Fat Vs Sugar - What Do You Need More?

You have probably heard it over uncountable number of times that if you want to lose weight you have to give up fatty as well as sugary foods. The fact is both of them are important for health, albeit in a small amount and it is not possible to give them up entirely. Moreover, due to our fast life, we have become increasingly reliant on fast foods which contain a high level of fat and sugar. Even more, the foods we consume at home contain some proportionate levels of fat and sugar.

You may now wonder whether it is possible to entirely give up fatty and sugary foods. The answer is not all types of fats or sugars are harmful to your health. Refined sugars and fats are bad for your health. Refined sugars like white sugar, glucose, corn syrup with high fructose level or brown sugar are harmful to your health. Refined fats like margarine, oils or Tran’s fats have an adverse effect on your health as well. New findings have shown that if you consume healthy fat, you can lose more calories in comparison to consuming the same amount of carbohydrates. It is because healthy fats make you feel fuller and less hungry.

Fat or Sugar?
There are varying opinions regarding this. Some think fat is fatal for our health while many hold sugar as the real culprit. Let us see the both the opinions.

• When you consume 1 gram fat, you consume 9 calories, while 1 gm of sugar adds only 4 calories to your body. So, apparently, you consume more calories from fat than sugar. On the other hand, losing weight means you have to burn more calories which mean you have to burn the fat more than the sugar.
• Again many are of the opinion that it is sugar which gives you more calories. You cannot consume all the sugar you intake in a day and they are stored as fat in your body cells. Carbohydrate forces your cell to give up more and more insulin which brings the sugar levels down in your body. It adversely affects your metabolism. Overall, it adds more calories to your body.

The verdict?
Fat decreases your cravings for food. They put a check on your blood sugar levels. You consume less fat than carbohydrates and burn more of it since it helps in higher metabolism. Fats like Omega-3 are helpful for your body as they take care of your heart.

Conclusion
The best way to keep your diet in check as well as satisfy your appetite is to consume wholesome food. Whole foods have fat, sugar, fiber in a balanced proportion which keeps your blood sugar level in control and checks metabolism. Consume foods like fatty fish, eggs, nuts, olive oil or avocados which will supply you with healthy fat. They help keep you healthy inside out. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Dietitian/Nutritionist.