Thursday, June 10, 2010

Fat - food for thought

Fats - we need you more than ever!

Here is something I found regarding fats, I can not say I agree with it all, I actually cut out the part about saturated fats as i did not agree at all with it. Personally, I cook with coconut oil and organic butter. I use pure extra virgin olive oil with very low heat or raw on salads and stuff like that. An avocado a day keeps the Dr at bay. Fish, fish oil, krill oil, hemp and flax oil seem to have great benefits. I eat tons of nuts and seeds, a good variety will ensure ample amounts of quality nutrients. I eat them by the handful and refuse to count 9 almonds to fit in the zone, it's just a personal choice. If I was stepping onto a bodybuilding stage, I know paying attention to my caloric intake would be imperative, but since my goals entail running through brick walls and lifting heavy objects for fun, I only count in kilos and pounds, not grams. I am not too concerned with saturated fats, they get a bad rap. It is actually a fact that bacon cures cancer. And if you wrap bacon in bacon, you will actually win the lottery and go straight to heaven with 12 virgins eagerly awaiting your arrival when your time is up. Here is a link to another fat article worth reading. Now go get your fat on...




All fats are NOT created equal.

It's an interesting title, but are there really such things as "good" fats? Seems as though all we ever hear about is how bad fats are for you. But there are differences in fats. There are fats that your body actually needs for energy, heart health, essential fatty acids and to transport vitamins throughout your body.


So, here's the simple truth about fats:

The "Good" Fats

The good fats are the unsaturated fats - monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

Monounsaturated fats lower the risk of heart disease. They also lower total cholesterol and "bad" (LDL) cholesterol and increase "good" (HDL) cholesterol.

Foods that are high in monounsaturated fats include nuts (walnuts, Brazil nuts, almonds, hazel nuts, peanuts and pistachio nuts), olive oil, olives, avocados, sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds.

Polyunsaturated fats also lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Omega-3 fatty acids, which protect the brain and nervous system, bolster heart health and prevent certain types of cancer, Alzheimer's disease and diabetes, are included in this category.

Foods that are high in polyunsaturated fats include fish (salmon, trout, catfish, and mackerel), nuts, some vegetable oils (sunflower, safflower and corn), seeds, dark leafy greens and flaxseed.

The "Bad" Fats

The bad fats are trans fats - they raise total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol and clog your arteries, increasing your risk of heart disease.

Trans fats are the worst of the worst because they raise total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol and lower HDL cholesterol. They are produced when liquid vegetable fats are changed into solid fats. Many processed foods contain trans fats, including cookies, cakes, microwave popcorn, margarine, and the foods in many fast food restaurants.

Be smart about fats and stick with poly and monounsaturated fats. Read food labels, especially commercially processed foods, to avoid trans fats. Use reduced fat or fat-free products when cooking, whenever possible. Limit your intake of sweets, processed foods, fried foods and fast foods.


What's your take on fat?

4 comments:

  1. Sat fat is great for the development of testosterone. Are you familiar with the "Weston Price Foundation"? Or Sally Fallon? Both huge proponents of eating fats, particularly raw ghee and lard (No, not the kind you can buy at a commercial market) . My wife went to a seminar with Sally and she said athletes from primitive cultures eat lots and lots of fats.

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  2. Hi Guys,
    Totally agree with this article. My fiance and I have been on a modern paleo diet for around 6 months which is basically a low(if any) carb, moderate protein and high fat regime which took roughly around 2-3 weeks for our bodies to switch over to using fat for energy instead of carbs.Since then we have seen great improvements in not only body composition but also performance. If you need some more info have a look at Mark Sisson or Robb Wolfe. Both guys hve great blogs and podcasts on the paleo way.

    Kind Regards
    Julien

    P.S. Matt our workouts ar awesome! Starting doing them 3 weeks ago twice a week in between some crossfit style workouts, BJJ and boxing. Great improvements thanks to your skills!!!!

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  3. Nice guys, Saturated fat and testosterone phenomenon, This is huge for the male carnivore in training. I'm a big fan of Robb Wolfe, btw.

    Julien,

    thanks and I'm really glad you're benefitting from your increased strength gains.

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  4. I agree with your article Matt, people definitely need to reduce the amount of synthetic additives people eat in their foods. A great book on food and what amounts of Carbs, Fats, Proteins & vitamins we need to eat is the "The Metabolic Typing Diet". I highly recommend it.

    Matt what's new, whens the next youtube video coming out?

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