Get the skinny on fats!
These are a sample of some of the most common questions our personal trainers are asked concerning nutrition and the correct consumption of fat in the diet.
I try not to eat any fat because I want to stay slim, but my Ultimate Performance personal trainer has told me this is a crazy idea. Remind me again why?
You are one of those people who believe that eating fat will make you fat. This is just plain daft. The two ways to get fat are by eating too many calories, or by eating in such a way as to cause severe blood sugar fluctuations. Ingesting fat will definitely cause no blood sugar rises (that is to say there will be no insulin response to the consumption of fats), so what we need to concern ourselves with here is the danger that fat provides a lot of calories for a small volume (nine calories/g vs. four calories/g for protein and carbohydrates). Clearly judicious caution needs to be exercised when consuming fat in the diet, but there is no logical need to cut it out AND there are countless reasons why it should (in the right manner) be eaten daily! It’s worthwhile remembering that dietary fat carries our necessary fat soluble vitamins & essential fatty acids.
Why do I need dietary fat?
Proper amounts of essential fatty acids (EFAs) are necessary for optimal function and health and can enhance body-fat reduction by providing satiety (fullness).
I’ve heard that some fats can actually be good for you! Is this true?
This is very true. Omega 3 fatty acids, found in some fish, can assist in lowering cholesterol as well as other positive physiological and psychological responses. If we had to recommend you supplement your diet with just one product, in 99% of cases it would be with fish oils.
Are high-fat diets safe?
They are nowhere near as detrimental to your health as some of the naysayers would have you believe. The Inuit lived on whale meat and blubber for centuries and had virtually no heart disease. They only started to get clogged up arteries when they were introduced to a carbohydrate rich western diet. Makes you think, eh.