Macronutrients : FAT

"Do not eat Fat", "Go for the lower Fat option", "It's Fat-Free so it's Healthy".

These are common phrases said during the 90's when Fat was the enemy. Now, Dietary Fat gets all the hype and Carbs are now the Macro to avoid. So what do we believe?

NOT ALWAYS THE ENEMY

Fat consumption is essential for hormone regulation, physical energy, forming cell membranes, brain health and the transport of key vitamins (A, D, E, K). Dietary Fat has gotten a bad rap due to its name simply because it's called FAT, and I it's easy to think, 'I don't want to gain fat, so I shouldn't be eating anything that has Fat in it'. However, due to different molecular make up, it comes in a few 'healthy' and 'not so healthy' forms!

Saturated Fats - Foods like Beef, Pork, Eggs, Dairy, Butter, and Coconut. Typically solid/semi-solid at room temperature, this strain of fat is often referred to as the 'bad' fat. This is because many foods that contain Sat. Fat are often high calorie choices offering limited health benefits, are high in cholesterol (LDL), and at times paired with other foods that are high in sugar. That being said, cholesterol is very important to have healthy levels of (specifically HDL) and Sat. Fat should be combined with other fats (listed below) to develop a healthy intake balance.

Monounsaturated Fat - Foods like Almonds, Avocado, Olive Oil, Nuts, Sunflower Oil. Typically liquid at room temperature, this type of fat is closely related to Polyunsaturated in a sense of how Carbon is bonded in the molecular chain.

Polyunsaturated Fat (Omega 3; Omega 6) - Foods like Chia Seeds, Fish Oil, Pine nuts, Walnuts, Mayonnaise, Hemp. Omega 3 is important because it keeps our cell membrane more fluid which in turn, allows for better hormone regulation and nutrient uptake. They are also Anti-inflammatory, meaning it opens blood vessels, prevents blood clotting, and lowers inflammation. Omega 6 does just the opposite, which may sound like a problem, but we need a good balance of Omega 3/6 fatty acids to heal and recover from training sessions.

That being said, Fat is often times over consumed due to its hidden presence in many foods, which can lead to excess calorie consumption or other health concerns like Cardiovascular Disease. A good way to balance out your intake is to eat fewer processed foods and opt for more of plant and animal sources like chicken, fish, or look into supplementation.

DIGESTION / INTAKE

Fat is digested in the small intestine and this happens at a very slow rate taking several hours to enter the bloodstream. Due to this, meals higher in fat tend to be very satiating (filling) and for people that find it hard to tackle mid day hunger, I usually recommend that they start the day off with a meal that's moderate to high in fat (like a cheese omelet!).

Fat has 9 Calories per Gram, making it very calorie dense per serving. The overall calories in a meal can easily add up if there's added oils or butters, however this can be a good thing for those looking to hit daily calorie goals that are relatively high. On the other side of this it can detrimental for someone that doesn't realize what it is they are eating. Therefore a general guideline/starting point I like to suggest to clients is that Dietary Fat only makes up 20%-30% (30% being on the high side) of their total calorie intake (mostly coming from Mono/Poly unsaturated) . This will ensure that their overall intake isn't too low, yet allow for more calories coming from Carbs and Proteins!

Some people may be a person who will enjoy eating fats way more than carbohydrates. If that is the case, the 20%-30% recommendation can be tweaked while total carb intake will be lowered, resulting in the same calorie goal.

As always, if you have any questions I am more than happy to try and help as best I can!