Fat…just what the heck good is it anyway? Well, there’s lots of good about it actually. Some fats are actually so good that you need them in your diet (think Omega-3 fats!) So, let’s get a run-down on what is so good about this macronutrient.
The body needs fat as an energy source. In fact, when you are at rest 60% of your energy comes from fat. Fat is full of energy and it has 9 kilocalories per gram stored in its molecules just waiting to be tapped. This is especially important for nursing babies since their stomachs can’t hold as much, they need to get a diet rich in fats from Mother’s milk.
Fat also acts as an energy reserve. Your body stores fat (I know, most people don’t like that aspect of fat) for use as energy during periods of caloric deficit. MOST of the body’s energy comes from carbohydrates but fat is also an important and efficient energy supplier. So if our body’s preferred energy is from carbs why don’t we just store those for energy? Well, we do store some carbohydrate (in the form of glycogen) but that only supplies 4 kilocalories per gram. It would take 6 pounds of glycogen to store the same amount of energy as fat does…can you imagine how bulky we would be if we stored glycogen instead? No thanks!
Oh how safely our organs are protected. Yes, fat supplies a protective layer of adipose tissue (fat tissue---but adipose sounds less harsh) protecting them from harm. The fat just under our skin (called subcutaneous fat if you want to impress your friends) serves to insulate us from cold temperatures. Oh, and how about this for a freaky fat fact-the brain is 60% fat! I wonder if this is where the term “fat head” came from?
So, you know how your body needs vitamins right? Well, your body wouldn’t be able to use vitamins A, D, E or K if it wasn’t for fat. These vitamins are known as fat-soluble and that means that it needs fat in order to be carried through the body where it’s needed. The body can also absorb more nutrient goodness like the lycopene from tomatoes if fat is present. Go Team Adipose!
How about the smell of a steak cooking on the grill? Mmmm Mmmm! Those flavour chemicals dissolve in fat and heating sends that wonderful aroma into the air! Oh, and one more thing, fat makes you feel full longer so you’re not always hungry.
Now that we know we need fat (really bad things happen when you get too little) just how much do we need? Fats should make up 20-35% of your caloric intake. For instance, if you are on a 2000 calorie per day diet your body needs between 400-700 calories (or 44-78 grams) of fat. This range is so generous that no matter what your health goals are, you can fit in the proper amount of fat. Carbohydrates should make up 45-65% and protein 10-35%
Before you run to the cupboard looking for all your fatty foods, I want you to just hold on a second. You want to do this right. You want to get in the best fats and stay clear of the not so good fats. Avoid like the plague trans-fats. While very little can be found in natural food sources, this is pretty much a man-made fat and can be found in a lot of prepackaged and processed foods. Trans fats help extend shelf life and other benefits to the company making them but no benefit to your body so stay clear. Cut down on saturated fats making them no more than 10% of your calories. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature so should be easy to spot but read the labels on the food you buy. Here’s a little nerdy fact to help you out here. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature because they are saturated (hence the name) with hydrogen atoms. Therefore you want to be aware of anything that has the words “hydrogenated” on the label.
For the most part you want to eat mostly unsaturated fats—the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated types. These two have been shown to have a positive effect on health. Just to talk a bit about polyunsaturated fats, one of the more well-known of these fats is the Omega-3. Omega-3 fat and Omega-6 fats are known as essential fats which simply means your body can’t make these so you have to eat them in order to use them. In the body, Omega-3’s helps dilate blood vessels, discourage blood clotting and reduce inflammation among other good things. Omega-6, while still needed, has the opposite effect on the body. For this reason, you want to increase you intake of Omega-3 sources of fat.
Omega-6 fats are found in vegetable oils like corn oil, sunflower and safflower oil so you’ll see a lot of that in baked goods (read food labels to be sure) The North American diet typically consumes far too much of this type of fat (remember, Omega-6 can constrict blood vessels and CAUSE inflammation) so a really good plan is to consume more Omega-3 fats in a good Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio. Science would tell us that a ratio of 6:1 or less has been shown to have a positive effect on health and even a lower ratio is better.
How do you get more Omega-3 polyunsaturated fats into your diet? Some good sources include Omega-3 enriched eggs, many nuts and seeds such as walnuts and flaxseeds as well as cold water fish such as sardines, salmon, tuna, lobster and the like. Adding these foods will improve the ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 intake. I only wanted to highlight these two because on a food label you will see the amount of polyunsaturated fats in the food but since not all unsaturated fats are created equal, you’ll want to dig deeper by reading the ingredient list on the label as well.
Monounsaturated fats can reduce blood cholesterol and lower your risk of heart disease. Good sources are olive oil, canola oil, avocados and peanut butter (which is good news for me ‘cause I love me some peanut butter!)
Phew, that was a lot to take in huh? Well, here’s the summary:
*You need fat so eat it!
*Avoid (I believe I said like the plague) trans-fat and limit saturated
*Eat healthy sources of fat from nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocados and fish
*To limit trans and saturated fats, read your food labels!
Darcy out!