Thumbs Up for Including Healthy Fats in Your Diet

Studies have shown that both groups of dieters lost about the same amount of weight as well as had about the same number of individuals who either lost or gained weight during the trial. Limiting intake of the right carbohydrates may work best for people who are prediabetic or suffer from diabetes, as meals are tightly controlled and can be continually adjusted. However, a dietary regimen must be followed over the long term to prevent weight regain. Proponents of a high fat and low-carb diet believe there are more fats readily available during food processing to promote an increase in the overall fat absorption. Unlike a low-carb menu plan that can trigger hormonal changes that may promote unhealthy fat absorption by cells. Rather than looking for a diet that offers you a quick fix, you should focus on an effective menu plan with plenty of healthy food choices and as few restrictions as possible.

What are Essential Fatty Acids?

Although there are differences between evidence-based nutrition, there is great promise that knowledge of fatty acid metabolism can be applied directly to human disease. Listed below are fatty acids that play an essential role in health and wellness, including:

• Fatty Acids - During the digestive phase, your body breaks down fats into fatty acids that can be absorbed into the blood. Different types of fatty acids have important functions, such as energy storage.
• Essential Fatty Acids - EFAs are lipids that are not metabolized by the body (meaning your body cannot produce them) and therefore must be obtained from the diet. You must get essential fatty acids from the foods and beverages you consume.
• Trans Fatty Acids - Trans fats are the worst type of fat for your health. These fatty acids are made when hydrogen is added to healthy unsaturated fats to solidify them and reduce the likelihood of spoilage.
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids - These EFAs belong to a family of polyunsaturated fats and are associated with numerous health benefits, such as inflammation and depression. Natural sources of omega-3 fatty acids include fish oils, fatty fish, flaxseed oil and walnuts.
• Omega-6 Fatty Acids - Like omega-3 fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats. Unfortunately, Americans consume too much omega-6 in corn oil and vegetable oil, which can raise blood pressure and lead to heart attacks or stroke, due to water retention.

Essential fatty acid deficiency is common today because of our approach to dieting and lifestyle choices as well as changing environmental factors. Certain EFA deficiencies can eventually lead to disease and even death.

Carbohydrates Provide a Main Source of Fuel

Although the concept of increasing metabolism to burn fat is not incorrect, the chemical changes needed to exhaust or excrete fat from your body may differ from what you might have imagined. The most common misconception about fat loss, is that the fat is converted to energy and burned as fuel. Although your muscles first burn glycogen stored in the liver or muscles, after a half hour of aerobic exercise you should start to burn stored fat. Although carbohydrates are a main source of fuel when exercising, dietary fat is needed to help access fat stores and produces glycogen as a usable form of energy. Many factors can affect fat loss, such as gender, age, sleep quality, food intake, hormone deficiencies and medications as well as how much you move. So, fat loss timelines vary by individual and the rate of fat loss should be taken into consideration.