Like I said l this time last year in Your Healthy Fat Survival Guide, “Non–Fat foods are good for me, right? Like, they’ll help me lose weight? WRONG! We actually need fats; can't live without them, in fact.”
They keep our skin soft, deliver fat-soluble vitamins, and are a great source of energizing fuel. It is BEYOND easy to be overwhelmed by all of the dietary knowledge out there right now about what’s good for you and what’s bad – there are so many conflicting messages and fads out there in the world, that I understand your confusion.
Healthy Fats are UNSATURATED fats (or poly and mono saturated fats to be specific), or ones that raise our HDL/good cholesterol and lower LDL levels. These all stars of the fat section of your grocery aisles provide essential fatty acids to our bodies.
This includes:
Avocados
Whole Eggs
Fatty Fish
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Grass Fed Butter
Chia or Flax Seeds
Nuts
Cheese
Dark Chocolate
I’VE BEEN THERE! I know what you’re going through
What are good fats vs. bad fats? How much fat should I eat? How do I avoid artery-clogging Trans fats? What is an omega-3?
I’ve written about it numerous times – specifically in Your Healthy Fat Survival Guide, The 3 Secrets of Clean Eating that Everyone Misses AND in How to Boost your Metabolism.
*Many* foods low or void of fats are mainly high in sugars, refined carbohydrates, and calories. If you look at the last 35 years and read myths regarding the Low-Fat Diet fad, you’ll find that obesity doubled in America since it began. You NEED healthy fats, aka fats that are unsaturated (mono and poly), like extra virgin olive oil, nuts, and avocados in your diet to help you manage your mood, mental balance, fight fatigue AND – whoa! – control your weight. Monounsaturated fats improve blood cholesterol levels, which can decrease your risk of heart disease, too!
What makes them healthy is that, among other heart-health benefits, they help reduce LDL cholesterol (the kind that clogs your arteries), and they can benefit insulin and blood sugar levels, decreasing the risk of type 2 diabetes. Our brains are 60% fat, so it’s *vital* to our body’s physical function to have and absorb healthy fats.
The answers aren’t to CUT the fat out – it’s to make the best choices for your body!
