One thing everyone, OK not quite everyone, but most people assume when I tell them I eat a little differently is that I must eat a low-fat diet, or a low-carb diet. Yuck to both of those, for the record. Truth is, I eat a lot of fat! My family's diet is actually rather high in fat when you break it down, which is one thing I love about it! The KIND of fat I eat is what is most important because there are different kinds. Not all fat causes us to gain weight, which is great news!
Fats are necessary for our bodies. It can be a solid fat or a liquid fat called an oil. We get fat from our food and it is stored in our body and used for energy. Fatty acids give our bodies insulation and a cushion for our vital organs. All cells in our body need fatty acids to make and build new cells. They are also vital in our nerve impulse transmissions and for brain development.
Fatty acids are chains of carbon atoms with hydrogen atoms filling the available bonds. Most fats that we eat and that are in our bodies are a collection of molecues called triglycerides that is formed from three fatty-acids attached to a glycerol molecule. OK, so I know this isn't biology class but it does help explain different kinds of fats. A saturated fat means the carbon bonds are saturated with hydrogen molecules. This makes them stable and they won't easily go rancid, even when heated for cooking. They are mostly solid at room temperature. The body prefers these to burn for energy. Examples of saturated fats are animal fats from meat, butter, whole milk, cheese, cream and plant sources such as coconut oil.
Monounsaturated fats have a link in the carbon chain where 2 carbon molecules share 2 bonds with each other. This makes them mostly stable like saturated fats and they can be used in cooking as well. They are mostly solid when cold and liquid at room temperature. This would be fats like olive oil and nut oils like almonds, cashews, peanuts, etc...and avocados.
Polyunsaturated fats have 2 or more double bonds in their carbon chain. They are always liquid, go rancid easily and should not be heated or used for cooking, but can be eaten. Oils such as corn, safflower, soybean, and sunflower would be examples.
The two most common fatty acids from the polyunsaturated category probably sound familiar to you, Omega 3 and Omega 6. Because the body cannot make them, they are called essential fatty acids, and must be obtained from the food we eat. I won't go into any more sciencey explanations here but only explain the importance of getting these essential fatty acids in our diet. I know there is a lot of talk out there about making sure we get Omega 3's so here is why. Omega 3 fatty-acids help the arteries and other parts of the body stay free from inflamation so they have been shown to help improve diseases that cause inflammation in various parts of the body such as autoimmune diseases, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis. Omega 3's also reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and reduce symptoms of depression, hypertension, ADD, joint pain, and other diseases. They strengthen the immune system as well. They protect the nervous system and are crucial in fetal and early childhood development. They can improve cardiovascular health and balance insulin levels. You can get Omega 3's in fatty fish such as salmon and albacore tuna, high omega-3 eggs, flaxseed oil, walnuts and cod liver oil as well as various fruits and vegetables.
The other kind of EFA (essential fatty acid) I'll discuss is Omega -6, found in grains, cereals, baked products, and vegetable oil. Omega-6 is particulary helpful in blood clotting and supports skin health. However, omega-3 and omega-6 must be balanced correctly. Most of us have a diet that is too high in omega-6's. I've read that many American diets have a 20-1 ration (20 omega 6's to 1 omega-3). The ratio should be about 4 parts omega-3 to one part omega-6. If there is too much omega-6's in our bodies, this is a big promotion for disease.
While most doctors will tell you to decrease your consumption of fats, particulary saturated fats, it's not this kind of fat that leads to cardiovascular disease. Eating refined sugars and carbs that build up in our bodies and don't get burned for energy can increase triglycerides that lead to heart disease and weight gain. Fats are an important part of what we eat because they help us absorb nutrients more slowly so we can feel fuller longer. This is one reason most low-fat diets don't work for long periods of time because people are very hungry all the time!
So I think that's enough to digest for now. More on the next post!
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