🌴 👨🏽 🥡 Fat-rich foods: table 🤘🏾 🛁 ⏫

It's time to put an end to the myth of low-fat foods, the use of which in the diet was considered a sure way to lose weight, prevent heart disease and other chronic diseases. The fact is that the "pitfall" is often hidden under the word "low-fat product", in which the aroma and texture are compensated by increasing the amount of salt, sugar or refined grain. The result "exceeded" all expectations - the worldwide consumption of low-fat products only led to an increase in the average weight of a person.

Is low-calorie food good or bad?

Why should you give up foods that are very low in body fat? Many people do not withstand such nutrition for long, because they consider low-fat foods to be tasteless and full of restrictions. The fact is that fat significantly slows down digestion, many diets built on eating low-fat foods make a person fight hunger all day.

Dietary fat plays a crucial role in the metabolism - each gram of it contains 9 kilocalories. This calorie content is salvage in cases when there is not enough food, it is very important for people who are not able to absorb large amounts of food.

What are fats?

Fats are our energy reserve. The body can store only a small amount of glucose in the form of glycogen for energy, therefore it is important to have adipose tissue that can produce an unlimited amount of it. The origins of this process are rooted in the distant past, when there was little food, so a lot of energy was spent on its production. Today this problem is absent, but we continue to absorb foods rich in fats indiscriminately and in large quantities. The energy accumulated thanks to them is now consumed only during sleep and during physical activity.

The following are the most popular foods rich in fats: (the list implies a fat content of 100 g):

Palm oil - 93.7 g.
Dried Coconut - 57.2 g.
Butter - 51.4 g.
Beef - 52.3 g.
Chocolate - 32.4 g.
Sardine in oil - 29.9 g.
Hard cheese - 24.6 g.

Types of fatty acids and why they are needed

There are two types of fatty acids: linoleic and alpha-linoleic. Fatty acids are important components of cell membranes, they are converted into chemical regulators that affect blood coagulation, expansion of blood vessels, etc. Their lack in children is characterized by slow growth, decreased immune function, and the appearance of a rash. Sometimes this leads to vision problems and nervous disorders.

Proteins are also required for proper development. Without them, the immune system cannot properly protect the body from bacteria and viruses. Therefore, it is so important to eat foods rich in fats and proteins.

Do saturated fats cause heart disease?

Excessive intake of most saturated fatty acids is fraught with an increase in LDL (low density lipoprotein) levels, which contributes to an increase in cholesterol and reduces insulin sensitivity. Foods rich in protein, fats, and carbohydrates reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. Fiber-rich protect against colorectal cancer, they are necessary for the prevention of hemorrhoids. In addition, fiber is the food for normal (healthy) bacteria that are in the intestines and provide nutrient saturation. Fibers are found in beans, whole beans, and grains.

Rich foods with protein, fats, carbohydrates necessary for normal functioning in fairly large quantities. Nutritionists recommend limiting the intake of saturated fatty acids to 10% of total calories (18 grams for those who absorb 1600 kilocalories per day). The permissible macrodistribution range for carbohydrates is 45-65%. If, for example, you ate 1600 kilocalories per day, the acceptable intake of carbohydrates is from 180 grams to 260.

Avoid "bad fats"

Have you noticed how pizza with tomato sauce, cheese and meat freezes after cooling? The hardness of the ingredients is a hint of a high saturated fat content that hardens even at room temperature. Milk fat, tropical oils (coconut, palm), which are part of almost any ice cream, also largely contain saturated fats. The most popular foods among youth, in which saturated fats predominate: pizza and desserts, while boiled meat is a source of protein.

Like carbohydrates, proteins are important macronutrients. Clean white teeth are an indicator that a person consumes foods rich in fats and proteins. The protein provides collagen synthesis, which is so important for the structure of bones, teeth and skin.

Transition from saturated fats to unsaturated fats. Are there any health benefits?

The benefit of lowering your intake of saturated fats depends on many factors, including those products that you replace them with. Replacing low-fat pretzels and chewing sweets may seem tempting, but initially it is the wrong strategy, since diets with a high content of highly refined carbohydrates, as a rule, increase the level of triglycerides and lower the level of HDL (high density liproteins), increase cholesterol, which are prerequisites cardiovascular disease.

A better strategy is to replace foods rich in unhealthy saturated fats with foods rich in healthy fats. A bacon sandwich will do more good for your body than a slice of pizza, and replacing bacon with a slice of cheese or avocado is another smart step towards a healthy diet. If you consume excess calories per day, you can switch from consuming whole milk to a low-fat product.

Saturated fats are found naturally in many foods. Most of them are found mainly in food of animal origin. Take a look at fat-rich foods (list below). It:

- fat beef;

- lamb;

- pork;

- birds with skin;

- beef fat ;

- lard and cream;

- butter;

- cheese and other dairy products made from whole milk.

Improving health on unhealthy fats is impossible

Food producers, in addition to saturated foods, use trans fats, which undergo the hydrogenation process and are used, as a rule, to increase the shelf life of processed foods, such as crackers, chips or cookies.

Their recommended intake is no more than 1% of the total calories (less than 2 grams if you consume 1600 calories per day). If you pay attention to what foods are rich in fats, you can identify traces of trans fats by reading the lists of ingredients on product labels: these substances are masked under the names: “hardened oil” or “hydrogenated”.

Tasty and satisfying foods high in essential macronutrients

Eat foods rich in fats and carbohydrates, such as milk, fruits and vegetables. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy in the body, providing fuel for cells, including brain cells. Simple and complex carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram. 45-65% of the total calories should be carbohydrates, while 20-35% should be fat. Almost all foods, with the exception of eggs, meat and some seafood, are saturated with carbohydrates. Vegetables, especially potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes and peas, contain a large amount of good starchy carbohydrates, as well as fiber. All plant foods, including fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, and nuts, are high in fiber, which improves bowel function.

As already mentioned, unsaturated fatty acids improve blood cholesterol and insulin sensitivity if they replace saturated and trans fats. There are two classes of unsaturated fatty acids: monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated. Monounsaturated are found in avocados, nuts, seeds, olives, peanuts, olive oil.

Recently, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have been the focus of attention because of their role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. They can be found in walnuts, flaxseeds, tofu, soybeans, canola. In addition, two other types of fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA)) are important not only for the heart, but also for visual acuity, for the proper development of the brain in the fetus during pregnancy; they perform an important function to slow cognitive impairment in the elderly; reduce the symptoms of arthritis, ulcerative colitis and other inflammatory diseases. These acids contain fish species such as tuna, herring, trout, mackerel, salmon, sardine, and tuna.

Omega-6 is the second type of polyunsaturated fat. Foods rich in omega-6 fats: sunflower seeds, Brazil nuts, pecans and pine nuts. Some cooking oils are also sources of omega-6: corn, sunflower and sesame oil.