There is continued confusion around dietary fat, and for good reason. As we continue to research and learn (while debunking old science), hypotheses around fat are misconstrued and improperly used to fuel individual agendas. The old adage, “Fat Makes You Fat,” is only part of the story and has been debunked time and time again. There is just more to the story of fat than that. However, we do know that fats are essential to our health. Let’s do a deep dive into dietary fat and how all fats aren’t created equal.
There are three major types of fat: saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated (for the purposes of this article I will not speak about trans fats as they are shown to have deleterious affects to health and are prohibited by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics). The differences between fats have to do with their chemical structure, but you don’t have to understand that part to know what to eat (if you want to get into it, there’s an explanation in the Guide). Here’s the short version:
Saturated fat: These fats are most often solid at room temperature. Foods like butter, palm and coconut oils, cheese, and red meat have high amounts of saturated fat. The jury is still out on whether or not saturated fats have a net positive or net negative affect on the body. I am in the camp of a net neutral.
Monounsaturated fat: It is one of the healthy fats, along with polyunsaturated fat. Monounsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature, but start to harden when chilled.
Polyunsaturated fat: include omega-3 and omega-6 fats. These are essential fatty acids that the body needs for brain function and cell growth. Our bodies do not make essential fatty acids, so you can only get them from food.
Here is a brief list of what foods you can find each fat in:
Now that we have a little more information on fat, how about some recommendations? The amount and types of fat you should be taking in vary from person to person. However, as a general rule, you should be taking in mostly polyunsaturated fats in the form of Omega-3s (not omega-6s), some saturated, and some monounsaturated fats. Minimum fat intake would be 0.3g per pound each day to maintain healthy hormone balance and bodily functions (170lb. person would be taking in 51g/day). However, for most people they will be eating more than the minimum to have a more balanced diet. For individuals looking for changes in body composition, fat is usually the macronutrient manipulated as it will not interfere with blood sugar balance. There is a lot more to unpack here, but this is a good start to educating (and re-educating) yourself about fat!
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