It’s no secret that eating healthy and exercising are key to living a healthy lifestyle. However, as you begin to change your eating habits in an effort to meet your health and fitness goals, it’s important to understand the different types of fats that can help or hurt your journey.

If you follow Atlas Nutrition on Instagram, you may have seen our recent post about the different types of fats and the role that they play when it comes to our nutrition. In today’s blog, we’ll dive a little bit deeper in order to give you a better understanding of how to incorporate healthy fats when you’re planning your weekly meals.

At Atlas Nutrition, we are committed to providing our clients not only with fitness coaching to help them achieve their goals, but also the nutritional information they need to take control of their health and wellbeing for long-term success. Contact our coaches at Atlas Nutrition today to learn more!

Why Do We Need Fats?

Healthy fats are important for the overall function of your body. Not only do they promote hormone production, but they also aid in tissue growth, recovery, and repair. Fats are energy dense and can help keep you feeling more full for longer periods of time. Different types of fats play different roles in our bodies, from regulating cholesterol levels to keeping our heart healthy. There are three main types of fats that are beneficial to your overall health:

• Monounsaturated
• Polyunsaturated
• Saturated

Monounsaturated Fats

Monounsaturated fats are healthy fats that can help with weight loss, reduce the risk of heart disease, and decrease inflammation. Some examples of foods that contain monounsaturated fats include avocados, certain nuts, and the fats found in olive oil. Monounsaturated fats help reduce bad cholesterol.

If you’re looking to add some healthy fats into your diet, you can snack on almonds, add an avocado to your salad, or use cooking oils like olive oil, canola oil, or sesame oil while cooking.

Polyunsaturated Fats

Polyunsaturated fats are different from monounsaturated fats because they are found in plant and animal foods like salmon, vegetable oils, and some other nuts and seeds. These fats are used to build cell membranes. Polyunsaturated fats are needed for blood clotting, muscle movement, and inflammation, so it’s important to incorporate some of these fatty foods into your diet!

The fitness coaches at Atlas Nutrition are here to help you navigate the fatty waters of figuring out the best nutrition plan for reaching your weight loss goals. Call us today to start working with one of our certified nutrition coaches!

Saturated Fats

Saturated fats are the last type of dietary fats. These fats are not as healthy as monounsaturated or polyunsaturated, but they don’t come without their benefits, either. Most saturated fats are animal fats like beef, pork, or lamb, but also include things like dairy products, tropical oils, and lard.

Saturated fats can be consumed in moderation in order to support tissue repair and hormone health.

Healthy, Fatty Options for Your Daily Diet

Now that you know about the different types of dietary fats, you may be wondering how you can incorporate healthy fats into your diet without going overboard! It’s as easy as making a few swaps when it comes to your normal eating habits.

• Swap creamy salad dressing for olive oil and vinegar
• Snack on almonds, pistachios, or nut butter with an apple when hunger strikes
• Add an avocado to your salad or sandwich, or even a smoothie
• Choose salmon instead of chicken or steak one or two nights a week
• Keep hard-boiled eggs in the fridge for a quick breakfast or midday snack

It’s time to stop shying away from fatty foods thinking that they will hinder your ability to lose weight. It’s quite the opposite, actually. When you add the right healthy fats to your diet, you can not only help your body’s recovery time, but promote weight loss and reduce inflammation. Let the fitness coaches at Atlas Nutrition answer your questions and help you come up with a fool-proof meal plan — healthy fats included.

Reach Your Health and Fitness Goals with Atlas Nutrition

No matter what your goals may be, when it comes to your health and fitness, you won’t find a better coach than one of ours at Atlas Nutrition. We’ve been in your shoes, so we know how to make a game plan that fits your specific needs, lifestyle, and budget. Our fitness coaches aim to be your pillar of support and encouragement to keep you motivated through each step of your journey. Whether you’re looking to lose weight, gain healthy weight, or prepare for the competition stage, we can help. Get in touch with us at Atlas Nutrition by stopping by our Greeley store, visiting our website, or following us on Instagram! We’re ready to help you crush some goals!