Limiting, not eliminating fat

“FAT-free,” “low-fat” and “high fat” seem to have an overbearing presence in our world. People are fat obsessed. It’s impossible to try to maintain a “fat-free” lifestyle.

Fat in food does do your body some good. It is a necessary nutrient. Fat provides essential fatty acids, from which your body makes molecules it needs to function properly. It acts as a wall of protection around. Your vital organs like your heart and kidneys. It also acts as an insulator for the body. Fat carries essentials (fat-soluble) vitamins A, D, E and K. These vitamins cannot be absorbed into your body without fat. Although a diet high in fat is unhealthy, fat is the ingredient that makes most foods taste better, because flavor adheres to fat. Fat can offer a concentrated source of energy because fats have a tendency to pack together if they're not in water, so they become a source for greater energy storage. Fat protects your internal organs from going into shock. It insulates the body in extreme temperature conditions. It also acts as an emergency fuel supply in times of illness. Extremely low-fat diets suck the oil right out of your skin. You need a certain amount of fat in your diet for skin to look healthy.

So, which fats are okay to eat and which ones are not? For nutritional purposes, fats can be divided into three categories: saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, which is based on the amount of hydrogen each one carries. Saturated fats have no more room for any additional hydrogen. An easy way to remember what’s a saturated fat is to think of animals. All animal fats, such as those found in meat, poultry, dairy products and eggs are saturated. Chocolate, coconut oil and products made with lard are also saturated fats. These are considered the least healthy forms of fat because they are the highest in cholesterol. Saturated fats can also cause the body itself to produce higher levels of cholesterol. Monounsaturated fats have a little extra room for hydrogen (one more atom) and are somewhat better for you than saturated fats. They are oils like olive, peanut and canola. Peanut butter and avocados are also monounsaturated fats. People usually think avocados are so fattening, but they’re not as bad as you think. They’re better than eating a saturated fat. Polyunsaturated fats have room for many more hydrogen atoms and are the healthiest form of fat. Corn oil is an example of polyunsaturated fat. Fish, soy, corn, sunflower and safflower oils are all polyunsaturated fats.

Eating too much fat results in some really harmful consequences. The obvious one is that fat makes you fat. Gram for gram, fat delivers more than twice as many calories as carbohydrates and protein. One gram of fat is equal to nine calories. You have to be really careful with fat-free foods, though, because they tend to be very fattening. Taking the fat out

loses the flavor, so food manufacturers compensate by adding other ingredients, like artificial flavorings, sugar and syrups, all of which are high in calories. Some fats are definitely easier to spot than others are. Butter, cream cheese, salad dressings, mayonnaise and cheese are all obvious fat foods. Meats like sausage, pepperoni, bologna, bacon, corned beef and hot dogs, are aren’t so obvious but they’re all high in fat. ice creams, coleslaw, pasta salads and potato salad are also high fat. Watching the fat in your diet is important and balancing your intake among fats, protein and carbohydrates is the best combination of good health.

Trying to eliminate fat from your diet is hardly the answer to better health. As I said earlier, fat is essential to your health. The key is to successfully replace the bad fat with good fat. If you let your fat intake fall below 20 percent of your calories from fat a day, you may start eating more volume of food because you’ll have a harder time getting full. Fats digest really slowly and they take the longest to exit your body. Every time you put on weight, your body makes new fat cells. Once these fat cells just hang out in your body waiting to get plumped up again. That’s why so many people who lose weight on a diet and go back to their old eating habits put on the weight so easily again.

Moderation is the key to success. You have to consciously make an effort to reduce your fat intake, but it’s not impossible. If you’re still eating dairy, choose low-fat dairy products whenever you can. Remove the skin from chicken and avoid eating the fried version. Trimming the fat around the meat you eat will help cut down on your fat. If you do eat meat, try eating lower fat selections. Try substituting turkey for any of your meat needs. It’s much lower in fat. Fish is an excellent source of protein and there are so many varieties you won’t get bored. Use caution when eating pasta, because the sauces can be major culprits of fat. If you eat eggs, go for egg whites. The yolk is loaded with cholesterol.

Most experts agree that limiting your daily fat intake to less than 30 percent of total calories consumed is the best approach to eating a healthy diet. Living a low fat lifestyle will pave the road for your total health.