Did You Know That Your Body Needs Good Fats For Healthy Function?

Fats are an important part of your daily nutrition. Excluding them from your diet entirely in the name of weight loss can be harmful for the body. In one of his latest live videos on Facebook, lifestyle coach Luke Coutinho talks about how both fats and carbs have reached the bottom of the food pyramid. Cutting off fats and carbs from your diet entirely can lead to weight gain, diabetes and a range of metabolic syndrome ailments. It is thus important to maintain a balance and include all major food groups in your diet including good fats and carbs.

Fat is a macronutrient which is required for several functions in the human body. Cutting off fats from your diet can result in brittle hair, dull skin, rapid ageing, etc. Did you know that fats are a precursor to your hormones? Being fat deficient can result in hormonal imbalance, lower energy levels and even reduced libido. It is also important to know that there are numerous vitamins which are fat soluble. This means that you need fats for assimilation of these vitamins in the body. Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E and Vitamin K are all examples of fat soluble vitamins. Proper assimilation of these vitamins helps in making you fee full and energetic

Leptin is the satiety hormone which signals the brain when we are full. People who have low leptin tend to feel continuously hungry, because ghrelin hormone is on the higher side. Similarly, more leptin means low ghrelin and lesser hunger and cravings. Fat is required for triggering leptin and keeping hunger and cravings in control.Also, good fats are required by the body for more energy and for a healthy brain. Going extremely low fat can make you irritable and easily prone to anger as your brain is not getting the energy it needs.

Fats which come in the form of refined oil, commercially available ghee, pastries, biscuits, etc. are the bad kinds of fats which need to be avoided. It is thus important to include good fats only in your diet. People who follow the low-carb diet for weight loss should know that it is important to include more fats and proteins in your diet as well. Even with good fats, it is important to not overconsume them in order to prevent any health problems.

Best fatty foods to include in your diet:

1. Full fat dairy: Milk is class A protein which is good for health and can even help in weight loss. Make sure that your lifestyle is not sedentary and the milk is organic and naturally taken.

2. Butter: Butter is another good fat which you can have. White butter too is equally good.

3. Ghee: Ghee is a great source of fats for you, your parents, children etc. Ghee can also give a boost to your immunity.

4. Coconut oil

5. Olive oil

6. Nuts and seeds: Eat them in the right amount to avail maximum benefits from them.

7. Eggs (both yolk and egg white)

8. Paneer made from good quality of milk

9. Fatty fish like sardines and mackerel

10. Avocado

11. Dark chocolate

Make sure you don’t overdo consumption of any of these fats and include them in just the right amount in your diet.