Good Fats Help You Burn Bad Fats!

Good Fats Help You Burn Bad Fats!

Jump forwarding our clocks this weekend has got many of us are thinking about Spring-which is just around the corner! Many people with disabilities, particularly individuals with mobility impairments, struggle with weight issues, so for some people this revitalizing season also means revitalizing your diet in order to lose some pesky pounds you may have packed on over the winter. So here's a helpful hint.

The general belief out there is that eating fat will make you fat, but that's just not true. Eating the right kinds of fats not only help you lose weight but also provide tons of other health benefits! The right kinds of fats I'm talking about are essential fatty acids (omega-3 & omega-6), or EFA's for short. These fats are called essential because our bodies cannot make them so we must obtain them from foods such as nuts, seeds and fish. EFA's help us by making the walls of each and every cell in our body more permeable so that nutrients can flow into the cell more easily and toxins can flow out more easily. In turn, this makes the cell structure stronger and more efficient in all its functions. When are cells are working optimally, our metabolism is boosted, which means the rate at which we burn fat is increased, thus helping us to lose weight. EFA's also make you feel fuller so you'll eat less. And if you've started a work-out regime to assist you in losing weight, EFA's will help because they not only help build lean muscle tissue, but they also shorten the time needed for fatigued muscles to recover after exercise. As well, these essential fats decrease the inflammation associated with muscle breakdown and repair after exercise.

Once you've started to lose weight by increasing your intake of EFA's, you might start to notice that you're feeling better emotionally, physically and mentally too. This could be due to the fact that these fats are known to help alleviate depression and boost our moods. EFA's also increase our immune system and help us stay healthy because they hold oxygen in our cell membranes and this acts as a barrier to viruses and bacteria. Essential fats are also an important component of the brain so they can actually assist our brain function.

And if that weren't enough EFA's can help decrease the joint pain many of us experience from pushing our wheelchairs or using crutches because they help decrease inflammation. Furthermore they can help protect us from pressure sores because they improve the integrity of our skin.

Okay, now that you know all the ways EFA's can help you, what's the best way to get them into your diet? Below is a list of EFA rich foods that you want to include in your diet at least once every day.

• Fish - salmon, halibut & sardines
• Nuts & Seeds - almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds & sesame seeds
• Flax Seed Oil - 2 tbsp/day
• Avocado
• Free Range Eggs

If you have any weight loss questions, comments, tips or recipes to share-I'd love to hear them!

Joanne Smith
Certified Nutritional Practitioner