"Don't fear fat; embrace it. It's your body's preferred source of energy on the keto journey."
The Importance Of Healthy Fats In The Keto Lifestyle
As you know, low-carb vegetables are just a portion of the Keto Diet. Today's article will build more on the Keto Diet with healthy fats. Healthy fats in the Keto Diet are another essential aspect to consider. Healthy fats in the Keto Diet provide sustained energy, support metabolism, and enhance overall well-being. When you are cooking Keto foods, you need to know the healthy fats to use for Ketosis.
Healthy fats provide a long-lasting source of fuel to your body. If you were not on the Keto Diet, you would receive energy from carbohydrate foods. However, on the Keto Diet, you no longer eat high-carbohydrate foods. You eat low-carb vegetables and other low-carb foods. As your body moves into ketosis, your body uses fats for energy.
Healthy fats are slowly digested and broken down, giving you a gradual and sustained release of energy. You don't have energy spikes and crashes like you do with carbohydrate-rich diets. Gone are the days of lethargy and brain fog from high-carb foods! Within a week of the Keto Diet, I felt much better and had energy!
The Benefits Of Healthy Fats In Your Keto Diet
Healthy fats keep you satiated and satisfied without feeling hungry, so you don't tend to snack or overeat. You have a stable blood sugar level with appetite control, which leads to weight loss.
Healthy fats support you while you practice intermittent fasting or fasting for extended lengths of time. Healthy fats give you a reliable source of energy to maintain mental clarity and physical function.
The Role Of Healthy Fats For Metabolism
Healthy fats encourage Ketone production by breaking down fats into fatty acids. The fatty acids are then broken down into Ketones from the liver. Ketones are an alternative fuel source for the brain and other bodily tissues during periods of low-carb intake.
Healthy fats are essential for synthesizing hormones, including sex hormones, adrenal hormones, and overall hormonal balance.
Healthy fats are a vital cell membrane component that affects cell integrity, communication, and function. Healthy cell function supports metabolic sufficiency.
Healthy Fats Enhance Overall Well-Being
Brain health is affected by healthy fats. Fish like salmon contain Omega-3 fatty acids that support cognitive function, memory, and mood stability.
Healthy fats in the Keto Diet are good for heart health because they help lower bad cholesterol, reduce inflammation, and improve heart health overall.
Omega 3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties to prevent chronic inflammation-related diseases.
Fat-soluble vitamins such as Vitamins A, D, E, and K need healthy fats to be absorbed. Consuming healthy fats ensures proper absorption of these vitamins.
Healthy fats are the building blocks for healthy skin and hair cells to support their structure and moisture retention.
Healthy fats slow down the absorption of sugars from carbohydrates that maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
Adding a variety of healthy fats into your Keto Diet can profoundly affect your energy levels, metabolism, and overall well-being. Choosing high-quality fat sources and balancing your intake of other foods, such as low-carb vegetables and protein, is your primary objective to reap these benefits!
Healthy Fat Sources To Include In The Keto Diet
As with good and bad carbohydrate foods, healthy and unhealthy fat sources exist. It is essential to know the difference between healthy fats and unhealthy fats. Unhealthy fats can destroy the benefits of healthy fats, so always avoid unhealthy fats and stick with healthy fats in your Keto Diet.
Below are healthy fat sources for the Keto Diet
Avocados
Coconut oil
Olive Oil
Avocado oil
Almond Oil
Nuts and seeds such as macadamia, pistachios, chia seeds, almonds, walnuts, pecans, flaxseeds, and pumpkin seeds.
Nut butters that does not contain added sugar, such as almond butter, pistachio butter, or peanut butter.
Fatty fish such as mackerel, sardines, trout, or salmon are high in omega-3 fatty acids.
Grass-fed butter and ghee are rich in saturated fats.
Full-fat cheeses such as mozzarella, cheddar, and cream cheese. Do not purchase low-fat cheeses because they defeat the purpose of healthy fat in your Keto Diet.
Eggs
Heavy cream or half-n-half are both low-carb. However, milk is high in carbohydrates and sugar. Milk is a no-no on the Keto Diet.
Animal fats include organic bacon, organic fatty cuts of meat, and chicken thighs.
Organic dark chocolate with 70% or higher cacao content can be enjoyed in moderation for its healthy fat content and antioxidants.
As you use healthy fats in your Keto Diet, portion control is your main concern in maintaining weight. Too much of a good thing is not good, and overconsumption of healthy fats leads to weight gain. Include a variety of healthy fats in your Keto Diet to get a balance of nutrients your body needs.
Unhealthy Fats Not Included In The Keto Diet
Certain fats are not recommended for the Keto Diet because of their potential negative impact on your health.
Below are unhealthy fats that should not be included in the Keto Diet:
Trans Fats are artificially created fats found in partially hydrogenated oils. Trans oils are linked to heart disease and inflammation of the body. They are in artificial creamers, margarine, canned frosting, fried foods, microwave popcorn, potato chips, crackers, and coffee creamers. Crisco is a prime example and is used for frying foods. Incidentally, fried foods are not part of the Keto Diet, but more later.
Refined vegetable oils such as soybean, corn, and canola oil are high in Omega 6. A high intake of Omega 6 without Omega 3 leads to heart issues and age-related macular degeneration.
Processed seed and vegetable oils are extracted from sunflower, safflower, and cottonseeds, as corn and soybean oil are included in processed vegetable oils. They are cheaper oils, but you get what you pay for. These oils are high in Omega 6, which is inflammatory to the body.
Hydrogenated fats are found in shelf foods to extend the shelf life of shelf foods. The longer the shelf life, the shorter your life. Read the labels of shelf foods before you purchase them to see their ingredients. Avoid shelf foods containing hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats. Hydrogenated fats cause heart disease and contribute to inflammation of the body.
Shelf foods include chips, crackers, macaroni and cheese, cereals, pasta, shelf cheese, and more. When you visit your grocer's section of shelf foods, stop and look at the labels, and you will be surprised to find out that shelf foods are not real foods. They are over-processed with all the wrong ingredients that will not contribute to health.
Low-quality fat sources are fats from conventionally raised and grain-fed animals with lower nutrient content. We are all what we eat, and grains can have pesticides and fertilizers in them that are fed to livestock. Opt instead for grass-fed animals.
Processed snacks and fried foods contain unhealthy trans fats and refined oils that are inflammatory to the body and encourage heart disease.
Moderation and balance are foremost in the ketogenic diet. Focus on healthy fats in your diet and avoid or minimize the consumption of unhealthy fats. If you have specific health concerns, consult with your physician or a dietitian before undertaking significant dietary changes to ensure you get nutrients specific to your health condition.
Sincerly Yours,
Blissfully Keto
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