When it comes to adding fat into our diet, many people are confused and rightly so! There’s a lot of conflicting information out there in regards to fat and many people don’t know what to believe. These days, you can find people who try and limit their fat intake and others who are trying to load up on it. (Think—Keto Diet or Atkins Diet). Still others are stuck on the low- fat craze idea from the 90’s, so stock up on low-fat foods. So what is the skinny on fat?
What’s wrong with limiting our fat?
Eating a healthy diet rich in nutrients and fat is important for overall health. Limiting fat in your diet is not a good idea and can have serious side affects on your body. Restricting fat can disrupt your hormones, impair digestion, weaken your bones and muscles, affect your kidneys and compromise your immune system. Our bodies need fat to function properly and perform peak functions. If you are not supplying your body with the fat it needs, your body will suffer.
What’s wrong with low-fat foods?
Grocery stores carry an abundant supply of low-fat foods. That’s not surprising, as food manufacturers latched on to the low-fat notion when we were told that fat is bad for you and developed hundreds of different food products with less fat than original versions. Consumers naturally started buying them, thinking they were good for you.
Unfortunately, when fat is taken out of a food product or reduced, something else is added in to make it taste similar to the original version. Fat plays a big part in how a food tastes and is hard to replicate. Often times sugar or other sweeteners are added in the product to improve the taste. Chemicals and preservatives are also added, which can wreak havoc on the body when consumed on a regular basis. New studies also show that the original thinking that fat affects our cholesterol and causes heart disease were flawed. In fact, Dr. Mark Hyman, in the article, Good Fats vs. Bad Fats, tells us “For decades now, we’ve declared a war on fat and introduced some of the most toxic crap into our diet – including low fat yogurts, milks, cookies, cakes and a lot of processed carbs and sugar! But fat is not evil! The right fats can speed up your metabolism, make your brain work better and faster, balance your hormones and they can even help your skin glow.”¹ Our bodies need fat to function properly and perform peak functions. In my book, Wholey Cow A Simple Guide To Eating And Living, I talk a little about how we should feast on fats and eat healthier fats when possible. Instead of depriving our bodies of fat, or eating low-fat versions of food products, we need to look more at the kind of fats we are eating.
Look For Healthy Fats (MUFAS)
There are a variety of fats found in food including saturated fat, monosaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat and transfats. Monosaturated fats (MUFAS) are the good fats that help your body function optimally. Think plant-based foods. Trans-fats, on the other hand, are not so good and are found in animals and animal products, such as milk. Other trans-fats are found in a variety of processed foods, such as potato chips, corn chips, crackers, condiments and more. These products typically contain hydrogenated oil, which is man-made using an industrialized process, which converts vegetable oil into a solid form. It is best to stay away or limit your intake of these products, as it has been proven to be bad for your body.
When grocery shopping, look for those foods that contain good fats (MUFAS), as this is they type of fat that your body needs and craves.
Healthy Fat Foods:
- Avocados
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Nut or seed butter
- Olives
- Dark chocolate
- Coconut oil
- Olives
- Olive oil
- Flax seed
Other Healthy Fats
You can find other healthy fats in some varieties of fish including: salmon and tuna. You can also find healthy fats in eggs, tofu, edamame, full-fat yogurt, full-fat milk, some hard cheeses, such as Parmesan and lean cuts of grass-fed beef and pork.
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Source:
¹S“Good Fats vs. Bad Fats: Dr. Hyman’s Healthy Cheat Sheet.” The Chalkboard, 11 Mar. 2016, thechalkboardmag.com/dr-hyman-good-fat-bad-fat.
