It’s hard to tell from week to week whether fat is supposed to be your friend or your foe.  When we talk about fats, understand it’s the type of fat that matters.  There are really good, healthy fats for you – monounsaturated and polyunsaturated - and then there are the not-so-good fats you should avoid – saturated and trans fat.    Being able to sort out the “wheat from the chaff” or in this case, the “healthy fats from the unhealthy fats” can set you on the path towards making smart choices impacting your health.

Here are 5 reasons fat can and should be a part of your daily food intake:

1.     Fats are our main form of stored energy: Fats are stored in our adipose tissue providing an important source of fuel for when our body has a high demand for it.  If you go on a long hike or are exercising intensely, fat is what will be supplying the ammunition to keep your muscles moving when they need it most. Here’s a fun fact – a person weighing 154 pounds would have approximately 19.8 pounds of stored fat in their body. This represents about 80,000 calories as one pound of stored fat is equivalent to about 4,000 calories.

2.     Fats are necessary to absorb and transport the fat- soluble vitamins: The fat-soluble vitamins are A, D, E & K and they require fat from our diet in order to be absorbed and utilized.  If you completely cut out fat from your diet, these important vitamins would not be absorbed and deficiencies would develop.

3.     Fats make foods taste good and help us feel full:  You have to admit, one of the reasons why we like to eat foods with fat in them is because they taste so darn good.  This stimulates our appetites and as long as we are choosing healthy fats, this is ok.  Fats also give us a feeling of satiety or fullness so when we are paying attention to our bodies, we don’t overeat. 

4.     Fats help make important compounds: Without fat, our bodies couldn’t make necessary compounds such as vitamin D, bile, and hormones.  One group of hormones fats help produce are sex hormones.  Teenage girls who become too thin can experience delayed puberty and amenorrhea or absence of a menstrual cycle. 

5.     Fat provides padding and insulation: Fats help protect internal organs from shock through fat pads in the body cavity.  In case you slip and fall, you may break a bone but fat padding will help cushion damage to organs like your liver or kidneys.  Fat also insulates against temperature extremes through a fat layer each of us have under our skin.

Making friends with fat

Fat does have a vital role in keeping us healthy.  Fat intake should be between 20- 35% of your total daily calorie intake. The type of fat is what makes the difference so make your fat choices wisely:

Choose less of:

·      Saturated fat – These are usually solid at room temperature and include butter, whole milk, cheese, mayonnaise, and red meat.  Also found in chips, bakery goods and snack foods.  Saturated fat should contribute no more than 10% of your total calories.

·      Trans fat – Commonly found in margarine and processed foods.  Read the nutrition facts panel on all food labels and choose foods containing 0 grams of trans fat.

Choose more of:

·      Monounsaturated fat – These are found in olives, olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds, fatty fish and flaxseed.

·      Polyunsaturated fat – These are found in canola, corn, sunflower and soybean oils, walnuts, sunflower seeds and salmon.