What You Need To Know About Dietary Fat

Believe it or not, if you are trying to lose weight the absolute last thing you want to do is go completely fat free. Did you know that fats are what trigger your body’s “full” response and let you stop feeling hungry? In fact, what the booming low fat and non fat “health” food industry fails to tell you is that when they take the fat out of, say, yogurt for example, they have to add in all sorts of other sugars, fillers and preservatives in order to make it taste right and satisfy you, most of which are worse for you than the simple fat would have been in the first place. The right kinds of fats are also critical in maintaining a whole host of bodily functions, including brain health and your immune system. In fact, studies are just beginning to draw connections between levels of omega 3 fatty acids and conditions like Alzheimer’s. But what are fatty acids? We’re getting ahead of ourselves here.

The key to understanding dietary fats is knowing the difference between “good” fats and “bad” fats. So called good fats are required by your body for it to function properly and can actually help reverse the damage done by bad fats, especially in the case of things like heart disease and cholesterol buildup in your arteries. Let’s start with the good fats.

Monounsaturated fats:

Now I know that can be kind of a mouthful, but remember this is one of the good guys.

These lipid powerhouses can be found in almost all nuts, many types of common cooking oils such as sesame oil, peanut oil and canola oil, as well as in avocados. They can even help undo the damage done by years of over consumption of dietary cholesterol and saturated fats like bacon cheeseburgers for lunch every day. If you are ever watching TV and an ad comes on for a heart disease medication promising to lower your LDL (bad cholesterol) levels and increase your HDL (good cholesterol) levels? Well, unless you have already been diagnosed with bigger problems, you can take steps to balance your body now before any major health issues come up simply by getting enough monounsaturated fats in your every day diet.

Polyunsaturated fats:

These fats are like your body’s motor oil- they are what help your systems to run smoothly. They are especially important for those trying to lose weight as they can boost your thyroid, and thus kick start your metabolism. They also decrease the time you need to spend recovering after a workout and can even limit muscle soreness. They also work to boost your metabolism. They are found in most kinds of fish and seafood, especially the more fatty varieties like salmon and tuna.

Saturated fats:

These are what most people think of when they think of fat. The stuff that clogs your arteries and causes heart attacks. The cause of bad cholesterol. Well, yes, and you should do your best to limit your intake of these fats, although they can be used in moderation if you get enough good cholesterol to balance them out. They are found mainly in animal products (eggs, meat, dairy, lard, etc.) and some tropical oils like palm and coconut.

Trans fats:

The big bad guy here, trans fats are man made and wreak havoc on our body’s systems. In addition to heart problems, they can also contribute to liver damage, diabetes and maybe even cancer. Read the ingredient lists on your food- anything that says ‘partially hydrogenated oil’ had them, even if the box says trans fat free- the FDA lets companies say that if they have less than 1 gram of the stuff per serving. This is one to avoid at all costs.

So while you shouldn’t go out and eat a brick of cheese or try the all avocado weight loss plan, fats are not actually all evil… only some. Read your ingredients, plan your meals thoughtfully and you’ll be fine.