The Skinny on Fats by Carole Carson/Diet and Fitness Blogger: at DailyStrength Doctors and Advisors

Serving as a catalyst to help others get fit and lose weight is Carole s specialty. Having transformed her own life, Carole has a personal connection to this topic. After chronicling her 62-pound weight loss in a weekly…

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The Skinny on Fats

Posted in Diets & Weight ... by Carole Carson on Feb 28, 2012

To eat fat, or not to eat fat: that is the question.

If you are overweight, chances are good that your doctor has advised you to cut back on fats. One kind of fat, however, needs to remain in your diet. Omega-3 fats are the healthy polyunsaturated types of fat; and they are found in cold-water fish, such as salmon and sardines; and in a plant-based form in certain vegetables, such as kale and spinach; and some seeds and nuts, such as flaxseed and walnuts. Our bodies cannot manufacture omega-3 fats, so eating foods that contain this fat is essential to our health.

Here are seven benefits that your body will enjoy from eating omega-3 fats:

- Helps prevent heart attack and stroke by reducing hardening of the arteries, blood clots, irregular heartbeats, inflammation and high blood pressure

- Lowers triglyceride levels by up to 50 percent

- Feeds your brain and helps preserve memory

- Protects your eyes from age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in older adults

- Improves your mood by providing relief from symptoms of depression

- Reduces arthritis pain by providing anti-inflammatory benefits

- Helps keep appetite in check by inducing a feeling of satiety

A couple of servings of fish each week, with occasional servings of seeds and nuts, can keep your body adequately provided with omega-3 fats.

Losing weight is not an easy task, but it’s one that warrants our attention, especially if medical problems are on the horizon. Edward Ugel, the author of I'm with Fatty: Losing Fifty Pounds in Fifty Miserable Weeks, said that “worrying about gray hair when your weight's soaring out of control is like mowing your lawn while your house is on fire.” It’s reassuring to know that to lose weight, we do not need to eat a fat free diet. Indeed, we need to eat a sufficient amount of omega-3 fats to realize our weight and fitness goals.

- Carole Carson

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