11/12/2021
Fat allows you to store energy, cushion organs, make certain hormones, absorb fat soluble vitamins, and helps with cell membrane integrity. There are three types of fat: trans fat, saturated fat, and unsaturated fat.
-Trans fat should be cut out of the diet. Most trans fat comes from hydrogenating or adding hydrogen molecules to unsaturated fats. These can be found in margarine, shortening, baked goods, doughs, and fried foods. If you see trans fat on the label it should be avoided.
-Saturated fat does not have any bends, caused by double bonds, in the molecule because it is saturated in hydrogen molecules. In large amounts, saturated fat is known to increase cholesterol levels and can increase your risk for heart disease. Decreasing the amount of saturated fat in your diet can be beneficial. Saturated fat is found mostly in animal sources with high fat contents. It is recommended that you decrease saturated fat intake and lean towards more healthy fats, known as unsaturated fats.
-Unsaturated fat has at least one double bond causing bends in the molecule. These are harder to stack and, therefore, are usually found in a liquid state at room temperature. The number of double bonds allows for the naming of unsaturated fats. Mono unsaturated fats have one double bond while Poly unsaturated fats have multiple or many. Unsaturated fats are known as the healthy fat as they can decrease your risk for heart disease. These healthy fats originate from plant sources such as avocados, nuts and nut butters, seeds, olives, and oils (olive, canola, safflower etc.). They can also be found in animal sources such as fatty fish including salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna, and herring.
Fat gets a bad reputation because it is the highest in kcals and certain types of fat are not good for us, but if you can focus on the type of fat and amount of fat, it is instrumental to a healthy diet.
Whether you are trying to lose weight, maintain, or even gain there is a kcal range that will help you succeed. If you want help determining a good place to start and how to stick with your nutrition related goals, just contact us for scheduling an appointment.