Fats

• Fat plays a big role in our body. Most importantly, it helps us survive during periods of prolonged mental and physical stresses, sickness and prolonged starvation.

• Fat is energy dense substance providing us with 9 kilocalories/gram. Other than survival, fat also performs the following functions in our body :

- Transports vitamin A, D, E, Kwhich are also known as fat soluble vitamins.
- Protects vital organs like heart, kidney, liver, lungs, etc.
- Acts as an insulator and prevents loss of the body heat.
- It is a part of the protective sheath covering the nerves and helps in nerve transmission.
- Stimulates flow of bile and emptying of gall bladder.
- Required fir milk production and the normal growth of the foetus in pregnant women.
- Makes up much of the brain (more than 60% of the brain is composed of fat) and helps it fuction smoothly.
- Lubricates joints.

• Fat is stored as adipose tissue in the body from where energy can be used in some extreme cases. It is due to this ability that the human species has evolved and survived. So the fat is our body's answer for bad times. It is the only nutrient that can help us survive through the toughest phases of our life. so EAT FAT TO LOSE FAT.

• There are mainly two types of fats :

1. Saturated fats - Butter, animal fats(red meat), milk and milk products, coconut and palm oil.
                  - LCFA (Long Chain Fatty Acids)-> animal fat -> hard to digest and damages cardiovascular health.
                  - One should always have it in moderate amount.


2. Unsaturated fats - All oils except coconut oil.
                    - Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) : peanuts, olives, avocados, almonds. It has oleic acid which is great for moisturising skin, glow and hair growth.
                    - Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) : Omega 3- flax seeds, walnuts, fish oil and Omega 6- sunflower, safflower and soyabean oil. [Omega3:Omega6 = 1:1]
                    - Trans fats : when unsaturated fats hydrogenated, gets converted into saturated fats and these are called as trans fats. 
                    - Processed foods, store-bought cakes, biscuits and fast food like pizzas,burgers,fries have trans fats in them.
                    - It is created to preserve food and give it a texture. It is a bad fat as it increases LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein means bad cholesterol) in the body.

• Peanut oil and that new entrant, rice bran oil, have a strong content of MUFA. Their fatty acid content is similar to olive oil and they have a flavour which is much better suited to Indian cooking than olive oil.

• For a lean, toned body, healthy heart, supple skin and lustrous hair make fat as a part of every meal or atleast of three main meals(Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner).

• Include nuts,cheese or any other dairy product in your diet because it's not just enough to eat food that is cooked in oil. 

• Consuming healthy fats in healthy (adequate) amounts will actually ensure proper functioning of the body and optimum fat burning.

• Fats, when eaten in combination with carbs and protein, work at reducing the glyceminc index of the food.So they actually work at slowly releasing sugar in the blood. This leads to effective fat burning, stabe blood sugar, minimised hunger, a good mood and a glowing complexion.

• Try using blends of oils instead of using only one type of oil for years. Change your cooing oil after every 2 months. So the fat layers won't stack in your body. Use filtered oil rather than using refined oil because it retains the nutrients in it.

P.S. Fat is required not just for optimum health but for the sustenance of life itself.

Make sure you have atleast 1 tea spoon of homemade ghee everyday and puhhhleeeezz HAVE IT GUILT FREE.