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When I hear the word fat I usually think of a roll of it hanging
over a persons belt, or that guy Milty, from the movie Van
Wilder, doing a belly flop off of the top diving platform with
the words, “save the swim team”, written across his backside.
Sometimes, however, the picture of a big, juicy, double quarter
pounder with cheese will slip its way into my mind. Although, if
I were to eat more than the one per month that I allow myself
now I would probably be sick for days, thanks to the health food
lifestyle I’ve become accustomed to over the past few years. For
the most part, the word fat has a negative connotation.
Like a lot of people, I like to avoid fat. We’ve been warned
against it for years. There’s even an entire industry that
promotes the idea that fat is horrible. Just take a walk down
almost any isle in a grocery store and you’ll see a parade of
items labeled “low-fat”, “no fat”, “reduced fat”, or “fat-free”.
Doctors, dieticians, and nutritionists have been on our cases
about it for what seems like an eternity.
There are numerous studies showing that although Americans today
are consuming less fat, there are more of us than ever who are
becoming obese. What this should tell you is that worrying only
about fat is not the answer. There are many other pieces to the
puzzle. For instance, eating more carbohydrates that you use for
energy throughout the day will cause the remaining carbs to be
stored and therefore turned into fat. A couple other reasons are
lack of exercise in our society, and the fact that we’re
consuming more calories than ever. I’ve heard it called the
no-fats domino theory: Less fat equals less guilt equals more
eating.
The amount of fat we eat is important. Only about 25-30% of our
daily calories should come from fat. But, perhaps even more
important is the type of fat we eat. This is what really
determines your heart attack risk. Yes there is such a thing as
good fat. There names are polyunsaturated and monounsaturated.
You can find them in oils such as olive oil, flaxseed oil,
canola oil, safflower oil, and peanut oil. Some of the healthy
fat foods include natural peanut butter, almonds and other nuts,
almond butter, oatmeal, and fish (salmon, orange roughy, tuna,
and tilapia). That’s right these are all loaded with fat and
they’re good for you. Some are even so good they’re called
“essential” fatty acids.
About Author :
Brian Stewart, Independent Marketing Partner with BetaFuel,
NiteTrim, and MarqiFitness, has been researching health and
fitness issues since his early teens. For more information visit
the websites www.BriansNiteTrim.com, www.MarqiFitness4Life.com,
or www.BetaFuelFatBurner.com
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