Guess who’s back? Back again? Fat is back! Tell a friend!! Ok, sorry…that just never gets old!
Let’s chat fat. Anyone that dieted in the 90s is reluctant to bring this macronutrient back into their world. Remember those green Snackwell boxes? That company took out all of the fat in their products and then filled them with sugar. (Although I am not going to lie, the vanilla sandwiches were actually delicious.) Fat has been demonized and celebrated all at the same time. Saturated fat will clog your arteries, but wait, trans fats are worse! And apparently to those who LOVE pseudoscience, coconut oil will fix everything in your life. (BTW, it won’t.)
Here’s the 411 on fat:
Naughty fats: Saturated and trans fats. Saturated fats are found in animal fats, coconut & palm oils, and good old butter. Trans fats are unsaturated fats found in partially hydrogenated veggie oils and foods containing these oils (such as any glorious pastry or other baked goods). *Trans fats are structurally different from other unsaturated fats (found in plant foods).
Celebrated fats: Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Poly: corn & soybean oils, nuts (walnuts), and seeds (pumpkin & flax). Omega 3 (EPA and DHA) are both PUFAs and are found in salmon, tuna, mackerel and trout. Mono: peanut butter, avocados, olive & canola oil.
Ok, but what about fat and weight loss? So glad you asked! Actually, low fat diets do not yield long lasting results in regard to weight management. In fact the smarties over at Harvard recently reviewed a ton of studies and didn’t find low fat diets to be any more effective than higher fat diets for weight loss.
So what do you do? Focus on the type of fat instead of the amount. I tell my friends and family to focus on foods! Be sure you incorporate healthy high fat foods into your day. Have avocados, peanut butter, nuts and seeds daily. Don’t be scared! The fat will help keep you fuller, longer. When you aren’t hungry, you are way more pleasant to be around!
Questions about fat? Let me know!