Now I know what you are thinking … “This is a family site” and you are exactly correct! I was referring to the OTHER “F” word… fat. In the last two decades fat has come to have a negative connotation. From “Low-fat diets” to “reduced fat” products running rampant throughout the shelves of our local supermarkets, banning fat seems to be the thing to do. But why?
Look back to your elementary school days and try to remember the archaic food pyramid that was taught to you and its accompanying macronutrients. What was on that silly thing? Proteins, carbohydrates, and you guessed it… fats, made up the well-rounded “perfect” nutrition plan. Now as much as that pyramid got things wrong, at least it showed the major components of a balanced diet. So why has fat become such a taboo idea in today’s popular culture?
People always talk about losing weight, cutting fat out of their diet, or ultimately going low-carb and low fat at the same time! Lets analyze that quickly - if you cut out fat completely, your carb/protein intake is directly affected in a negative way (as your body requires a certain caloric intake to meet its daily needs). Fat has many uses in the body, because of which it is vital to any nutrition plan. Fats are a building block at the cellular level, forming the cell membrane, as well as the transport and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins such as Vitamin A, D, E, and K in the intestines. Fats are primarily a highly efficient energy source, with 1 gram of fat = 9 calories (2x the calories of a carb =4 calories/gram). The presence of fats allows protein to repair and build vital tissues as opposed to being used as an inefficient energy source.
Fat is a necessary macronutrient in your diet. There are four individual types:
The “Good” Fats:
- (1) Monounsaturated Fats = Olive oil, peanut oil, avocados, olives, nuts/ nut butters (i.e. almonds, peanuts)
- (2) Polyunsaturated Fats = Soybean oil, safflower oil, flaxseed, omega-rich fatty fish (salmon, tuna), soy milk, tofu. Omega-3 fatty acids have been linked to improved mental health, and a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer)
The “Bad” Fats:
- (3)Trans Fats = The effect of hydrogenating oils (the process inverts the typical organic chemistry of one link in the fatty acid chain, making it unable to stack effectively.) These allow the food to stay fresh longer however there is research that shows elevated “bad” LDL- cholesterol and risk of disease (heart disease and cancer) you should try to ELIMINATE these.
- (4) Saturated Fats = Not necessarily inherently bad given that sources of sat. fats such as whole milk and coconut milk can also provide high levels of other necessary nutrients. For most fitness goals, these should be limited.
A good way of easily classifying which fats are good for you is by their physical state at room temperature. Mono and poly-unsaturated fats (the “good” ones) tend to be liquid (olive oil, etc.) while Trans and saturated fats (the “bad” ones) tend to be solid (butter, etc.) when kept at room temp.
What does this all mean? In short, don’t be afraid of fat. Good sources of fat are necessary to any balanced diet, whether your fitness goals include fat loss, muscle gains or both. If you are interested in learning more about what your individual macronutrient needs are (dependent upon activity level and fitness goals), you can find out more information here. Remember, this number will vary slightly based on the individual, but it is an excellent place to start.
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