Fat is a macronutrient that your body needs for several reasons. In winter, you especially need foods that are source of good fat, as they keep you warm. It is safe to say that fats have gained popularity for all the wrong reasons, especially weight gain. You will be surprised to know that no matter how healthy your diet is, if you don't eat good fats regularly, you may not be able to assimilate vitamins and other nutrients from them. This is because Vitamins A, D, E and K, the four extremely crucial vitamins are fat soluble. This means that these vitamins, will only be absorbed or assimilated in the body in the presence of, or when you eat them with healthy fat sources like ghee, coconut oil, olive oil, mustard oil, etc.
Signs you are not eating sufficient fats
Not eating fats may partially help you lose weight, but it may come at the cost of your health. Your body needs essential fatty acids for the health of your eyes, brain, adequate blood clotting, proper wound healing and also for production of hormones like oestrogen and testosterone.
1. FATIGUE
Being deficient in good fats can cause fatigue. It may also be because of malabsorption of vital nutrients like vitamins A, D, E and K. Also, eating fats can satisfy your satiety, the lack of which can result in physical as well as mental tiredness.
2. POOR IMMUNITY
If your diet includes sufficient amount of fruits and vegetables, but you still end up falling sick too often, it could because of poor immunity from fat deficiency. Deficiency of fat can result in malabsorption of nutrients, which can directly affect your immunity.
3. SKIN PROBLEMS
Lack of good fats in your diet can directly reflect on your skin. It can make your skin look dry and flaky, and may also increase inflammation. Coconut oil is known to be wonderful for moisturising skin naturally. In fact, people have been using coconut oil as a home remedy for dry skin for decades now.
4. HAIR PROBLEMS
From coconut oil to mustard oil, fats are important for healthy, shiny and well-nourished hair. Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in foods like walnuts and fatty fish, can help you have thick and shiny hair. They aid blood circulation in the scalp and boost hair growth as well.
5. HORMONAL BALANCE
Hormonal imbalance is one of the most dreading side effects of not consuming sufficient fats. Lack of good fats in the body can result in irregularities and even loss of menstrual cycle. The endocrine system, which is responsible for producing hormones, may not function properly in case the body does not get sufficient vitamins and minerals like vitamin D, B12 and selenium.
All in all, it is important to understand that eating the right kinds of fats is important for your health and overall well-being. Unsaturated fats are healthy fats whereas saturated and trans fats are known to be unhealthy fats. Foods like butter, cream, milk, cheese (unless they are homemade), ice cream, red meat, processed mead, deep fried and junk food are all foods that give you saturated or trans-fat.
These are a selection of food sources of fats that you should definitely try and include more of in your daily diet:
- Ghee
- Coconut oil
- Mustard oil
- Groundnut oil
- Olive oil
- Avocado
- Fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel)
- Nuts and seeds
- Nut and seed butters
