Have you been on a fat free diet? I know I have in the past.

You’ve no doubt read in magazines or on websites that you should avoid eating too much fat to lose weight, how ridiculous is that!……it’s been proven time and time again that you need fats (essential fatty acids) as they are necessary for aiding weight loss and lowering cholesterol and they also support brain and body functions. Fats in a meal slow down the digestion process so the body has more time to absorb nutrients, providing a constant level of energy and keeping the body satisfied for longer periods of time.

You should aim for 30% of your total calories in fats.

Don’t worry, I’m going to explain.

There are four kinds of fats: monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, saturated fat, and trans fat. Monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat are the “good” fats found in milk and grass fed beef. Trans fat (trans fatty acids) is the worst kind of fat, far worse than saturated fat. It is found in processed foods, baked goods and fast foods. Trans fats lower HDL (good) cholesterol and increase LDL (bad) cholesterol. This can cause clogging of arteries, diabetes and other serious health problems. Partial hydrogenation is an industrial process used to make good oil into bad oil. The process is to make oil more solid and to provide a long shelf-life in baked products; they are also used in cooking oils for frying in restaurants. The main problem is that partially hydrogenated oil is laden with lethal trans fat which you should avoid.

Here’s the good news!

‘Good fats’ can be found in:

• Flax, Sunflower & Pumpkin Seeds
• Walnuts
• Avocados
• Oily fish (Salmon, Mackerel & Tuna)
• Organic Peanut, Almond nut Butters
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Make sure that you start including the ‘good fats’ in your diet today, they’re not just good for you but they taste great too.

Stay fit, keep focused and feel fabulous!

Best wishes

Steph Rice
Author of The Sexy Flat Stomach Solution