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When it comes to eating fat, most are very hesitant and prefer taking the half fat or fat free option. Real talk...choosing the half fat or fat free option does not mean you are choosing the healthy option.
First things first, choosing the half fat or fat free option means choosing a processed foods and are no longer considered a whole, the way nature intended us to eat it. There is a science behind processed foods and when you start altering the natural flavours found in foods that originally came from nature, you change the taste. Thus, to ensure your fat free food item still tastes good, food manufacturers need to substitute the fat they took out with something else, which is usually, sugar. And don't even get me started on the issue of sugar!! That's a whole other blog!
I've said this before, and I'll say it again. Fat is an essential part of our diet. Without it we lack energy to get through the day. Our brains aren't working at their maximum potential, and we aren't absorbing fat soluble vitamins such as A, E, D & K. And the list of benefits goes on...
They are the building blocks for our hormones, brain and nerve tissues. They protect the layers of our cells and our organs. They are crucial in decreasing inflammation in the body. Dietary fats, such as triglycerides, cholesterol and essential fatty acids, help to insulate us, protect our organs, and are used as a readily available source of stored energy.
Let's look at it this way. If you follow me on social media I have challenge coming up on consuming real food for 5 days. Consuming foods in their natural or whole state. If it comes from a plant or an animal it is whole, and rich in nutrients. You can look at it the same way when it comes to fat. If the fat you are consuming comes from a plant, animal or fish then it is a good fat to consume and you should not be afraid of consuming it.
Here are some examples to make it a bit more clear:
Salmon - good
Chicken skins - good
Egg yolks - good
Bacon - good
Butter - good
Avocado - good
All of these are real foods that come from nature.
What we don't want to be consuming is fats that have been altered and manipulated in a factory. Fats like trans fats and vegetable oils. These fats don't come from mother nature or they did at one point but have been highly processed in a factory (we call them hydrogenated oils) changing their structure, causing inflammation in the body instead of decreasing inflammation. Down the road if consumed regularly can lead to illness and disease. But before you get all up in arms...I'm not saying you can't consume trans fats or vegetable oils ever again. It's nearly impossible to find a product that doesn't have canola, sunflower or safflower oil in it these days. But foods high in trans fats and any vegetable oil should be consumed MINIMALLY. These are the fats that end up storing as fat, and causing inflammation in the body.
So when choosing your fats start with fats that you know come from nature. If they come from a box, package or can and have an ingredients list of more than 1 or 2 items they are no longer a whole food and may contain fats that cause a whole host of problems in the body instead of protecting and bringing inflammation down.
Mother nature is a smart lady - she wouldn't steer you wrong ;-)