Admin The once popular low-fat diet trend is losing popularity as people learn about the health benefits of a high-fat, low-carb diet. However, many people who follow a keto diet menu underestimate how much fat they need to get into a ketogenic state.
This article will cover why fat intake is important in a keto diet, what are healthy fats and bad fats , and how to get enough fat on your own keto diet menu.
What is Fat, and What Role Does it Play in the Body?
Although it is denigrated by nutritionists, fat is considered a macronutrient. Fat plays many important roles in maintaining good health, such as helping your body absorb a wide range of fat-soluble nutrients from food. You may want to lose weight to get a beach body, but without fat in your diet, you won’t be able to absorb the vitamin D you get from a sunny day by the water. vitamins A, E and K also need a little help getting into your system, and healthy fats provide just the help needed to break them down into a form your body can use.
Fats in your diet also have the benefit of helping you feel full. This can help you keep your total calorie intake low and help you feel satisfied faster. This is due in large part to how your body metabolizes certain fats and what happens to those fats once they enter your bloodstream.
One of the most important aspects of fat is the energy it contains. When your body runs out of carbohydrates and goes looking for something else to burn, it starts converting fat into energy for your cells. The breakdown of stored fat produces organic compounds called ketones, which can be used as energy. This process is known as ketosis.
The goal of the keto diet is to keep you in ketosis as much of the time as possible. This’s accomplished by increasing your fat intake while decreasing your carbohydrate and sugar intake, which provide energy your body can also use. Once you eat the short and medium chain fatty acids in foods like butter, cream and coconut oil, they enter the liver. In the liver, these fatty acids are quickly converted into ketone bodies, giving your body the shortest route to the energy it needs.
Fat and the Keto Diet
The keto diet is a high-fat diet. It’s a healthy diet where 75% of your calories come from fat. Now, this helps your body go into a state of ketosis, a state where you burn fat instead of carbohydrates as your main source of energy.
This is one of the most focused macronutrients. But it should be noted that some fat choices are healthier than others. Fat is one of the three most focused macronutrients in the keto diet. Fats are a major source of energy, so it’s important to choose healthy fat options and eat the right portions.
People often think that they just need to eat a lot of fat and avoid carbohydrates. For this reason, people end up eating a lot of unhealthy fats when following a keto diet. Sources of unsaturated fats are still recommended over saturated fats, even though they are considered keto-friendly.
Healthy Fats You can Eat
When you’re not getting enough fat on a keto diet it means you’re missing out on the benefits of eating healthy fats. Some of the best types of fats to include in a keto diet are polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats. These healthy fats are found in many different foods, so you can enjoy a varied diet and get the fats you need.
Some of the best sources of healthy fats include:
- Avocado and avocado oil
- Nuts and seeds (and nut and seed butters)
- Olives and olive oil
- Coconuts and unrefined coconut oil
- Sesame oil
- Canola oil
- Oily fish – e.g. tuna and anchovies
- Cacao nibs
Other high-fat foods you might include in your keto diet might be full-fat Greek yogurt, cheese, butter, and whole eggs.
Including these fats in your diet will help lower your LDL levels, which is the bad cholesterol in your body. It also helps your body develop and maintain your cells.
What Fats Should You Avoid?
There are a number of fats that are worth avoiding in a keto diet. These include artificial trans fats, processed meats and fried foods. Avoid some frozen foods, such as sausages, hot dogs and hamburger patties, as they are often rich in trans fats and other additives that may be bad for your health. It may also lead to other health problems. You should only consume a very small amount of calories per day from foods that contain these fats.
If you want to make sure you’re eating the right type of fat, check the nutritional information on the food before you buy it. If there is no information on the package, you can go online and even find helpful apps that will help you analyze the food you are eating.
How do I Increase My Fat Intake on Keto?
Increasing your fat intake on a keto diet means doing things that previously seemed ridiculous or even dangerous. Instead of adding a little creamer to your coffee, you might want to consider adding a spoonful of butter. Many people make so-called “fat bombs” with a mixture of high-fat, low-carb ingredients such as nut butters, coconut creamer and condiments like cocoa powder. Eating full-fat dips made with avocados, olive oil, tzatziki and other high-fat ingredients also helps.
