Saturday, November 29, 2008

Eating to Lose Body Fat, Some Facts About Fat

By Ricardo d Argence

Today, we are constantly bombarded with offers selling the latest fat loss plan or gadget. From medications and drink concoctions to tiny magnetic devices, each targeting the same thing: body fat. Sounds good, right? Getting rid of fat from our bodies either by burning it off through physical activity or taking it our fo our diets. The body actually needs fat for its processes and requires fat consumption in order to remain healthy. Yes, you heard correctly.

Although everyone is going crazy trying to lose a huge a mount of weight, we can't lose sight of the fact that in small amounts fat is part of a healthy diet. The purpose of fat cells is to help regulate hormonal levels, furnish energy sources, as well as provide cushioning for the body's internal organs. The problem then is not in the presence of fat but the amount. The three-percent threshold, when crossed, signals a dangerous situation to vital parts of the body.

There are basically two types of fat that you receive from your diet good and bad. Good fats are called Polyunsaturated and Monounsaturated Fats and bad fats are Saturated or Trans fats. The latter we need to avoid while the former is an essential part of a balanced diet. Things like omega 3 fatty acids are essential to the human body however; the body is unable to manufacture it. Therefore, we must get it from our diet.

In order to get the good fat the body needs you should know what foods contain them. Examples of good fat foods are nuts, avocados, sunflower seeds and fish oil.

In deep fat fried foods and heavily preserved foods,the kind of fat you should avoid will be contained. A diet high in saturated or trans fats, including products such as cheese, french fries, and potato chips, quickly leads to health problems.

Tran's fats tend to have a doubly bad effect on the body, it increases the amounts of bad cholesterol in the body while at the same time lowering the good cholesterol.

So on top of adding weight to your midsection you can see that the storage of fat can have an adverse effect on your health. Along with high cholesterol, you are flirting with the possibility of diabetes, stroke, and heart attack. The short answer is cut back on the bad fats, exercise more and you will lower you risk of these and other health problems.

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