Shocker update: Fat is actually good for you.
Well now, let’s be clear…not all fat is good for you such as hydrogenated oils, a.k.a. trans fat. However, one common thread I see through 90% of my clients and people that I talk to is that fat is the devil and is better left off the plate to avoid becoming, well, fat. The reality is that fat is a necessary component of your diet that helps your body build hormones, slows digestion, improves nutrient absorption, and helps sustain feeling full.
Check out Ode Magazine’s “Fat is Where Its At” for great info on how the low-fat, no-fat craze developed as well as real studies illustrating that low-fat, no-fat alternatives only make you fatter.
Add some good fat to your daily diet by:
Seeds
- Try avocado, sunflower seeds, pepitas (aka. pumpkin seeds) or walnuts. (Remember to store them in the fridge or freezer.)
- Ditch bottled pre-made dressings for a simple mix of extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) and either balsamic or red wine vinegar.
- Look for “Cold Pressed” oils in dark bottles to ensure minimal nutrient degradation during the extraction process and storage.
- Take grass-fed, organic butter or ghee (clarified butter) over margarine.
- Coconut milk is a great way to add creaminess to dishes without the dairy.
- Ditch the egg whites for the entire egg. Your body needs the entire egg in order to process it correctly. If you take it out the yolk, you could end up craving fat (and most likely eating the bad stuff.
One last thing I’d love to share is that I’ve found that I seem to need more fat in the morning with my meal. I often add coconut milk and ground flax to smoothies, and nut butters to breakfast porridges. I feel better and am satiated longer.
I’d love to know your own experience with fats, so please leave me a comment below and share your thoughts!
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Great fat post, Jen! Bring on the fat
I used to be a fat phobe just like everyone else years back. I dropped so much weight, and felt so much more satisfied once I added more healthy fats in my diet!
Have a great weekend!!
Laury @thefitnessdish recently posted..A Romantic Friday Five
One thing that people, esp women, fail to realize is that our hormones are made from fat. And we need hormones to regulate fat storage amongst the other myriad of things they do.
Plus, we don’t have any clue what good fats are… I had one client who refused to drink almond milk because it had ‘too much fat’, but wanted to start eating avocados daily.
So true! I am queen of olive oil! If not olive, I like to mix it up and use safflower, sesame, or coconut oil depending on the dish. I also love avocados.
I love coconut milk, but I don’t like that its canned. Do you know of any brands that package it differently?
Dear Joslyn,
Have you ever tried hempseed oil? It’s great to add after cooking…
I do not know of any non-canned brands. If you want the real thing, then you’ll be cracking open coconuts and blending the water and fat together.
The folks at Silk recently came out with some delicious coconut milk sold in cartons. Pours just like milk, but tastes so creamy and exotic! Also noticed my partner just brought home some coconut milk from a brand called So Delicious. Haven’t tried it yet, so I hope it’s as good as the Silk coconut. I’m from wonderful Wisconsin, and if we have it here, I’m guessing it’s easy to find in other locations.
Yep, that type of mylk beverage has been out for awhile now actually. It is great. My only issue with it is that it seems fairly processed to me and that I probably couldn’t make it myself. That’s why almond or rice mylk are my go-to choices – I could make them at home (if I had the time). Thanks for sharing your experience!
I used to FEAR fat in high school and even though I knew it was healthy, hating adding healthy fats bc of the extra calories. Now I’m much smarter about it and love adding healthy fats where ever I can! Salads, cereals, etc! Great reminder!
Yes yes, I hear so many echos of the anti-fat days… ¡Viva la FAT revolución! We all need a good nutrition kick in the pants some times and this one keeps coming up with clients and group classes… I want people to remember that good fats are okay.
YES! Thanks for the super post girl! I love my fat and I think it is so important for people to realize just how important it is for us. Not to mention it keeps up thin!!!
xxoo
Hi Kris…I agree. Many people actually don’t know the role of fats with our endocrine/hormonal system, so they assume they’re all evil and avoid them. The key is to bring into the body healthy fats that work best with one’s unique makeup.
Great post Jennifer, since I’ve foucsed on eating more fat, I’m leaner and stronger than I was before – as @Laury said, I used to be afraid to eat fat too. Now I make sure I’m eating good fats and I try to have enough fat every time I eat – in all of my meals and snacks. I’ve moved to cooking with grass-fed butter and coconut oil as well. If you’re looking for grass-fed butter, the Kerry Gold brand from Trader Joes is grass-fed from Ireland. Give it a try, and I promise you’ll taste the difference too, its delicious!
Laura Pappas recently posted..Strong is Beautiful
Thanks for the tip Laura and in contributing your experience (which I value since you are such an incredible athlete!!). I’ve actually started using ghee (clarified butter) since I can’t handle the proteins & lactose in milk (though I can tolerate ghee since its just the fat) at night in a warm drink that I make to help me sleep. I had never tried it before a month or so ago, and really enjoy it, though that’s pretty much the only thing I use it for unless we cook Indian food. Just another type of healthy fat that one can try in moderation!
Trying to convince people of this is one of the hardest things to do!! I try to talk to people about how the low-fat, non-fat products have to add all sorts of stuff you don’t want to make it that way. That is counterintutitve to a whole food diet. great post, thanks!
It is very difficult Steph to convince people, so I do my best to encourage people to re-evaluate their relationship with something like Fat and to pinpoint where that idea came from. I think the act of convincing anyone isn’t the best way to shift their thinking. Thanks for sharing your experience here…I know you’ve had your own journey with food and eating, so I greatly appreciate your contribution.
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