HEALTHY FAT OPTIMIZES HEALTH
Many people fear fat thanks to the ‘low-fat’ era of the 80s. Because of this erroneous nutritional dogma, many products and individual’s diet had close to zero dietary fat. This is catastrophic and has led in part to what we are now seeing regarding the obesity epidemic and other metabolic health conditions.
Between the late ’70s and late ’80s, obesity rates climbed to 22-25 percent. What happened? The food industry substituted processed vegetable fats (extremely unhealthy) for animal fats and would also substitute sugars for fats – yet calories stayed the same. You may remember the countless products sold with ‘zero-fat or low-fat.’ When people saw a ‘low-fat’ product, they equated it with ‘healthy’ not realizing it had just the opposite effect. Additionally, high-fructose corn syrup was introduced. Between these two factors, weight sky-rocketed.
Sadly, this has had a disastrous long-term consequence upon our health as well as leading many to avoid fat. Generally, the belief is that fat is overall unhealthy and leads to weight gain.
And it is important to note that with more fat-free products than ever, the parallel was that… Americans got fatter.
It is crucial to add healthy fat to one’s diet. Your body needs fat for energy, cushioning, hormone production, nerve and brain function, vitamin and mineral conversion and absorption, and a host of other biological processes.
Healthy Fat Helps To:
- Promote Energy
- Hormone Production
- Nutrient Absorption
- Cell Growth
- Optimize Cell Membrane
- Creates Satiety
- Brain Health
- Fat Loss
- Reduces Inflammation
- Promote Healthy Skin
Examples of Healthy Fats:
- Avocados
- Chia Seeds
- Dark Chocolate
- Olive Oil
- MCT Oil
- Coconut Oil
- Olives
- Fatty Fish
- Whole Eggs
- Nuts and Nut Butters
- Seeds
- Grass-Fed Butter
- Ghee
- Grass-Fed Beef
So, what about bad fats? These fats wreak havoc with our health:
- significantly increases our risk for heart disease
- causes inflammation
- can damage the inner lining of the blood vessels
- could drive insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes
What are these fats? All highly refined processed oils such as canola oil, grapeseed oil, vegetable oil, soy oil, cottonseed oil and more. They are also very high in omega-6 fat creating an imbalance in the fragile omega-3 to omega-6 ratio the body requires for optimal health. Most individuals have an excess of omega-6 fat that is creating arachidonic acid leading to inflammation and other health conditions. An excess of omega-6 fat is one of the most salient dietary choices that are in part responsible for many of the metabolic health conditions we are seeing now such as obesity. Additionally, an excess of omega-6 fat stiffens the cellular membrane and matrix which is where health occurs. The nutrients cannot pass through the membrane leading to deficiencies and in general slowly degrading health.
The aforementioned oils, sadly, are generally paired with sugar which is another inflammatory ingredient making it a double whammy of inflammation and found in most processed, packaged foods. However, used as a cooking oil, it is then condensed dose of omega-6 fat.
So, remember, do not fear fat! Healthy fat is your friend.