Most of us develop more interests in certain things. This includes fashion, TV shows, movie stars, exercise. Among all, one of the popular interests is dieting and losing weight. Many think that reducing fat consumption can make them lose weight. For example, fruit diet, peeling all the skin off their chicken, getting all things fat-free. All of these practices can be good for you if moderated right, but can also be very bad for you if you are not careful.
Not enough fat in the food makes you hungry faster
Recently, I lived in a hot spring resort in Japan. It provided very healthy foods. Japanese foods are generally not as oily. At every dinner, it was always a 10-course meal with quite a bit of meat and carbs. One might feel quite full immediately after having this kind of dinner, but it doesn’t take very long to digest it all and feel hungry again. Whereas a 2-piece fried chicken meal may end up having half of the calories in comparison to the 10-course meal, and it will make you full for longer. Of course, it may not be a good idea to eat fried chicken meals all the time. But a bit of fat in your food may not be always bad.
There are good fats that you should take in
WebMD gives a great description of the “good fat” that we should consume. Both monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are considered as the “good fat”. As mentioned in the article, these unsaturated fats, “when eaten in moderation and used to replace saturated or trans fats, can help lower cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of heart disease.” One type of polyunsaturated fats is Omega-3, which is abundant in fatty fish. “The American Heart Association recommends eating 2 servings of fatty fish each week.”
There are micronutrients in foods with fat
In fact, there are many fat-soluble micronutrients that are not found in non-fatty foods. One of the ways people use to avoid fat is becoming vegan. There is nothing wrong with the vegan diet as a lifestyle, but one must do it right. One must watch their calcium and protein intakes very carefully because vegans don’t drink milk. As well, one must also be careful about making sure the protein is there when they don’t eat meat. Most importantly, however, is vitamin B-12, which is a fat-soluble vitamin that is almost only found in animals. Without B-12, people are going to get Vitamin B-12 Deficiency Anemia. It’s important for vegan dieters to take the synthetic source of B-12. Other fat-soluble micronutrients include Vitamins A, D, E, K which are also essential.
People might still get overweight because they misunderstand what causes weight gain and loss
People are “overweight” or “obese” because of the excess fat collection in their bodies. This doesn’t only include fats that directly comes from the fats ingested from the diet. In fact, when the body knows that there is too energy for it to use up, the body automatically triggers fat generation. At this state, “energy” (usually in the form of sugar) is broken down and then converted to fat storage. One who drinks a lot of soft drinks, for example, would still gain weight as long as the amount of energy intake is higher than the energy used.
As illustrated, uninformed, unmoderated dieting can cause many health issues. Plan your diet carefully, or consult a certified dietitian if needed, so that you can achieve a healthy weight loss.
With love,
Cecilia Or
Always Remember W.H.Y.
Be Well, Be Happy, Be You
