DUE to marketing in the mass media, many people think fat is bad for you.

This is true of man-made fats which your body finds difficult to absorb and use.

However, it may intrigue you to know that fat is actually vital for hormone production and hormone 'signalling', in other words  sending messages to the cells of the body to express health.

Fat contains and helps absorb essential vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K and a family of nutrients called carotenes or carotenoids), as well as minerals such as calcium.

It also provides us with essential fatty acids (EFAs) such as Omega-3, Omega-6, and Omega-9 fats, to assist thousands of chemical processes in the body that relate to circulation, cell function and immunity.

Some fats are very advantageous, in fact crucial, to the way our body performs mentally and physically.

These 'healthy' fats can be found in foods such as olives and olive oil, oil from oily fish, avocado, raw nuts such as almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts, seeds such as flaxseed, chia and salba seeds (both relatively new foods to hit the scene), sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and some animal foods such as eggs, milk and meat from flax-fed or grass-fed animals.

There are, however, some really 'ugly fats' to avoid at all costs if you can.

These are called trans fats and are manmade from commercially-applied oil processing methods such as hydrogenation, refining, bleaching, and deodorising.

These chemical processes can actually turn good fats into fats that are extremely harmful to your metabolism and health.

They are found in most processed foods high in fat and sugar. Look on your food labels for hydrogenated fats.

If they are there then bin the food and vow never to buy the product again!

Foods such as oily fishes, all variety of raw unsalted nuts and sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, avocado, and quality extracted oils contain many Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids for optimal health.

The two main essential fats that we must get from food are called alpha-linolenic acid, orALA (the Omega-3 parent fat) and linoleic acid or LA (the Omega-6 parent fat).

These unsaturated and unstable fats, while essential to health, are very sensitive to light, oxygen and high temperatures.

Ideally they should be consumed fresh, and cold which means unheated and uncooked. Many fats become damaged or rancid when they are fried.

Ideally they must be refrigerated and kept in the dark, and used reasonably quickly.

Remember that fat present naturally in food is protected by other plant substances and is usually fresher, therefore safer to the body, and better utilized than the extracted oils from food.

So, instead of using vegetable oil to cook with is use coconut oil instead (available from most health food shops or some supermarkets).

As a general portion guide you can safely eat a small handful of nuts or seeds everyday, have ½ an avocado in a salad, have a portion of oily fish two to three times a week, and feel at ease to use a spoon of quality extra-virgin green olive oil, cold flaxseed oil, coconut oil or organic butter over your vegetables.

Introduce these foods into your diet regularly (that can mean daily if you so wish) and remember that good fat is essential to you, your body and your metabolism.

Healthy fats in wild fish and nuts, like walnuts, are some of the best oils for the human body. Unfortunately we would have to consume a large amount of salmon and walnuts everyday to get the necessary amounts.

Introduce a high quality Omega 3, 6 and 9 supplement to support your meal plan. Every single person will benefit from adding a high quality fish oil supplement to their diet.

How Omega 3s burn fat

Omega-3s burn body fat in 3 different ways.

First of all, they allow the body to burn fat in situations where fat burning is turned off, such as after a high-carb meal or after high-intensity exercise, where the body preferentially burns glycogen.

Secondly, high amounts of Omega-3s increase insulin sensitivity. If your body is sensitive to insulin, less insulin is produced after a meal, which means less fat is stored.

Thirdly, Omega-3s increase the heat of your cellular furnaces, which are otherwise known as the mitochondria and the peroxisomes. Omega-3s thus help you burn more and more energy, thus turning you into a fat burning machine.

Furthermore, including more Omega-3, 6 and 9 in your diet is considered one of the simplest and most effective ways to reduce inflammation.

This doesn’t just mean in relation to sports injuries and is also applicable to everyday muscular aches, chronic joint pain, arthritis and poor exercise recovery, even headaches.

Neil's bootcamps are held in Dakota Park, Warrington, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 6am to 7am and 9.30am to 10.30am. 

Sessions are also held at FirstClass Healthclub, Old Liverpool Road, Lane Ends, Warrington on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 7pm to 8pm.

For more information e-mail Neil at fatlosspt@gmail.com