The truth about eating fat and gaining weight.
There are so many misconceptions out there when it comes to fat. "Fat is bad", "Fat is good", "Eat fat free", "All plant fats are healthy", "Keto is key for weight loss", and more!
Fads constantly come in and out of yearly trends, making it harder than ever to differentiate fact from fiction.
So let's dive in and discuss the truths so you can decide on your next steps concerning fat in your diet.
What are Fats Good for Anyways?
Fats have all kind of benefits! (Yes, you heard that right.)
First, we have the very obvious use... insulation and cushion. Fatty cells surround our organs and muscle for added protection during a fall or crash.
Fats also provide stored energy for later use. This is intended as a "reserve" for seasons of low food availability or times when a lot of energy is expelled.
Good fats are also necessary for certain hormones and metabolic processes to work. These "essential fatty acids" are not only important, but have to be eaten (the body cannot make them by iteself). EFAs can be found in foods like salmon and flax or chia seeds.
Did you know that some vitamins need to work with fats to be absorbed properly? These vitamins are known as "fat soluble" and include Vitamins A, D, E, and K.
So, for example, if you want to absorb Vitamin A more effieciently from carrots, make sure to have a little avocado with them in a salad!
So Fats are Good Then, Right?
Not necessarily. Just like everything else, it comes down to what type and how much. Fats definitely have a dark side.
Due to high fatty diets, extreme conditions like high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, strokes, metabolic syndrome, and heart disease are at an all time high. One of the reasons is because high fat levels in the blood not only stiffen the arteries, but allow a buildup of plaque in them which causes them to narrow (atherosclerosis). Your heart arteries are already smaller than the width of a drinking straw, so this narrowing and buildup can cause blood clots to easily get stuck, causing stroke or heart attack.
Unfortunately, we are also currently experiencing the highest rates of not only adult, but childhood obesity and diabetes. And yes, I said diabetes! Although known for it's interractions with blood sugars, high fat intake can also reduce insulin sensitivity, making the disease even worse.
Did you know that even acid reflux has a link with a fatty diet? The esophagus and other smooth muscle tissues expand when we eat fats to allow easier passage. But, the more you open and close these structures, the more lazy they get. This results in weak sphincters (lets call them locks) between the stomach and esophagus and causes reflux.
So what should you focus on to trade these bad risks for the good benefits?
A Fat is Not Just a Fat
As discussed, not all fats are created equal and there are many different forms of it. The ones we will focus on are saturated, unsaturated, and trans fats.
First of all, the type of fats that you want to completely steer clear of are trans fats, which are recognized by the FDA as generally unsafe for consumption. They come from foods with hydrogenated oils and can be found in fried foods, margarines, and shortenings. You should aim for ZERO allowance here.
Next, we have saturated fats, which cause those negative interactions as well. These are very high in processed foods and fried foods and mostly come from animal based fats. They are also surprisingly high in coconut and palm oils (so don't believe all of the health fads you may see out there on plant oils!).
The USDA guidelines recommend to eat less than 10% of your calories from saturated fats to stay healthy. As an easy general rule, you can simplify this by sticking to below 20 grams of saturated fats a day.
Finally, let's look at unsaturated fats. This type of fat is beneficial, necessary, and can be found in plants (nature keeps delivering, huh?! ). You can find this fat type in olives, nuts, seeds, and avocados (guacamole anyone?). These are the healthy fats that provide all of the benefits that we mentioned earlier.
Tips For Fat Reduction
Let's talk numbers!
US Dietary guidelines have been set for total fats at 20%- 35% of calories, and less when aiming for weight reduction. Fats represent a whopping 9 calories per gram! Considering that proteins and carbs make up a mere 4 calories per gram each, these calories carry a high impact.
But what about keto (high fat, high protein, low carb)? Keto was not originally intended for the average person to lose weight, it was actually created to help treat patients with epillepsy.
Studies also show that those average people loosing weight on a ketogenic diet actually lost more weight from muscle and water than they did from fat... Which makes sense if you're eating a lot of things like high fatty meats and cheese. You're practically pouring in the fats! Not to mention, they are probably loosing weight from taking out high carb things like sodas and sweets (coorelation and causation are not always the same).
So if you really want to loose fat, reduce it! Start with simple swaps. Instead of frying your chicken, try baking it or using an air fryer. Rather than using butter in the pan, swap for olive or avocado oil.
Watch out for things labeled as low fat or fat free. They might have a few less calories, but they are likely to have more sugars, additives or fillers that can be harmful. It's best to just avoid eating high trigger foods all together.
So... What Fat?
Fat is not just the all powerful enemy that we think it was, but we still need to steer clear of fats that can be detrimental to our bodies (and waistlines), while focusing on fats that actually benefit our health.
Considering that a fat calorie is the highest per gram out of all macronutrients, we should work on reducing these in our daily diets for an overall healthier lifestyle. Keep your eyes on those food labels and be sure that your saturated fats fall below 20g a day.
If you get a blood test for triglycerides (blood fat levels), aim for a number less than 150 mg/dL. Anything higher puts you at very high risk for those scary health conditions.
Curious about a healthy body fat range? Check out BMI and body fat guides here!
Looking at the picture above, can you determine which food items have fat and what type of fat they contain? Let's discuss it below!
Very good article. I e need reading how important avocados and healthy fats are important to those with celiac disease too!
My biggest issue is I cannot have avocados so I stick to the nuts and olive oils. I try to limit butter but will admit, it is tough. So I try to look for real butter and not the fake stuff when I do use it.
I would say all the foods besides the fruit have fat. The butter/cheese, fish and eggs probably have saturated fats but the nuts, avocado and coconut are healthy fats.
Avocado, nuts, and salmon are the good fats, they are unsaturated fats. I could be wrong about salmon being a unsaturated fat, yet I know it is a healthy fatty food. Butter is not a good fat, it has saturated fat. I confuse the saturated and unsaturated. I recently learned coconut isn't as healthy as I thought, and that olive oil or avocado oils are a healthier choice.
All 3 contain a form of fat, some healthier than others! I cheated & “Googled.” Milk: mostly saturated, some monounsaturated & some polyunsaturated. Avocado: unsaturated (specifically monounsaturated.) Salami: mostly monounsaturated & some saturated & some polyunsaturated. Still having a challenging time understanding & retaining this info.!