Why Eating Fat Does Not Make You Fat!

I remember when I was in high school, and low fat was the way to eat. This notion was everywhere, and fat was made out to be the “bad guy”. I remember buying red licorice and pretzels because both labels stated in big capital letters “low fat”, and I thought this meant I could eat as much as I wanted. I thought if I didn’t eat fat, I wouldn’t get fat. It makes sense, right? Wrong. Fat has an important role in our bodies and is absolutely necessary. What we need to be careful about, is the type of fat we eat.

A low fat diet is not heavily backed by research. One study worth noting is The Harvard Nurses’ Health Study, which was performed by the U.S. government to prove that dietary fat is a killer. They spent $100 Million dollars and found no correlation between dietary fat and heart disease.

We are lead to believe we should consume no saturated fat, because it causes heart disease. FALSE! The American journal of Clinical Nutrition published a meta-analysis that concluded there was no scientific evidence that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease or cardiovascular disease.

Saturated fat is the main fuel used by heart cells, it composes 60% of the fat found in your brain, and it is also the major component of our cell membranes. It helps build stronger bones, is a part of healthy lung function, and effects proper nerve signaling. Again the types of saturated fat DO matter, but we should not be avoiding saturated fat all together.

What type of fats should you eat?

Monounsaturated fats: The Mediterranean culture consumes approximately 40% of their calories from monounsaturated fat, hardly low fat by our American standards. However, studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet increases life expectancy and reduces incidence of disease.

Omega-3: When you are deficient in Omega-3’s you are at risk for numerous afflictions such as cancer, heart disease, autoimmune disorder, allergies, aging, asthma, depression, cystic fibrous, stroke, rheumatoid arthritis, and obesity. Guess what? A recent study found that 99% of us are currently deficient in this essential fat. The term ‘essential’ means that we do not produce it in our body therefore we must consume it in our diet.

Saturated fat: Not all saturated fats are the same, and some are beneficial for your health. There are different forms of saturated fat. For example, lauric acid contains MCT (medium chain triglyceride) fats which are easily digested and burned immediately by your liver for energy. In addition, lauric acid has anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.

What types of fats do I need to avoid?

Hydrogenated oils: These oils are genetically modified and contribute to the imbalance of you omega-6:omega-3 ratio. When we accumulate too many omega-6s (which dominate the standard American diet) we cancel out the benefits of omega 3s.

Trans Fat: This fat needs to be avoided all together because it raises you “bad” cholesterol and lowers your “good” cholesterol. Don’t be deceived by these products that are labeled trans-fat free because under the labeling laws if it contains less than a half a gram you can call if trans-fat free.

Saturated Fat: While some types of saturated fat have benefits, there are other types that need to be avoided because they can be detrimental to your health. Grain fed animals and processed dairy foods contain high amounts of harmful saturated fat.

Fat is necessary for many vital functions in the body. When you are making choices you need to remember the quality is what counts.

If you want to know how much you should be eating click here www.dynamicbalancehealth.com to set up a 30 minute free phone consultation. There are so many myths about food to which we have all been exposed. We want to get you on the path to true health from the inside out.