The Skinny on Eating Fat in Your Diet

A couple of decades ago it was all about permed hair (my older sister had a LEGIT perm), acid-wash jeans and low-fat diets.  And although most of those things have drifted away in time, the stigma around fat, and the fat in the food we eat, has stayed around.  So if you hear the word “fat” when related to food, or see on a food label that is quite high in fat, it may mean alarm bells start sounding in your head, and stop you from choosing that item.

But the thing is, fat isn’t a dirty word!  Modern day diets like the ketogenic diet and Paleolithic diet encourage you to eat a fairly high level of fat. So the question is, how much fat should we be eating?  And what are the right fats to be eating??  Let’s face it, they are certainly not all created equal.

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Why Do We Need Dietary Fat?

Dietary fat experts like Nina Teicholz will tell us that we do need fat in our diet to have a balance. And the reason being, is that fat, at least the right kinds of fat, serve a purpose.  They aren’t necessarily just empty calories.  The fats that we eat serve a purpose in metabolism, provide energy, and help with vitamin absorption, and even anti-inflammatory properties. Eating too much fat and not being active can lead to obesity and poor health though.  But when eating in balance, it is an important part of a healthy lifestyle.

How Much Fat?

This is a bit of a tricky question to answer, as the amount of fat that an individual needs is just that, individual. It can vary from person to person.  For most people, leaping into a keto diet, where over 60% of what you eat is meant to be fat based foods, isn’t going to be a good idea.  For people that just want to have a normal balanced meal, this kind of diet or lifestyle isn’t going to be necessary.  That is where the Mediterranean diet comes in. While it isn’t a diet to lose weight, it is more of a lifestyle diet.  The Mediterranean diet is where just over a third of your daily calories will come from fats. But they are from foods that naturally have good fats, like olives, avocado, and nuts.  Eating this way isn’t necessarily a way to lose weight, but is a great way to get those good fats into your diet, and has shown massive health benefits in various different studies.

Best Food Sources of Fats

There are many food sources of fats, and some will be good for you, and some not so good for you.  It is all about moderation.  The fats that should be avoided though, are trans-fats.  These fats are the ones that are man-made, which is never a good thing for taking into your body.  A lot of people can be put off by saturated fats, but there are things like coconut oil that are high in saturated fat.  Coconut oil has many health benefits, so it is just about keeping things in moderation, and having an active lifestyle.

Are you on the keto diet?  Or looking for a recipe to use that wonderful coconut oil??  Try my gluten free, sugar free, nut free, dairy free Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts!

And stay tuned for more keto diet friendly recipes coming to the blog soon!  Subscribe below so you don’t miss em 🙂

XOXO,

Kelly

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