How do I know I'm not getting enough? Well good fats are vital to good health and daily functioning. Our body needs fat for healthy, hair, skin, and nails, vitamin absorption, and regulation of bodily functions. If that doesn't answer the question, let me just say things flow much better when you have good fat levels in your body.
See I've been on this really big health trip for quite sometime now and I am REALLY enjoying it. I have learned so much and I feel like I have finally found something that I can soak up like a sponge. So I have now learned what to eat to drop a few pounds (or at least thought I had learned). I have kind of gotten to this plateau and thought that if I really watch what I'm eating and don't eat the "fat" stuff, I'll get rid of the squishy area around my middle. Well, that hasn't changed much. In fact, I've been more uncomfortable then usual. So I've been doing some research on the subject and there is a lot out there! Apparently a lot of people have learned this lesson the hard way. Fat is good! You want fat in your diet!
See back in the 90's there was this really big wave of "NO FAT" diets. I'm sure a few of you can remember that. And it hasn't really gone away. All my life I feel like I've been hearing about good fats and bad fats, and low fat this, and no fat that. Blah, blah, blah, you get tired of hearing it so you zone it out (or at least I did.)
Fats are good! Or rather, good fats are good. We want to have them in our diet. Fat is essential to keeping you feeling full. Your body needs fats for insulation and cushioning of your organs. There is fat in plasma and other cells. Your body uses fat for so many purposes. It's good! You want fat! A healthy body needs fat.
I found this photo on Pinterest and quite honestly I love it. It's a great visual. See, even on the skinny body you can still see fat.
So what are these good fats and where can I get them? Below you'll find a good list of places you can get good fats.
Olive oil
Canola oil
Sunflower oil
Peanut oil
Sesame oil
Avocados
Olives
Nuts (almonds, peanuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, cashews, walnuts)
Peanut butter
Soybean oil
Corn oil
Safflower oil
Walnuts
Sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin seeds
Flaxseed
Soymilk
Tofu
Fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, trout, sardines) (If you're cutting out meat, just stick to the other stuff on the list, that's what I do.)
I am still doing a lot of learning on this. I'm doing a lot of investigation on Omega's 3, 6, and 9. I am really finding this all very interesting. I'll keep you posted on the things that I find.
With tomorrow being Christmas eve, I'll just share something nice and light with you. A fun little youtube clip that absolutely cracks me up. :) I hope you are all enjoying your holiday season. Stay away from the crowds and keep your sanity. I'll be getting my long run in tomorrow to gear me up for our Christmas feasting on Sunday.
