THE SKINNY ON FAT -

Everywhere we are bombarded with what is good for us and what isn’t, why we should be eating less of that dreaded three letter “F” word. If we put it all together we can probably write a Dr. Seuss poem. Less fat more fat, good fat bad fat. Fat, fat fat. The world would probably be a better place if fat just didn’t exist at all right? Wrong!

Believe it or not fat is often important when it comes to having a healthy diet. It is a source of energy. The fat that we eat provides energy for our day to day activities. Essential fatty acids are for lack of a better word, essential for growth and development of cell functions. Myelin which is a fatty material wrapped around nerve cells is made up of fat. Thats right, our brains contain essential fats. Without fat, fat soluble vitamins like A,D E and K would not be able to flow through the bloodstream effectively. Last but not least, our skin and other tissues need fat to stay healthy.

The general consensus is that too much fat is never a good thing however there are several types of fat that you should know about and what each does for the body. Let’s take a look at these three so you can figure out the right balance of fat you need in your diet. The good the bad and the ugly.

The good: Unsaturated Fat
Unsaturated fats can be broken down into polyunsaturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fats. When eaten in moderation these can replace the bad and the ugly, saturated or trans fats. We get unsaturated fat from various foods such as avocados (mmm my favourite, olive oil, seeds, nuts and other plant foods as well s cold blooded sea foods. Two classes of polyunsaturated fats contain omega-3 so we’re talking oily fish, salmon, mackerel (Dale a tu cuerpo alegria, Macarena, heyyyyyyyy mackerel) and trout. The second class is omega-6 which can be found in sunflower oil or other plant foods.

The bad & the ugly: Saturated Fat
Saturated and Trans fatty acids are the guys who clog your arteries when eaten in excess. Trans fats can either be natural or artificial. It’s artificial when it goes through hydrogenation which is chemically altering the structure via heat. These artificial fats are found mostly in fried food, baked goodies (ie. cookies) and the most popular one, fast food. Natural trans fats would be the fat found in cheese, beef and milk.

Besides fighting heart disease and lowering cholesterol knowing the good, the bad and the ugly about fats might be a way to safely incorporate more fat into your diet to help you slim down. Swap out butter on your toast for avocado, try soy or almond milk instead of whole. Fat in moderation is good for you as long as you know the positives and negatives of what you’re putting in your body.