5 reasons why eating fats will help to achieve your fitness goals 1. Slowing down digestion Less rapid digestion of food in the intestine means that the release of simple sugars e.g. glucose into the blood stream will likely slow down. This has the benefit of increasing the effectiveness of sugar metabolism by insulin, absorption by cells and conversion into energy. Controlling food digestion is one of the therapeutic techniques used to reduce insulin resistance in treating Type 2 diabetes. 2. Manufacture of hormones Fats are broken down into glycerol and fatty acids through the process of hydrolysis. Fatty acids are in turn indispensable in the synthesis of hormone-like substances. While the body is able to manufacture its own fatty acids, there are 2 fatty acids essential to hormone production that needs to come from external sources. These are linoleic acid and linolenic acid. Linoleic acid is an omega-6 fatty acid. However, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is the wonder food that has been scientifically proven to be potent in weight management. Studies have shown that CLA can lead to the reduction of body fat and increase in lean mass. Linolenic acid is an omega-3 fatty acid that helps the body to synthesise leptin, a hormone that regulates appetite and have been proven to have a direct effect on weight loss or weight gain. An optimum leptin balance in the body is instrumental in producing the feeling of fullness and in turn suppressing appetite. Omega-3 fatty acids improve leptin sensitivity by telling the brain to make you feel fuller more quickly and stop food intake. 3. Vitamin Absorption and Utilisation Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble vitamins. This means these vitamins use fats as a matrix for storage, absorption, activation and utilisation. While not directly linked to fat loss, these vitamins are necessary in maintaining general well-being, cellular repair, bone growth, muscular function and organ health, all extremely important in helping your body cope with changes that come with tough workouts and weight loss. 4. Source of energy One pound of fat contains 3600 calories of energy. This and together with our body’s affinity to fat storage makes fat the largest energy reserve in our body. It is the main fuel source for low to moderate intensity long-duration endurance exercises such as cardio workouts e.g. running, step aerobics and zumba. 5. Production of fatty acids As mentioned earlier, the fatty acids synthesised from fat by our own are responsible for numerous physiological functions, the heart rate, blood pressure, reproduction, endocrine and nervous systems, tissue building and repair, cell nutrition and waste removal.
Posted on: Sun, 11 Aug 2013 02:00:00 +0000
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