Let’s start
with the basic truth about fat: it is absolutely essential to our bodies. It
cushions our organs, helps assimilate certain vitamins, provides fuel for
energy and most importantly, is essential to our brains – they are 60% fat!
Plus, eating a little fat at every meal slows the digesting process down and
keeps us feeling fuller, longer.
Now that
we’ve established that fat is a critical to the well-being your body, let’s see
how it fits into your diet. It’s important to know that there are three types
of fat in your food – saturated, unsaturated and trans fat – and only one of those types will help you
lose weight by keeping you feeling full and maintaining your health. The key to
fat intake and weight loss is to make sure you don’t eat more than 30% of your
daily calorie allowance in fat.
The Two Kinds of Bad Fats
Saturated
fat is usually found in red meat, full fat dairy products such as butter, milk
and cheese as well as in palm and palm kernel oils. So what makes it bad? It
has been linked to inflammation in our bodies, which means it creates a
continuously unhealthy environment that can lead to heart disease, cancer, and
other illnesses. Limiting consumption red meat to once a week and using low-fat
or fat free dairy products helps to control your weight and the inflammation.
Trans fats
are man-made fats. Manufacturers found that this fat greatly extended the shelf
life of baked goods like bread, cookies, and crackers and began incorporating
it into the majority of foods we see today. The drawback? Our bodies can’t
handle it. Because it is a man-made chemical, the human body doesn’t have the
ability to break it down properly so it tries to store it, resulting in weight
gain, inflammation and eventually, disease. Trans fats are also known to
contribute to clogging up arteries. Extra tip: trans fats can also be listed as
‘partially hydrogenated fat’ on food labels, so if you see that phrase, don’t
eat it.
The Good Fat
So what
fats are good for you and your waistline? Unsaturated fat. Your body recognizes
this type of fat as easily absorbable and containing useful nutrients. Examples
of this type of fat are found in foods like olive oil, almonds, avocados,
peanuts, walnuts, seeds, spinach, kale, and flax oil. Cold water fish like
salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, and herring also contain unsaturated
fat. Eating these types of food will
keep you feeling full and keep your body healthy.