Dietary fat: is it good or bad?

Well, both. You see, not all fats are created equal. There are good fats and bad fats. Besides, many studies lately reveled that fat is not the enemy, sugar is. But wait… Don’t reach out to the fridge just yet. You still need to know which fats to avoid, and which ones you can totally splurge on…

The Skinny on Fats

Heavily processed, hydrogenated “trans” fats used in prepared, packaged foods can be extremely damaging to the body. They can compromise the cardiovascular system, immune system, and contribute to behavior problems. They can also lead to weight gain, skin breakouts, high blood pressure, and liver strain.

My advice? Get into the habit of reading labels. Stay away from anything that reads: partially hydrogenated oil, or trans fats. That means trying to stay away from most of the processed and packaged foods.

That said, our bodies need fat for insulation, vitamin and mineral absorption, and to protect our organs. High-quality fats can steady our metabolism, keep hormone levels even, nourish our skin, hair, and nails, and provide lubrication to keep the body functioning fluidly.

Healthy fats are an important component in the anti-inflammatory diet (also known as the Mediterranean diet). Studies show that people adopting a Mediterranean diet (mainly those living in Greece and around the Mediterranean region) have a lower incidence of heart disease, although their diet is high in fat. The secret? They eat healthy fats, which are known to reduce the inflammation in the body and therefor protect us from inflammation induced diseases. As you probably know by now, I am a big fan of the Mediterranean diet myself (although I made my own personal tweaks to it, as we should do with any diet we chose to follow, such that it blends with our bio-individuality). My Romanian origin and proximity to the Mediterranean region must have played a role in my eating habits, who knows… Although, I must admit that my diet was not as carefully selected and planned before my health took the turn it took and I almost hit rock bottom! I have never looked at food the same way ever since.

Where to Find Healthy Fats

• Avocados, olives, and coconuts are great sources of healthy fat, along with wild salmon and omega-3 rich organic eggs.

• Whole nuts and seeds, and their butters like almond butter or tahini.

• Look for the highest-quality organic oils when shopping. Words to look for: organic, first-pressed, cold-pressed, extra-virgin, and unrefined. Avoid expeller-pressed, refined, and solvent extracted.

How to Use Healthy Fats:

• For cooking at high temperatures (stir frying and baking), try butter, ghee (clarified butter), or coconut oil

• When sautéing foods, try organic extra virgin olive oil.

• Oils like flax-seed, sesame, toasted sesame, walnut, and pumpkin seed are best used unheated in sauces or dressings.

Try this delicious, easy recipe:

Avocado Dip
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Makes 1 cup

1 large peeled and pitted avocado
2/3 cup plain yogurt, goat yogurt, coconut yogurt, or almond yogurt (or you can skip it all together if you prefer and add 2 tbs of olive oil and 2 more tbs of lime)
1 diced tomato
a squirt of lemon or lime juice
dash or two of cayenne pepper
sea salt and black pepper

• Mash avocado with a fork until very smooth.

• Add yogurt, tomato, cayenne. Blend until smooth. This may be done in a food processor, in a blender, or with a fork (I prefer the blender when I am looking for that smooth, creamy texture in my dip, different from the guacamole type texture where I like to feel the avocado chunks instead).

• Add sea salt and fresh black pepper to taste.

• Serve chilled with mixed raw vegetables.

  Tip: Best made a maximum of 1 hour before serving.

Have any tips on ways for getting more of the healthy fats into your diet? Do you have any experience with bad or good fats you would like to share? Take a moment to share your feedback in the comments section below. I would love to hear from you!

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About Me

I received my training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where I learned about more than one hundred dietary theories and studied a variety of practical lifestyle coaching methods. Drawing on this knowledge, I will help you create a completely personalized “roadmap to health” that suits your unique body, lifestyle, preferences, and goals.
Learn more about my training and my unique approach to health coaching

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