obesity means having too much body fat

obesity means

Excess fat... just what the daylights good is it anyways? Well, there are plenty of good about it actually. Some body fat are actually so good that you require them in your diet (think Omega-3 excess fat! ) So, let's get a run-down on what is so good about this macronutrient.

The body needs fat as an energy source. In truth, while you are at rest 60 per cent of your energy starts from fat. Fat is packed with energy and it has 9 kilocalories every gram kept in its elements just waiting to be tapped. This is specifically important for nursing infants since their stomachs won't be able to hold as much, they need to get an eating plan rich in fats from Mother's milk.

Fat also will act as an energy reserve. Your body stores fat (I know, most people don't like that facet of fat) for use as energy during periods of caloric shortfall. MOST of the human body's energy comes from glucose but fat is also an important and useful energy supplier. So if our body's preferred energy is from carbs why don't we just store those for energy? Very well, we do store some carbohydrate (in the form of glycogen) but that only supplies 4 kilocalories per gram. It would take 6 pounds of glycogen to store a simlar amount of energy as fat does... can you imagine how large we might be if we stored glycogen instead? No thanks!

Oh how safely our organs are protected. Yes, fat products a protective layer of adipose tissue (fat tissue---but adipose sounds less harsh) protecting them from injury. The fat just under our skin (called subcutaneous fat if you need make an impression your friends) acts to insulate us from cold temperatures. Oh, and how regarding this for a freaky fat fact-the brain is 60% fat! We wonder if this is where the word "fat head" came from?

Therefore, you know how your body needs vitamins right? Very well, your body wouldn't be able to use vitamin supplements A, D, E or K if it had not been for fat. These nutritional vitamins are known as fat-soluble and that means that it needs fat to be carried through the body where it's needed. The body can also absorb more nutrient goodness like the lycopene from tomato vegetables if fat is present. Go Team Adipose!

Just how about the smell of the steak cooking on the grill? Mmmm! Those taste chemicals dissolve in fats and heating sends that wonderful aroma into the air! Oh, and one more thing, fat makes you feel full much longer so you're not always hungry.

Now that we know we need fats (really bad things happen when you get too little) just how much do we need? Excess fat should make up 20-35% of your caloric absorption. For instance, if you are on a 2k calorie per day diet your body needs between 400-700 calories (or 44-78 grams) of fat. This kind of range is so good that whatever your overall health goals are, you can fit in the proper amount of fat. Carbohydrates should make up 45-65% and protein 10-35%

Before you run to the cabinet looking for your entire oily foods, I want you to just hold on a second. You want to do this right. You want to get in the best fat and stay away from the not so good fats. Avoid like the plague trans-fats. While very little can be found in natural food options, this is pretty much a man-made fat and is found in a lot of prepackaged and processed foods. Trans body fat help extend life and other benefits to the company making them but no benefit to your body so stay clear. Cut down on unhealthy fats which makes them no more than 10% of your calories. Saturated fats are solid at room temperatures so should be easy to identify but read the labels on the food you buy. This a little nerdy simple fact to help you away here. Saturated fats are solid at room temperatures because they are soaked (hence the name) with hydrogen atoms. Therefore you desire to be aware of anything at all that has the words "hydrogenated" on the ingredients label.


In most cases you want to eat mostly unsaturated fats-the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated types. These two have been shown to have a positive influence on health. Just to talk somewhat about polyunsaturated fats, one of the most well-known of these excess fat is the Omega-3. Omega-3 fat and Omega-6 body fat are known as essential fats which simply means your body can't make these so you have to eat them in order to work with them. In the body, Omega-3's helps dilate blood vessels vessels, discourage blood coagulation and reduce inflammation among other good things. Omega-6, while still needed, has the opposite effect on the body. For this reason, you want to increase you intake of Omega-3 sources of extra fat.

Omega-6 fats are found in vegetable oils like corn oil, sunflower and safflower oil so you will see a lot of that in snacks (read food labels to be sure) The United states diet typically consumes simply too much of this type of fat (remember, Omega-6 can constrict blood vessels and CAUSE inflammation) so a really good plan is to consume more Omega-3 fats in a good Omega-6 to Omega-3 rate. Science would tell all of us that a ratio of 6: 1 or less has been shown to have a positive impact on health and even a lower ratio is better.

How do you drive more moreattract Omega-3 polyunsaturated excess fat into the diet? Some good sources include Omega-3 overflowing eggs, many nuts and seeds such as walnuts and flaxseeds as well as cold water seafood such as sardines, trout, tuna, lobster and the like. Adding these foods will increase the ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 absorption. I only wanted to highlight the two of these because on a food label you will see the amount of polyunsaturated fats in the food but since not all unsaturated excess fat are set up equal, you'll want to dig deeper by reading the ingredient list on the packaging as well.

Monounsaturated fats can reduce blood cholesterol and lower your risk of cardiovascular disease. Good sources are extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, avocados and peanut butter (which great news for me 'cause I like me some almond butter! )

Phew, that was obviously a great deal to take in right? Well, here's the brief summary:

*You need fat so eat it!

*Avoid (I believe I said like the plague) trans-fat and limit saturated

*Eat healthy options for fat from nut products, seeds, olive oil, avocados and seafood

*To limit trans and saturated body fat, read your food trademarks!

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