When people think about a low-fat diet, they generally think of weight loss. While limiting daily fat intake will usually result in weight loss, there are many other health benefits that make a low-fat diet a good choice for anyone.
Before you start your own diet plan, it’s important to understand that there are various types of fat. Your body needs fat to function properly. “Good” fat is called unsaturated fat and oil which is usually found in plants. These fats exist in things like olives, vegetables, corn and coconut oil. Saturated fat, in medium number, is actually good for you. The fat you want to try limitation is called saturated fat and comes from dairy, meat and animal products. Things like bacon, hamburgers, ice cream and cheese loaded with saturated fat and more difficult for your body to strike. They can cause damage to your arteries and they also increase your LDL, or “bad” cholesterol. The last type of fat is called trans fat. Trans fat is found in products such as cookies, cakes and potato chips. There are no health benefits for trans fat and if possible, they must be avoided at all.
Understanding various types of fat will help you to start taking a diet that will improve your overall health. A low-fat diet has been shown to help reduce your risk for serious medical conditions. In addition to weight loss, some long-term health benefits of a low-fat diet are:
Lower cholesterol: High cholesterol contributes to all a number of cardiovascular problems including strokes, coronary diseases and vascular diseases. Having high cholesterol causes plaques to accumulate in your arteries, narrow the part and limit blood flow to your heart. Lower your cholesterol by managing your fat intake so as to reduce the risk of heart disease.
Reducing the risk of heart disease: Due to a decrease in your cholesterol, a low-fat diet contributes to the overall heart health that is better and reduced the risk of heart and vascular disease, strokes and heart attacks. The best diet plan combined with a healthy lifestyle and regular exercise is the best way to ward off heart problems.
Reducing the opportunity for developing diabetes: overweight is the biggest risk factor for developing diabetes. Since following a low-fat diet helps control weight, it also reduces your risk of having diabetes related to body weight later on.
In addition to this medical benefit, there are also benefits with a better old feeling! A high-fat diet can often make you feel slow and tired. When you enter a healthy diet plan into your lifestyle, you will definitely see an increase in energy and experience less exhausted during the day. Research has shown that a low-fat diet contributes to better sleep and fewer cases of sleep and snoring apnea.
Although following a diet will not complete or prevent all health problems, there must be enough health benefits to make it valuable. And combining a healthy diet with regular exercise will put you on the way to improve health, weight loss, and a healthier life.
