When you’re trying to lose weight and get rid of fat. It can be difficult to get your head around the idea that you need ‘good’ fats to live, and there are none better for your health and weight than essential fatty acids (EFAs).
What Are Essential Fatty Acids?
Like we said, your body needs good fats, mostly for energy. The body can synthesize, or make, most of the fats it needs from a healthy, balanced diet. There are two essential fatty acids, those the body also uses for internal processes, that the body can’t synthesize and must get directly from the foods you eat.
Alpha-Linoleic Fatty Acid
An omega-3 fatty acid, a good source of alpha-linoleic acids are omega-3 fish oils.
Linoleic Fatty Acids
An omega-6 fatty acid, a good source of linoleic fatty acid are omega-6 plant oils.
EFAs are needed and important for the normal functioning of every cell in your body.
How Your Body Benefits from EFAs
By promoting healthy, efficient functioning of the cells in your body, EFAs deliver more than their fair share of healthy benefits.
Reduced Cholesterol
EFAs reduce lipids (fats) that are linked to higher levels of cholesterol
Lower Blood Pressure
When your cells function better, the need for higher blood pressure is reduced.
Less Risk of Heart Disease
By regulating how your blood clots, EFAs can lower your risk of heart disease.
Reduced Inflammation
EFAs are linked to reduce inflammation, including helping with arthritis pain.
Healthier Skin, Hair and Nails
EFAs promote new cell growth, which keeps your skin, hair and nails looking their best.
How EFAs Help You Lose Weight
Again, no one can be blamed for shying away from anything called ‘fatty’ when they are trying to lose weight. But when you put together all the benefits of omega-3 fish oils and omega-6 plant oils, what you do is give your body many of the nutrients it needs to healthily reduce its weight.
In that way, EFAs should be considered ‘essential’ for weight loss. When your body starts to lose weight, it needs to adjust itself in ways that go against what it considers normal. That puts added stress and demands on your body that it might not be ready for. If it isn’t, you might actually gain weight instead of losing it.
But EFAs give your body the added health and energy it can be missing when you reduce the levels of fats in your diet.
To learn more about all the benefits of EFAs and how you can healthily manage your weight, talk to the nutritional consultants at your local Herbal One Centre.