Dietary fat is one nutrient with a serious image problem. “Fat in food is equal to fat on the hips.” Not true! This is a hot topic at the moment, full of conflicting information and controversy.
Take a walk down any aisle in your local supermarket and you’ll see low fat or fat free products dominating the shelves since the 80s. As the message got out that to improve our health (and our ever expanding waistline) fats needed to be cut, we all did just that, all willy-nilly. Fact is … we can’t live without good fats. Besides serving up health benefits, fat can tip the scale in your favour!
Good fats are found in nature and are minimally processed fat. Bad fats are man-made, processed and refined. Yes, it’s that simple!
Why do we need good fats in our diet?
We all need some fat in our diet, not least because it makes our food more palatable and tasty, but are important for maintaining healthy blood vessels, making hormones, and for the correct functioning of our nervous system. It ferries Vitamin A, D, E and K, known as the fat-soluble vitamins, into, and around the body.
So, if you’re topping up your salad with a low fat dressing, you could be missing out on a lot of the benefits in those leafy greens – which will also leave you feeling hungry all day. Part of losing weight is feeling satisfied and not wanting to nibble throughout the day. Four great foods rich in healthy fats include avocado’s, seeds and nuts and oily fish such as salmon, herring and mackerel. Studies have found that food with healthy fats, take longer to digest and will therefore help to keep you fuller for longer. Combine good fats and carbs to avoid hunger spikes. For example: have natural nut butter on wholegrain toast in the morning, olive oil drizzled on your salad for lunch, and salmon with guac and veggies for dinner.
Which fats should be avoided?
As we came to terms with unpalatable low fat foods, the food industry got to work replacing the animal fats in their products with unsaturated vegetable oils, using a process called hydrogenation. These fats increase levels of dangerous trans fats. As well as altering the oils for producing low fat foods, manufacturers increased the amount of sugar in the products so we continued to enjoy the taste and texture. All of this meant that the typical low fat product tended to be high in carbs and contain certain trans fats, which at the end of the day had a very similar calorie count to the original product! A diet rich in refined carbs and sugars will increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease and causes high cholesterol levels. Stay away from foods whose ingredients panel lists hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.
How much good fats should you eat per day?
There is a dark side to fat. Fat is high in calories and small amounts can add up quickly. If you eat more calories than you need, you will gain weight.
The ideal daily fat intake is 20-30% of your total calorie intake. So, figure out what 20-30% of your ideal calorie intake is, and divide that amount by 9 (because there’s 9 calories per gram of fat). The answer you get is the ideal range for how many grams of fat you should eat per day.
Bottom line: In small doses, fat is one of your best food friends. Ditch bad fats and embrace healthy living by including more good fats in your daily nutrition. You will taste, see and feel the difference.
Source: www.womanshealth.com, www.bbcgoodfood.com, www.mayoclinic.org, www.huffingtonpost.com, www.webmd.com, http://www.health.com/health/
DISCLAIMER: The information on this website is for educational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you are experiencing symptoms or need health advice, please consult a healthcare professional.
