Five Great Reasons To Eat Good Fat

FAT. It’s a word we love to hate. And it's food we hate to love. Fat became the enemy in the 1970’s and darn if we can’t let go of that grudge! Here’s the thing though - Eating fat does not make you fat. I’ll rephrase that - Eating GOOD fat in the RIGHT AMOUNT does not make you fat. In fact, fat is essential for many of our body’s functions. For example:

1. Dietary fat is essential for your body to absorb and transport oil soluble nutrients like vitamins A, D, E, and K.  Without the needed oily transportation, these vitamins will pass right through your body unabsorbed.

2. Fat is essential for cellular reproduction. Our bodies are constantly reproducing and replacing cells. This is the means by which we heal wounds and keep our organs young and healthy. You might be 52 but your liver cells may be new-borns!

3. Fat is a lubricant that keeps your skin healthy, hair shiny, and joints moving freely. Signs that you’re not eating the right fats or not digesting those fats properly include dry skin, dandruff, hair falling out, joint problems and mouth sores.

4. Cholesterol, which is produced by your liver from saturated fat, is the base from which estrogen, cortisone and testosterone are made. A lack of cholesterol in your diet can result in underproduction of these necessary hormones that can have a cascade of effects on your overall heath.

5. Cholesterol is also a component of nerve tissue and is essential for nerve messages to be transported throughout your body. This can affect everything from organ function to clarity of thought.

So just how much and what kind of fat should you be eating?

Saturated fats, found mostly in animal products such as whole milk, cream, cheese, and fatty meats, but also in some vegetable products including coconut oil and vegetable shortening, should be kept to a minimum. Cooking with a tablespoon or two of coconut oil is a great way to get the amount your body needs to produce needed cholesterol without over doing it. Monounsaturated fats are found mostly in vegetable and nut oils, such as olive and peanut oil. These foods may actually help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. Avoid hydrogenated fats (or trans-fats), as in hydrogenated vegetable oil, which undergoes a preserving technique that ultimately disrupts your body’s ability to metabolize it and may raise LDL cholesterol levels. These are the fats found in many processed “junk” foods and the reason fat has gotten such a bad rap.

All in all you should get about 30% of your daily caloric intake from fat. Just be sure you’re choosing healthy sources. Cravings for fatty foods are your body’s way of telling you that it needs Essential Fatty Acids! Instead of reaching for fried chicken or french fries, go for cold water fish like salmon, walnuts, flax seeds, or avocado.