12 signs you need to add more fat to your diet

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Do your joints hurt? Vision problems? Burn out quickly at work? Dry skin? Your body probably lacks fat. In this article, you will find a complete list of signs that will tell you if you are getting enough fat in your diet.

Many people suffer from overweight problems. These people, in the hope of losing weight, are on strict diets and exclude all fatty foods from the diet. And yet - I bet - they never thought about the fact that eating not enough fat could be another problem.

The fact is that fats have a bad reputation, and therefore many seek to eliminate them completely from their diet. Others simply eat the “wrong” types of fat, which can lead to health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol.

But if "bad" fats (saturated or trans fats) negatively affect your health, then monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, on the contrary, are useful if you know when to stop, of course.

Essential fatty acids (EFAs), such as omega-3s, cannot be ignored, which help our bodies in many ways, from reducing inflammation to preventing dementia.

So, the main question is: by what signs can you determine if there is enough fat in your diet? Examine the list below: if there are matches, it's time for you to revise your menu.

1. You have dry skin

If you suffer from dry, itchy, or scaly skin, try to eat more olive oil, nuts, and avocados. They provide your body with the fatty acids it needs for the sebaceous glands, the skin's natural moisturizers.

EFAs (omega-3 and omega-6), which enter the body through food, support the health of cell membranes and support the production of lipids. Lipids, on the other hand, prevent water from evaporating through the skin, keeping it hydrated. Therefore, it is so important to get enough EFAs.

In 2008, to find out how evening primrose oil (a source of omega-6) affects people with atopic dermatitis. After five months, 96% of the subjects who took the oil showed a noticeable reduction in dry skin.

2. You are often angry and depressed

Interestingly, omega-3s and other fatty acids help fight the development of depression. If your mood drops sharply, try eating fatty fish or flax seeds - it won't take long and you will feel the difference.

Norwegian scientists, which was attended by about 22 thousand people. As a result, it was found that the likelihood of developing depression in people who regularly consume fish oil (rich in omega-3) is less than 30%.

This is not the only study that supports the positive effects of fat on human mental health. There are some that prove that the lack of omega-3 in the body negatively affects the psyche. So, scientists have found that an increase in the proportion of omega-3 in the diet affects a patient with depression better than taking antidepressants.

But the lack of beneficial fatty acids often leads to excessive impulsivity, aggressiveness, cynicism and anger.

3. You get tired quickly

If you burn out before 3pm or find it difficult to get out of bed in the morning, your body may have low energy levels. Proteins, fats and carbohydrates serve as fuel for the body. At the same time, fats are the main source of energy.

Healthy fats slow down the absorption of carbohydrates that enter the body with food. This minimizes the spikes in blood sugar when we eat foods rich in fast carbohydrates (white bread, pasta).

A sharp jump in sugar is accompanied by a surge of strength. But when sugar levels begin to drop (and this happens very soon), the feeling of cheerfulness is replaced by a state of fatigue, lethargy and drowsiness.

Try adding a tablespoon of coconut oil to your coffee and you will see how it will add energy and vigor to you.

4. You are constantly hungry

If you feel a rumbling in your stomach before an hour has passed since your last meal, this is a sign that your body may be lacking fat.

prove that taking even a small amount of dietary fat can satisfy hunger and moderate appetite. These same studies have shown that certain types of fat saturate better.

Foods rich in polyunsaturated fats (fatty fish, walnuts) and saturated fatty acids (butter, ghee, lard) are more satisfying than food that contains monounsaturated fats (avocado, olive oil, peanut oil).

However, it is not recommended to consume more than 7% of your daily calories from saturated fat to avoid health problems.

You can add avocado wedges to sandwiches and pour olive oil over salads. In most cases, this will be sufficient.

5. You are cold all the time

Have you heard how skinny people complain that they are cold? Or, how do overweight people suffer when summer comes? This is because dietary fats are involved in regulating baseline body temperature. Subcutaneous fat is necessary for a person to retain heat in the body.

Moreover, subcutaneous fat protects the body from a sharp drop in temperature. In such cases, body fat generates heat, which increases the temperature of the entire body.

Of course, there is a big difference between unhealthy belly fat and a thin layer of subcutaneous fat, which is good for the body.

6. You often can't collect your thoughts

A high concentration of omega-3 is characteristic of the brain, therefore, these fatty acids are considered critical for all higher mental functions (memory, thinking, speech).

In other words, if you often forget about meetings, events, and your loved one’s birthday, you may need to reconsider your diet. And the sooner you start worrying about having healthy fats in your diet, the sooner you get results.

By the way, EFAs help fight attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in preschool children.

7. You can't lose weight

This point may sound counterintuitive, but I'll explain it now.

If you remove all fats from the diet, then the body will have to compensate for their lack of other nutrients: carbohydrates and proteins.

It's no secret that in order to lose weight, you need to consume fewer carbohydrates. So it turns out that by increasing the proportion of dietary fat in the diet, you reduce the body's need for carbohydrates. Without carbohydrates, which are fuel, the body will have to get energy by burning fat stores.

Just count, one gram of fat releases nine calories, and carbohydrates and proteins four. This means that a handful of walnuts will give you more energy than a couple of sugar cookies.

8. You have vision problems

Vision problems can be another sign that the body is lacking in fatty acids. Omega-3 acids protect the eyes from age-related macular degeneration, excess pressure and glaucoma.

Macular degeneration is the most common cause of vision loss., which lasted 12 years, found that people who consume enough omega-3s are 30% less likely to develop macular degeneration.

A diet high in unhealthy trans fats, on the other hand, contributes to the development of macular degeneration. Therefore, if you have eye problems, stop eating fried chicken, crackers, and sweets frequently.

EFAs have also been shown to help treat glaucoma, another common cause of vision loss.

9. Your joints hurt

If you are an athlete and suffer from arthritis or just have joint pain, you should be careful to ensure that your diet includes enough fat.

By consuming only "good" fats and avoiding "bad" fats, you will reduce the risk of inflammation throughout the body. It can help you fight arthritis.

What foods contain "good" fats? In olive oil, salmon, herring, sardine, walnuts.

In addition, omega-3 acids reduce the "stiffness" of joints in the morning and improve blood circulation during sports.

Of course, fat is a very high-calorie food, so be careful.

10. You have high cholesterol levels

High levels of "bad" cholesterol (LDL, low density lipoprotein) are known to increase the risk of heart disease. But did you know that simply reducing the level of "bad" cholesterol is not enough? It is also necessary to work on increasing the level of "good" cholesterol - HDL, high density lipoproteins.

If your body's "good" cholesterol is below normal, try eating more healthy fats. Good fats for good cholesterol. Not too hard to remember, is it?

As, eating oily fish (salmon, sardine, herring and mackerel) several times a week will dramatically increase the level of "good" cholesterol. If you do not like or cannot eat as much fish, drink fish oil. He will do the same job, only it will take more time.

11. You quickly get tired in crowded places

If you become irritable and tire quickly in stadiums, bars, or other places where there are a lot of people, so-called sensory overload may be the cause. Try adding more omega-3s to your diet and you will see how things change.

In 2009, scientists found that omega-3 fats help animals avoid sensory overload. The mice were exposed to increasing noise. The rodents who received enough omega-3s remained calm, while the rest were shocked by the loud noise.

Science tells us that a decrease in the concentration of omega-3s in the brain leads to a deterioration in mental performance. If you work your head, I recommend that you keep an eye on the presence of fat in your daily diet.

12. You have vitamin deficiency

Perhaps, every person has periods when it seems that the battery has run out (apathy, I don't want to do anything, drowsiness). This is often associated with a lack of vitamins. But the real problem may be that the body is not absorbing (not absorbing) these vitamins.

Are you lacking vitamins A, D, E and K? In fact, you may simply be lacking a small amount of dietary fats: without them, these vitamins cannot be absorbed.

Consuming natural coconut oil is a great way to make sure you are getting the most out of your vitamins. And yes, coconut oil is saturated fat. But this is the only product that is an exception to the rule.

Coconut oil improves the absorption of antioxidants and other nutrients, and it does this much better than other fats.

Conclusion

Balance is a must when consuming dietary fats. Make sure that your diet includes a sufficient amount of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, especially omega-3 fats, as well as a small amount of saturated fats. Your body needs it.