Good Fats and calories
There is such a thing as good fats and bad fats. But it’s not what you think it is.
What are good fats? Good fats can be considered fats that can decrease inflammation in the human body.
These are fats that are not manufactured by the human body.
These fats are monounsaturated fats, poly unsaturated fats including omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids.
In reasonable amounts these fats contribute to decreasing inflammation of your blood vessels and help to prevent atherosclerosis.
They also help to make anti inflammatory molecules in your body.
Your brain is mostly made up of omega 3 fatty acids.
That’s why eating foods rich on these fats is great.
The foods rich in omega 3s are fish and other seafoods and especially cold water fish.
The foods rich in omega 6s and monounsaturated fatty acids are foods such as olive oil, avocado and various nuts and nut oils.
They have many benefits but the problem still remains is that these fats still have calories.
Some good fats is good but too many good fats is detrimental if your calorie consumption is too high.
To lose or maintain a good level of leanness you still must maintain a healthy calorie consumption with the majority of your fats coming from good fats.
Sounds simple.
Naturals Sugars
Where do I start with this term. It’s a marketing buzz term that has been used to make you think that somehow natural sugars are good for you.
The fact is that your body uses glucose as one energy source and usually during exercise.
The brain also uses glucose exclusively for energy unless the body is in ketosis at which point it will eventually absorb and use ketone bodies.
This will be only be under conditions of starvation or calorie deficit and glucose deficiency.
Back to natural sugars. All sugars are naturally occurring. Sucrose as sugar is naturally occurring in many plants and fruits. The sugarcane plant contains large amounts of sucrose.
So all sugar is naturally occurring. With sugar the main problems are the glycemic index and the glycemic load.
Glycemic index is the speed you absorb sugar and glycemic load is the amount of sugar supplied.
Ideally during most of the day you are better off with slow to moderate GI foods with moderate glycemic load or a moderate amount of carbohydrates.
These carbohydrates are those that are starchy and fibrous carbohydrates. Not natural sugars.
Sugars are best consumed only during prolonged exercise or after exercise and not as much when fat loss is your goal.
But the long story short is that ‘natural sugars’ are sugars and you normally only see these terms in foods that probably aren’t the best to consume especially if you are looking to lose weight or have diabetes
Except when hypoglycaemic.
But natural sugars and good fats are terms that companies use as well as 90% fat free or gluten free.
These are buzz terms used to market processed foods that ordinarily wouldn’t be eaten much if at all in a nutrition plan or lifestyle designed to reduce body fat or maintain low bodyfat.
Once again it doesn’t matter whether the fats are ‘good fats’ or the sugars are ‘natural sugars’. If there are too many calories your will gain weight.
Look past these buzz terms and read the nutrition panel.
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