Does Fat Make You Fat?

Did you know that fats are essential to your health? 
Your body requires fat to build cells and manufacture vital hormones.  You must consume high-quality fats for your body to use them efficiently. The old saying “You are what you eat” is truth.

Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are fats that our bodies are unable to manufacture.  We acquire them from dietary sources.  Fats come in two categories:   Omega-3 & Omega-6 EFAs. 

Omega-6 EFAs are readily available in grains, meats and common cooking oils.  Omega-3 EFAs are found in green leafy veggies, oily fish, eggs, walnuts and animal meats.  The ideal EFA-3 to EFA-6 ratio is 1:4 in your diet.

Omega-3 EFAs are vital to the development of a child’s brain and nervous system and for the maintenance and repair of the adult brain and nervous system.  The “American Diet” is considered low in Omega-3.  The lack of Omega-3 in the diet causes a number of behavioral and learning disorders.  An imbalance between EFAs 3 & 6 has been associated with health issues such as heart attacks, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, depression and inflammatory disorders.

So is it okay to eat fat?

Cholesterol build-up is the result from eating excess sugar, stimulants and/or stress not fat.  Increased insulin levels can lead to an overproduction of cholesterol by the body.  The only way to naturally turn of the cholesterol production is to eat dietary cholesterol.

 Fats to include in your diet

• Olive oil
• Coconut oil/butter
• Palm oil
• Organic, grass-fed animals
• Fish oil
• Seeds (especially flax seeds)
• Nuts
• Avocados

*Always choose organic foods for safe fats and toxins can be stored in fat.

Fats to avoid:

Processed foods even labeled as “healthy” are laden with trans-fatty acids (TFAs).  They are closer to plastic than fat in molecular structure.  TFAs are linked to heart disease and increased levels of cholesterol which impairs the body’s ability to process cholesterol.

The amount of fat an individual should eat is best determined by your Metabolic Type.  Contact your personal trainer to help you determine this amount.