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FAT…..why you need it in your diet!
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Fat is crucial for the body – it helps us burn fat, produce essential hormones and helps our brain and heart function efficiently. Vitamins A, D, E and K are all fat-soluble, which means they need to dissolve in fat before they can be absorbed and used by the body.
However trans fats should be avoided at all costs and these are found in cakes, pastries, crisps and processed foods. Naturally occurring fats are the ones we want to be including in our diet such as nuts, seeds, avocado, eggs, lean meat, coconut oil and olive oil.
Avoid low fat and fat free products as the fat is replaced with sugar or similar to keep the flavour and sugar plays havoc within the body so stick to full fat that is naturally occurring. As fat is filling you don’t need to eat too much of it unlike sugar which is addictive and does not fill you up leaving you craving for more!
Good fats do the following:-
- Fill you up – not eating enough fat can leave you feeling hungry so stock up on healthy fats such as lean meat, avocado, eggs.
- Act as a moisturizer from the inside out especially avocadoes which are rich in vitamin E.
- Generate heat and keeps us warm so snack on nuts to keep the cold at bay.
- Aids mental alertness so stock up on Omega 3 fats by eating oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines.