Dietary Fats Explained

Fat has received a bad wrap for decades through no fault of its own. We have all been programmed to believe that fat is bad. We learned that saturated fats clog your arteries and vegetable oils and margarine prevent heart disease. There are abundant studies that prove all of this as a fallacy. In fact, fat is a necessary nutrient.

How do you sift through all of the messages from the media and the marketing hype?

Read on and/or check out my video to learn more.

What are good fats and bad fats? And why? To determine this, let’s talk about each of the different kinds.

Types of Dietary Fat

Saturated Fats

Mostly found in animal fats and tropical oils like coconut and palm. They are highly stable and are ideal for cooking.

Monounsaturated Fats

Fairly stable and can be made by the body. You can add this fat to your diet with olives, avocado, cashews, almonds, pecans, and their oils.

Polyunsaturated Fats

Highly unstable and go rancid easily. This fat is found in seeds such as flax, nuts, and fish oils. This is the category that Omega-3s and Omega-6s fall. When you eat a lot of processed foods you get a lot of poor quality Omega-6s. Canola oil, corn oil, etc are Omega-6 but the vast majority of the time they are already rancid before you buy them. PUFAs need to be stored in cool, dark areas; not in clear plastic bottles under fluorescent lights. And they do not handle heat well. PUFAs should be used for dressings, not for cooking.

Trans Fats

These are the fats that are worthy of the bad reputation and scare tactics. You are best to stay far, far away from trans fats. They are not natural. Instead, they are manufactured by adding hydrogen to plant and vegetable oils. The manufacturing process takes a fat that is already relatively unstable and applies heat and chemicals to force that fat into a solid or semi-solid state. Trans-fats mimic saturated fats and when your cell uptake these fats, it creates an inflammatory state and additionally blocks the absorption of healthy fats. Read your ingredient labels. Any ingredient that says “partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated” has trans fats. Whether the label lists it or not. Run, don’t walk to the nearest exit.

Now that you know the different types of fat. Why is that information important and why does it matter?

We need several types of fat. Why? Stay with me…

The roles of fats in the body.

Providing a source of energy
Acting as building blocks for cell membranes and hormones
Aiding the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins: A, D, E, and K
Allowing for the proper use of proteins
Serving as a protective lining and insulation for the organs of the body
Helping regulate energy absorption by slowing the absorption of food
Increasing satiety
Making food taste good
Making bile salts for nutrient absorption & detoxification

I hope this blog post was helpful. My intent was to explain the difference between healthy and unhealthy fats and why you need them.

Look out for future posts sharing how to incorporate more healthy fats into your diet.

Be well,

Lisa

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