Find out why you should be eating more avocado toast, coconut smoothies, chia seed bowls and salmon sashimi.
We’ve been told for years that the best way to lose weight is to cut fat from our diet. Fat contains more calories per gram than protein or carbs, so eating less fat means consuming less total calories, and therefore weight loss follows, right? Wrong.
The problem with this concept is that not all calories are equal and the body responds in different ways to the foods that we eat. Healthy fats can actually help with weight loss by increasing satiety and speeding up the metabolism.
The Fat Basics: Healthy fats, like the ones that come from whole, unprocessed, not-fried foods, are a necessary macronutrient. They are the building blocks of our hormones, brain and nerve tissue, and the protective layer around our cells. They are used to control inflammation, absorb vital nutrients like vitamin A, D, E and K, and help to maintain eye health. Fat is also used as a source of energy. Once the energy obtained from carbohydrates is spent, which occurs after the first 20 minutes of exercise, the body turns to the calories from fat for energy. It is in this state that the body begins to burn fat as its primary energy source, preserving muscle tissue and leaning out the body.
The best fats to eat are unsaturated fats, both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, and clean sources of saturated fat. These include omega-3 fatty acids, and medium-chain triglycerides. They can be found in both plant and animal sources such as olives, coconuts and free-range eggs.
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