By: Christopher Caballero//Contributing Writer
When talking about fat, most people are typically just concerned with their own body fat percentage or not eating something too “fatty.” However, what people tend to forget is that fat can be a beautiful thing. Now I’m not talking about accepting people for who they are, or trying to scratch a touchy subject. I’m talking about what fat actually does for the body and how it can be a good thing in the nutritional sense.
Being able to understand what you put in your body gives someone some actual control in their lives. For fat itself, let’s not make it complicated, but let’s understand what the basic types of fats are and what they actually mean for your body.
Everyone knows about the omega-3’s (unsaturated fat), the saturated and trans fats and which ones you should typically stay away from. One type of fat people tend to forget or just don’t worry too much about, are the omega-6s. Now remember the body needs some of each, some more than others, but typically a good mix of them all, except the trans fats.
Omega-3 fats help the body with inflammation, shuttling the fat out to decrease inflammation and can typically be found in fish proteins. Omega-6 fats help give the body the tools to grow and help with brain function, as well as increase inflammation. They can be found in legumes and vegetables. (Ehrlich et al., 2013) Saturated fats help more on a hormonal level and increasing inflammation, but you don’t want to take in too many of those. The saturated fats are associated with red meats. Trans fats have no practical benefits for the body’s function and can create more inflammation that can lead to diseases and conditions that could potentially put your life at risk. Definitely staying away from those.
Now knowing what each type of fat does, here comes the fun part: food! Pairing your food up will give you the best combination to get all the fat your body needs. When pairing up food correctly, your performance from the gym to everyday activities can be maximized, feeling happy and healthy all day. Finding that balance can be a little tricky sometimes, but the good ol’ phrase, “everything in moderation,” is always the best way to keep track with how much you put in your body. Most importantly, actually love the food you’re eating and love your body.
SDA Health is published every Wednesday.
Ehrlich, Steven D. “Omega-6 Fatty Acids.” (2013). Print.
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