Oh, the fear of fat!
It’s unfortunate that the fat-free craze is still so rampant.
Like the low carb craze, removing another macronutrient from your diet is not the answer to losing weight or feeling fabulous.
What’s important is in knowing the difference between good fats and bad ones.
Good fats will actually help you to lose excess old fat, keep you feeling fuller longer, allow you to absorb essential fat soluble nutrients, aid in proper hormone function, keep your cell walls strong and bring you warmth in the winter months.
And good fats also aid in keeping you satisfied and boosting the happiness factor by increasing serotonin levels in the brain.
What happens to a product when they remove the fat is it becomes less satisfying and filling and in many cases these products ramp up the sugar content or add other chemical fillers to make up for the less satisfying flavour, leading to overeating, excess sugar cravings and even more weight gain.
Not what you were looking for now was it?
The sad part, according to Udo Erasmus, author of Fats that Heal Fats that Kill, is that the majority of our population is consuming “too many chemically altered, toxic fatty acids.”
Trans fats or hydrogenated oils are the fats that are toxic to the body.
Consuming deep-fried foods and hydrogenated fats have some serious risks, including increased rates of cancer and heart disease, but that doesn’t mean we need to avoid fat altogether!
The fat you are looking for comes from unrefined, fresh oils loaded with essential fatty acids.
These are typically the mono and polyunsaturated oils but can also include some saturated fats like grass-fed beef and unrefined coconut oil as well.
Unsaturated sources include extra virgin olive oil, flax oil, sesame oil and even high quality organic butter or ghee (clarified butter).
Foods that contain healthy fats include avocados, coconut and olives.
Hemp seeds and chia seeds are also extremely high in the good omega 3 fatty acids.
Remember a gram of fat contains twice the calorie content of a gram of protein or carbohydrate and may take up to five to eight hours to digest compared to three to five hours for proteins and two to three hours for complex carbohydrates.
What does that mean?
It means you will stay satiated, or fuller, longer!
So don’t be afraid of some healthy fats. They may pack more calories per gram but will keep your hunger satisfied three times longer.
More benefits to good fats?
Beautiful skin, hair and nails, a healthy heart, liver and nerves and the best part: satisfaction with your food.
Fat is an essential nutrient in your body — not to be avoided, especially if wanting to lose weight.
A little guacamole is sounding a whole lot better now isn’t it?
Basic Guacamole
3 medium avocados
2 tbsp lime juice
1 clove garlic
Small handful cilantro, chopped (optional)
1 tsp sea salt
Kristin Fraser, BSc, is a holistic nutritionist and local freelance writer. Her column appears every second Thursday. She can be reached at kristin@somethingtochewon.ca.