The Scoop on Fats: Fear vs. Fuel

When people look at foods that are high in fat, they usually go into panic mode and avoid this macronutrient altogether because they assume that eating fat will make them fat. That makes sense, right? Actually, not quite! If I told you that eating fat is actually a very important part of every diet, would you think I'm crazy? Probably! There is some truth and good reasoning behind why you should be including fats in your diet. Just make sure they're the right fats! And I'm here to give you a hand with determining the good from the bad.

​Now, when I say you should eat fat, please don’t go to the grocery store and load up with a cart full of ice cream, chips, and chocolate! Because the truth is that not all fats are created equal. There are four main groups of fats: saturated, trans, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated. Basically, we should focus on limiting/eliminating saturated and trans fats. These guys are the bad ones that like to raise cholesterol, blood pressure, and cause heart disease! Who wants that?! On the other hand, poly and mono unsaturated fats are the good guys! They can actually LOWER your risk for cholesterol and heart disease. Below is a comparison of two food labels. One is a chocolate bar and the other is an avocado. Look at the difference between the fats! Most of the total fat in the avocado is poly and monounsaturated fats. Most of the fat in the Toblerone bar comes from saturated and trans fat (46% of the daily fat intake! For half the bar, not even the whole thing)

​So, what’s the verdict? Don’t give up fats! They’re one of the key macronutrients and they make an excellent fuel source, on top of providing energy and keeping you full. Just make sure that you’re choosing the right type of fats that will heal your body, not harm it.
 
XOXO,
 
K.