In my last two blogs, I discussed the importance of carbohydrates and proteins. The final macronutrient that I will discuss is fats. When it comes to fats, most individuals are extremely uninformed. It is often believed that fats will make you fat. While this was what was taught in the past, a new light is being shed that is showing that good fats, will in fact, not make you fat. Too much of the wrong fats is what can make an individual fat. Fats are also known as lipids and are made up of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen. 2 The main lipids found in the body and the foods we eat consist of triglycerides, fatty acids, essential fatty acids, omega 3 fatty acids, gamma linolenic acid, medium chain triglycerides, phospholipids, lecithin, and cholesterol.
One major problem with today’s society is that they consume too many foods that are high in saturated fats. Some food that is high in saturated fats include bacon, whole milk products, liver, hot dogs, hamburgers, custard, butter and more. It is recommended that individuals substitute unsaturated fats for saturated fats. They can do this by using oils such as corn oil, peanut oil, olive oil, safflower oil and more. They can also consume leaner meats to avoid intaking excess fat from meats.
Triglycerides are the most prevalent type of lipid, making up almost 98% of the fats in an individual’s diet. They consist of the oils, which are liquid at room temperature, and fats, which are solid at room temperature, in your diet. They also are the fat that is stored in your body. They “consist of 3 fatty acids attached to a 3 carbon glycerol molecule.”1
Individuals need to be cautious about how much their daily fat intake is. They need to recognize the difference between good fats and bad fats. Once they do so, they should begin to implement more unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats. Individuals need to strive to have a balanced diet to be able to live healthy.
1Gastelu, D. (2000). Fats: The most misunderstood macronutrient. Sports Nutrition.
2Mandal, A. (2012). What are lipids?. News Medical Life Sciences.
This is a very informative blog!I think they will help an individual trying to manage or lose weight. By educating themselves and monitoring what kinda fats they are consuming, it will make a difference. I think the blog will encourage individuals to be more aware and conscious of the kinda food and fats they consume. Excellent blog!
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