{"id":856,"date":"2016-07-26T20:26:26","date_gmt":"2016-07-26T20:26:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.happybellyhealth.com\/?p=856"},"modified":"2024-04-18T15:05:24","modified_gmt":"2024-04-18T15:05:24","slug":"demystifying-fats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.happybellyhealth.com\/staging\/1293\/demystifying-fats\/","title":{"rendered":"Demystifying Fats"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cRecent data clearly contradicts the low\u00adfat\u00adis\u00adgood\u00adhealth message and the idea that all fat is bad for you. The exclusive focus on the adverse effects of fat may have in fact contributed to the obesity epidemic.<\/em><\/span>\u201d*
\n\u00ad Dr. Walter Willett<\/span>,\u00a0Chairman, Department of Nutrition, Harvard University<\/span><\/p>\n

Contrary to the catch phrases from the low\u00adfat movement in the US the past few years, we need fat. Fat plays a key role in innumerable processes in the body. The membrane of every cell in your body is made of fat. Many nutrients are fat\u00adsoluble (e.g. Vitamins A & D) and can best be absorbed in the body when eaten along with fat. Fat is your body\u2019s mainstay energy source (with carbohydrates serving primarily immediate or emergency needs). Fat should be a significant part of your diet everyday.<\/p>\n

Yes, fat has more calories per gram that protein and carbohydrates, so it should be eaten mindfully when weight loss is a goal. Fat, however, also helps to create a feeling of satiety and can be very useful in controlling blood sugar swings. Coconut oil is an excellent tool for facilitating weight\u00adloss and blood sugar control.<\/p>\n

The key concept in healthily enjoying delicious fats in your diet is selection. Some fats are very healthy. Other fats are very dangerous. Here is a summary of some key considerations and shopping tips:<\/p>\n

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  • Omega\u00ad3 (N\u00ad3):<\/strong> Essential Fatty Acids. This is one of the top deficiencies in the American diet! Called \u201cessential\u201d because your body cannot make its own supply; they must be consumed. Helps lower levels of stress hormones in the body such as cortisol. It\u2019s important to get the right balance of omega\u00ad6 and omega\u00ad3 fats to optimize your body\u2019s metabolism. Most modern diets, however, lack omega\u00ad3 fats entirely. Try to eat at least one serving per day of fatty fish (e.g. mackerel, salmon, herring), fish oil, walnuts, or ground flaxseeds (2T). Many people also benefit from an omega\u00ad3 supplement. If you choose fish oil, sure to look for one that is independently certified as being completely toxin\u00adfree. Cheap fish oil is often inferior, and you don\u2019t want to consume contaminants, especially mercury.<\/li>\n
  • Don\u2019t eat transfats at all.<\/strong> Don\u2019t just limit them. Read labels. Avoid all foods that include any type of \u201cpartially hydrogenated\u201d oil (e.g. Coffee Mate, Cool Whip, many \u201clow fat\u201d products, most crackers\/cookies). Be diligent. This chemically\u00admodified fat is in wide use to extend the shelf life of processed foods. Unfortunately, it\u2019s also proven to reduce \u201cgood\u201d cholesterol, increase \u201cbad\u201d cholesterol, and increase the likelihood of heart disease.<\/li>\n
  • Eat monounsaturated fats liberally<\/strong> (e.g. fish, almonds, walnuts, avocado, olives).Emphasize these fats for weight loss and blood sugar control. They also help to suppress hunger naturally.<\/li>\n
  • Enjoy coconut oil liberally<\/strong>. Coconut oil is saturated oil but a unique medium\u00adchain form that cannot be stored in the body and is readily available for energy. It is also particularly healthy for your thyroid. Be sure to choose an unrefined variety. Eat it plain (by the spoonful) to stave off in\u00adbetween\u00admeal hunger. Cook with it. Coconut oil is one of the few fats that do not become rancid when heated to higher temperatures. For weight loss or to counter inflammation in the body, consider eating a Tbsp daily, preferably with breakfast.<\/li>\n
  • Use caution with Omega\u00ad6 polyunsaturated oils<\/strong>. Despite the marketing push behind these oils, most are highly processed in a series of steps akin to oil refinement to create gasoline. If you do choose these, be sure to select cold\u00adpressed varieties. Unfortunately, these oils are highly prevalent in processed foods. Again, setting a habit to read the labels of all processed foods is helpful. Common oils in this category include soybean, canola, safflower, peanut, and sunflower.<\/li>\n
  • Saturated fat from animal products.<\/strong> Used for centuries as the primary source of dietary fat (e.g. cream, butter, full fat yogurt meat). Choose free\u00adrange, grass\u00adfed sources (available via the internet and at some grocery stores e.g. Trader Joe\u2019s, Whole Foods). Avoid all meats that are not certified as being both hormone\u00ad and antibiotic\u00adfree. Pay attention to how this type of fat makes you feel (satisfied, tired, energized, hungrier?) Make sure you are getting sufficient Omega\u00ad3 essential fatty acids in order to balance the saturated fat in your body and to keep inflammation low<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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    Gary Taubes, \u201cWhat If It\u2019s All Been a Big Fat Lie?\u201d New York Times magazine, July 7, 2002. I highly recommend his book<\/p>\n

    \u201cWhy We Get Fat\u201d for a deep investigation into medical research about fats & society\u2019s misguided fat\u00adfree food obsession.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    \u201cRecent data clearly contradicts the low\u00adfat\u00adis\u00adgood\u00adhealth message and the idea that all fat is bad for you. The exclusive focus on the adverse effects of fat may have in fact contributed to the obesity epidemic.\u201d* \u00ad Dr. Walter Willett,\u00a0Chairman, Department of Nutrition, Harvard University Contrary to the catch phrases from the low\u00adfat movement in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[406,413,395,400,407],"tags":[220],"class_list":["post-856","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-balanced-and-healthy-eating","category-fats","category-gut-health-diet","category-nutrient-food-focus","category-weight-loss","tag-demystifying-fats"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHealthy Fats: Demystifying the Negativity - Happy Belly Health<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Contrary to the catch phrases from the low\u00ad-fat movement in the US the past few years, we need healthy fats! 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