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| Fat (EFAs) |  Fat has value in both gain weight and lose weight diet. The low-fat diet fixed idea has left a lot of people with wrong conception of dietary fats and their capabilities to promote good health.
The major energy source for our bodies is a combination of glucose and fat. Fat helps regulate the metabolism, decrease joint pain and increase hormone production. For those of us trying to gain weight fast, fat can be an important part of the equation. However, not all fat is good fat.
Types of Fat
There are three major groups of fats. They are saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated.
- Saturated fats are the bad fats. They are present in animal products. Such products as milk, cheese, ham and beef are high in saturated fat. Human liver produces cholesterol from saturated fat. Therefore, this can raise your blood cholesterol levels.
 - Polyunsaturated fats are known as your Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) or as Vitamin F. These fats come from sunflower oils, flaxseed oils, corn oils and certain fish oils among other sources. They’ve got their name “essential” because your body cannot manufacture them. Unlike saturated fats, polyunsaturated fats can actually have a positive influence on your blood cholesterol levels. There are two primary types of EFAs. They are the omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) and the omega-6 (linoleic acid). The omega-3 is the most important to weightlifters; it plays essential role in tissue-building.
- Monounsaturated fats are found in vegetable and nut oils. These fats are also good for you. They have positive influence on LDL levels and importance to keeping your body functioning at the highest level possible.
 Fat is highly concentrated. It provides 9 calories per gram. It is more than twice the amount provided by protein and carbohydrates. If you want to gain weight fast, fat should comprise 20-30 percent of your diet.
Be careful with the saturated fats. They have bad influence on your heart. It will be difficult to avoid them completely. And this is not necessarily wise, because they have muscle building benefits as well. It is good to keep your saturated fat intake at or below 10% of your total caloric intake.
EFAs play very important roles in building muscle. They are the starting point for the body's manufacturing of other fatty acids that the body needs to support lean muscle growth. EFAs keep the hormone-producing glands active. This will help increase the production of many hormones including testosterone.
Fat helps vitamins reach muscles. In the liver, fat helps with the digestion of protein and reduces insulin sensitivity. Owing this fact your body will be able to use more protein to build muscle and absorb carbohydrates more slowly.
Moreover, EFAs provide a great source of energy, they help the brain function at a high level, keep joints strong, lubricated and injury-free, and decrease inflammation in muscles which leads to shorter recovery periods.
Sources of EFAs are certain types of nuts, avocados, and cold-pressed oils.
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