Is fat a friend or a foe?Well not all fats are created equal. There are fats that kill and fats that heal. Some fats should be avoided like the plaque while others are necessary if you want to have great looking skin and hair, slow down the aging process, and achieve your optimum fat and weight loss. As you will learn, the great thing about fat is how it helps to lower the GI levels of other foods when consumed together, which is very important if fat and weight loss are your goals.
Fat is a very important part of a healthy diet. After all without it you would not be able to process important fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E, and K. These vitamins are essential for keeping your eyes, bones, brain, hair, nails and skin healthy. The human body also uses fat for energy and to create healthy cells. Without enough fat in your diet, you will not look or feel your best. If you have ever been on a diet that consists of less then 10% fat of the over all calorie intake for a long period of time, you have probably noticed some of the very negative effects on your body. Your hair and finger nails lose their shine, your skin loses its glow and becomes ashy looking, etc. However, since not all fats are equal, you must also make the right fat choices.
Foods contain four different types of fats which are known as: saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and hydrogenated (also known as transfats). A lot of foods that are high in fat are a combination of the fats just mentioned. However, it is the percentage of different food contents that determines weather it is a good or bad fat. For example, red meat is a lot higher in saturated fats than it is in polyunsaturated fats, whereas salmon is the exact opposite. Approximately 15 to 30 percent of your daily calories will come from healthy fats. Also, please remember that you should always remove any visible fat red meat unless it certified organic, and always go for low fat dairy products.
