In this overwhelming age of media constantly bombarding us with information most us feel lost within this sea of advice and contradicting statements when it comes to our diet and nutrition. This is particularly true when it comes to the last macronutrient that I would like to discuss with the readers of lasting lifestyle. Fat – a word that can often bring on instant anxiety to most people – whether it is because of the fear of eating it and gaining weight, because it has been viewed in such an unhealthy light or because most just don’t know what to do with it in their diet. Some diets advocate the benefits of high fat and high protein and some advocate for almost no fat at all. So which do we follow? If we turn to the majority of scientific findings surrounding this question the common conclusion is that yes, we need fat – but (as with all our nutrient choices) it must be from the right source and in the right amounts. Just as with our other two macronutrients, carbohydrates and proteins as we have previously discussed, fats are essential to our well-being and can be found in different forms where some are more beneficial to the body than others. So why do we need fat in our diets and what does it do? As I mentioned fat is essential for our survival, in fact it is so important that our bodies have mechanisms of synthesizing fats even without us eating any fats at all. As previously mentioned in the other essential nutrient blogs – both excess carbs and protein are converted into fat and stored in this way as energy. But more specifically here are three reasons why we need it; 1. Fats help to maintain healthy cells, organs and brain Fat plays a protective role for cells as it is an important component of every cell’s membrane or “wall” that protects them against attack. Fat also protects your organs by sparing them from the impact of everyday living and certain fats are also essential to build and maintain a healthy brain, which is about sixty percent fat anyways. 2. Fat = fuel When we carry out simple tasks like sitting in class or cooking dinner fat is the main fuel our body’s burn for energy. This means basically any activity where your heart rate is below 70% fat is the primary source of energy for our bodies. This is specifically why when trying to lose weight one would lower their food intake (kilojoule intake) slightly so as to use up fat stores for the deficit in energy required. 3. Fat is satiating and helps maintain blood sugar levels Fat initiates the release of a hormone that helps you feel satiated or full after a meal. Fat also slows digestion and therefore the rate at which carbohydrates are digested and sugars released into the digestive system – remember the low GI section in the carbohydrate blog? This is where fat can help us increase the quality of our carbohydrate rich foods. Common fats and their properties: Generally fats are either inherently present in foods (e.g. Dairy products like yoghurt) as they are or we add them during cooking in forms of butter or oil for example. There are different forms of these fats that all have different functional and nutritional properties. Saturated fats Saturated fats are those that are solid at room temperature and typically come from animal sources like meat and dairy. Certain plants and their oils are high in saturated fats, such as coconut and palm kernel. Saturated fat raises LDL cholesterol (the bad type), which is a risk factor for the development of heart disease – this is why it is recommended to limit the intake of these fats. Trans fats Trans fats are typically produced by pumping hydrogen gas into liquid unsaturated fat sources to modify them to resemble more solid fats to produce more shelf-stable, easier to use fats that allows manufacturers to replace saturated fat in their products. However these fats have been proven to both increase LDL (bad) cholesterol while simultaneously decreasing HDL (good) cholesterol. This is why they should almost never be consumed. Mono and Polyunsaturated fats These are the more healthy fats found in high-fat, plant-based foods such as avocado, nuts, seeds, olives and fatty fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel, and should be consumed in the highest amounts of all fat groups. Omega – 3 and Omega-6 Fats These are polyunsaturated fats that are given special mention as they are essential fats that our bodies cannot produce and must therefore be consumed through the diet. These two types of fats play vital roles in regulating our immune systems. Omega-3 fat plays an essential role in developing our vision and nervous systems. Adequate intake for adults ranges from 12–17 grams per day for omega-6 fats and 1.1–1.6 grams per day for omega-3 fats. In most cases Omega-6 fats are abundant in our diets as they are found in soy and corn fats. However, Omega-3 fats are mostly found in fatty fish which we generally do not consume enough of and therefore need to increase our intake thereof. Good sources of Mono and Polyunsaturated fats: As you’ve just read the most important fats that should make up the greatest portion of our fat intake are the more unsaturated fats. These can be found in foods like avocado, olives, olive oil, nut butters, ground flax seed, salmon, tuna, dark chocolate, chia seeds and eggs. How to apply what has been said about the macronutrients daily: For the past few blogs I have discussed all the macronutrients – fats, carbs and proteins, as well as the importance of nutrition and the impact of what we consume on our well-being and ability as dancers. A good example of a meal that applies all that has been mentioned in the last 4 blogs would be: avocado smashed on low GI seed loaf with chicken fillet slices on top. The low GI bread will sound familiar to you (as this would be a source of complex carbohydrates that digests slowly for sustained energy), the avocado would be rich in the good fats mentioned above and the chicken fillet would be a source of lean complete protein (vital for conserving muscle mass). It is through applying these small bits of knowledge in our daily meal choices that we will really start to reap the benefits of creating a lasting lifestyle!
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AuthorDanielle Gemeliaris has been dancing for half her life and has always been passionate about food, nutrition and the science behind them. The knowledge she gained through her studies, as a dancer and her experience as a health and wellness coach through Herbalife, has made her uniquely qualified to help dancers better understand nutrition and the role it plays in their lives. She hopes to offer the readers of this blog the opportunity to gain a basic working knowledge of nutrition, the role it plays for dancers and learn how to make better more informed food choices in the future. Archives
April 2019
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