The Facts On Fat

There’s one word that can send shivers down your spine and have you running to the closest treadmill, and that word of course is FAT. Unfortunately fats have received a lot of bad press when mentioned; though in fact they should be praised. Fats have very important roles in the body and without them you will find yourself in very poor health. A few of these jobs include:

• Thermoregulation (keeping warm, particularly in winter)
• Organ protection
• Cell structure
• Energy source
• Fat loss (Eat fat to lose it !)

So as we prepare for the upcoming Weight Loss Challenge I would like to share some simple information on fats and how they can in fact help you shed the kilos and winter belly. When people look to lose weight they first aim to cut down on their food intake and become very wary of what they eat. The first thing that goes is generally fat! The following are just a small handful of reasons as to why the consumption of fats can aid in weight/fat loss:

• Hormonal regulation—which is central to losing those unwanted kilos. When you cut fats out of your diet the hypothalamus (control centre in the brain) detects this via the lower levels of the hormone leptin and in turn slows down your metabolism to keep you healthy and alive. When it detects higher levels of fat, and therefore leptin in the blood again, it will increase your metabolism and go back to normal functioning.
• Fuel—When we consume more fats in our diet we increase the chances of using them as our fuel source and will actually burn more during exercise. A simple tip that I share amongst my clients is to have fish oil daily, and in particular before our sessions, to burn more when we train.
• The thyroid is also very important in weight control and by consuming omega 3’s we can assist the regulation of thyroid hormones that will increase the chances of losing weight. A low level of thyroid hormone is a common reason as to why some people struggle to lose weight.

Examples of foods to try including are: almonds, avocado, salmon, olives, meat, eggs, cheese, butter, olive oil and coconut oil.

I hope this has given you some assistance and guidance in your own personal journey. I am always more than happy to discuss any other issues further and assist in achieving your goals.