Women, healthy fats and general fitness

If you are a woman who exercises regularly, you may have heard conflicting messages about the best way to nourish the body, specifically when it comes to eating fats. For many years, low-fat and high-carb diets have been recommended for weight loss , general health and exercise performance.

But what we learned recently is that women need more fats in their diets, especially as it relates to overall fitness .

Why are women afraid of fats

Let’s just be honest: Women are under a lot of pressure to research a certain way, especially in the fitness environment. The idea of ​​”smaller is better”, some female athletes choose diets that contain fewer calories and then wonder why the level of energy and fitness decreased .

Talking about adding more fats to your diet may make alarm bells start to sound in your head. Thanks to decades of bad dietary advice, we’ve learned to fear fats. The problem is, when we don’t get enough fat in our diet, we’ll do one of two things: replace the fats with sugar and processed foods, or not eat enough calories in general.

Well, he convinced me. Why should I eat more fat?

We women naturally store more fats in our bodies than men. You can be the fittest woman in the gym, and still have more body fat than the guy on the machine next to you. Although this may seem frustrating, P can be Na reversed to our advantage. Our bodies are designed to efficiently use these extra fats as fuel for exercise.

Here’s how: Women generally have a lower respiratory exchange rate than men. Women also have higher levels of estrogen and progesterone. Each of these causes our bodies to be much better at burning fats from carbohydrates. Even if you don’t eat enough fat, you won’t have much stored energy to burn, and you won’t be able to exercise efficiently.

Adequate fat intake is important in providing soluble vitamins for bone health, energy levels , and hormone production.

How Much Fat Should You Eat?

20-35% of your calories should come from fat. That means if you consume 2,000 calories a day, you should be eating at least 44 grams of fat.

What kind of fat should I eat?

Not all fats are created equal. It is important to choose high-quality sources of fats that are naturally found in protein foods such as nuts, seeds, nut butter, salmon, fish oil supplements, avocados, and eggs. Avoid trans fats and highly processed foods.

Here are some simple ideas for adding healthy fats to your diet:

• Add a tablespoon of almond butter to your morning bread.
• Create your own mixture using a variety of nuts, dried fruits and coconut chips.
• Add two tablespoons of avocado to your favorite smoothie.
• Add hemp core chips or chia seeds to your salad.
• Choose a high-quality fish oil supplement and take it daily.

So if you’re a woman , don’t be afraid of fat. Start exercising effectively by adding these healthy foods to your diet. You were made for it!