal balance, insulating internal organs and supporting immune function.
For example, the brain is the fattiest organ in your body and made up of 60% fat. 25% of your body’s cholesterol is in the brain and it’s made up of fats (like omega-3s). You have a fatty brain, so fat is vital in brain function. Fear of fat is among the intricate factors for the negativity in brain health in the modern-day world. Study reveals that consuming cholesterol and fat is important to the function and health of the brain. Why deny your brain of the exact nutrients it is made of?
Steve Holman, the author of Old School New Body, says that the type of fat you consume determines how your moods will be balanced and how well you maintain a sharp mind. Healthy fats are a slow, sustainable type of energy. Over the years, studies have connected omega-3 fats to brain advantages such as better blood circulation, improved memory function and enhanced state of mind. The American Heart Association suggests reducing the amount of fat you consume down to 30%.
Changing your impression about fats can be too much to ask, particularly if you have been avoiding them by taking a low-fat diet to lose weight for most parts of your life. Reducing fat-intake is not the best way to lose weight. Stop being scared of fat; you simply need to be smarter with your options and be smart if you must opt for a low-fat diet to lose weight.
