For a moment, let’s take a fun little trip down memory lane. Type into your search engine: Low-Fat Commercials 90s and just watch a few videos. Some are funny with little catch lines; others are just plain ridiculous, and most wouldn’t make it past today’s censors. But they all have one thing in common: the craze to eat everything low-fat. Many funny commercials and a lot of terrible health advise came from this era. Repeat after me, out loud if you need too: “Fats are good for me”. Healthy fats are one of the macronutrients which our body needs to survive. Now that I feel I have made my point abundantly clear that you need not starve yourself away from all fats, let’s discuss what exactly is a “good” fat and what is a “bad” fat.
The two main types of fats are saturated and unsaturated. From there it breaks down into so many different types: trans-fat, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, both medium and long-chain fatty acids. Now we can look down to the atomic level and discuss the different bonding mechanisms, but that may be a little too in depth, but if you would like a very detailed video click here. I am going to stay away from the terms “good” and “bad” for fats, as typically saturated fat is deemed to be bad for you as it raises your cholesterol levels. However, coconut oil is a saturated fat but is actually fantastic for you. Not only that, but full animal fats found in meat and dairy are also good for you in their natural form- it’s only once they have been proceed with sugars and chemicals that they are bad for you. As an article on The Power of Positivity puts so eloquently “Full fat unsweetened yogurt will be healthier than a vegan donut fried in vegetable oil”. As we have discussed in depth through this whole marathon: be conscientious of what you are eating, and everything in moderation. If you really want to eat as healthy as possible, eat as close to nature as you can. Once foods started getting processed and shrunk-wrapped is when the integrity of that food has been lost, and your body will no longer know what to do with it.
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There have been dozens of studies done over the last few decades showing how terrible fat is for your heart health, but here’s the kicker: what’s actually bad for you is sugar, but the sugar industry is so massive they have been able to buy off these researchers to release how “terrible” fat is for your body. Fat is one of the 3 macronutrients your body needs to survive! But we make the correlation between fats and the excess weight on our bodies and automatically want to avoid it. Walter Willett, MD of Harvard Public Healthy stated in reference to the fat-free craze: “One of the most unfortunate unintended consequences of the fat-free crusade was the idea that if it wasn't fat, it wouldn't make you fat.”; But staying away from fats would exclude all eggs, butter, and coconut oils from your diet, which are all very good for you!
So, let’s stay away from the idea of “good” and “bad” fats, and instead focus on what you should be eating. Nuts and seeds, avocados, extra virgin olive oil, eggs, fish, and dark chocolate are all excellent sources of good fats! And, most of these foods are high in Omega-3s! Omegas are good for, but not limited to the following: brain, heart, and eye health; staving off depression and anxiety; pregnancy; mental diseases such as Alzheimer’s and ADHD; your skin, sleep… Really you name it and Omega-3s help it! It is important to note that all of your omega-3 fats must come from your food, as your body does not make its own. One important thing to note: if you are eating nut butters, be conscientious of the sugar content. Really your best option here is to find brands that are only nut and oil as so many nut butters (especially peanut butter) have a lot of added sugar.
Fast food, fried food, corn chips, salad dressing (which we have seen before with lots of added sugar), and pizza are all highly fatty foods. But here is the CRAZY thing, your body will not actually absorb more fat than what it needs. Those big fat cells float around through your blood system and what your body needs it releases in the bowels. But when you start combing this with sugar is when your body starts having the problem. That sugar combination is what leads to visceral fats building up around your organs and on your belly, hips, legs and arms. In fact, all of the cholesterol that your body has packed into your veins and arteries is actually produced and released from your liver when the sugar has stimulated the liver into producing that excess.
By no means am I suggesting you cut all “bad” fats from your diet. Life is meant to be lived and the food we eat adds enjoyment on so many levels. There’s nothing better than a pizza night with the family to play games and watch movies. BUT we have to be considerate to not only our bodies, but our future selves. The take-away: your body has to have fats to function properly! So, grab that extra virgin olive oil and get to cooking!
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