Getting the Skinny on FAT

A History of Fat-Free
In the 80s and 90s consumers observed a big change in products lining the shelves. Food labels claiming to be ‘fat-free’ or at the very least ‘low-fat’ become commonplace and people started to believe that by ditching fat they too would become ‘low-fat’ and lean. In theory this absolutely makes sense, fat contains double the amount of calories per gram (9 calories/gram) compared to carbohydrates and protein (4 calories/gram each). Low-fat eating became a dieter’s dream and consumers chowed down on anything low-fat; including low-fat ice-cream, confectionary, bread and pasta. Somehow the message ‘you-are-what-you-eat’ became completely warped and sadly fat was often replaced with sugar, a ‘fat-free’ flavour booster.

As low-fat options boomed, so did obesity rates. Clearly, low-fat foods and diets did not deliver low-fat physiques. It’s important to note that excessive amounts of any chosen fuel eventually converts and stores as fat. Whether it comes from protein, carbohydrate or fat itself. If we eat more energy/calories than our body requires it gets stored as fat, no matter where it comes from. The problem with low-fat foods is that they are not very filling, so we can eat a lot. Fat is satiating, it fills us up and makes food taste good. There is something about fat that also makes us mindful of our portions and slows us down; we know that extra fat will make a beeline to our butt or belly if we overindulge.

Understanding Fats
The fat-free message of the 80s and early 90s was too simplistic; consumers overindulged and ignored healthy fats that are essential for our heart, hormones, skin, hair and healthy cholesterol levels. There is no doubt that eating too much fat makes weight reduction hard (although not impossible), but the best approach is to concentrate on reducing harmful fats while including healthy fats in moderation. With too little fat in the diet we risk poor vitamin absorption (vit A, E, D and K), our moods can hit ‘swings and round-abouts’ and the way our body balances out LDL and HDL cholesterol can be problematic. Healthy fats are necessary for health.

Consuming healthy fat is surprisingly good for our heart. Wholefoods like avocado, oily fish, olive oil, nuts, seeds and olives are extremely beneficial. The Mediterranean Diet is an excellent example of this and with countless studies identifying reduced mortality rates in these populations, health professionals cannot help but sit up and take notice. Choosing the right kinds of fats is critically important; you don’t need to be Einstein to realize that a chocolate bar isn’t going to be cardiac protective like salmon.

How to Eat Healthy Fats
Let’s look at some practical ways to include healthy fats into your daily diet.

• Limit your use of margarine and butter as a spread – try using a small amount of avocado, nut butter, olive oil, low-fat ricotta or even hummus

• Use a little olive, canola or nut oil in cooking and salad dressings

• Keep a spray can of extra virgin olive or canola oil handy so you can give a light spray of oil, rather than an overly generous drizzle

• When it comes to dairy products, by all means choose low-fat options. This will significantly reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet; the bad fat that stubbornly sticks to arteries and organs. Plus, you will still have a protein and calcium rich source of dairy.

• Limit your intake of salami, sausages and other processed fatty meats and opt for lean cuts of meat; remove visible fat and skin from all meat and poultry

• Order stir-fried, grilled, BBQ or baked foods when in restaurants rather than deep or shallow-fried

• Prepare and cook more of your own meals. That way you are in control of the type and amount of fat you eat.

• Limit the amount of processed and packaged foods that come into your home and take note of the ingredient list, not just the calorie content and fat grams

• Go for fats rich in polyunsaturated fats (e.g. oily fish) and monounsaturated fats (e.g. avocado and nuts) and limit your intake of saturated fat (e.g. full fat dairy and meat fat).

The Broader Picture
It is important not to be lured into following some sort of radical trend like eating a fat-free diet. Whether you eliminate fat, omit carbs or eat too much protein, you are at risk of other health complications. These macronutrients are all extremely valuable to your health. You need to be both mindful and balanced when preparing meals. By all means choose low-fat products to keep calories down, but don’t forget to read the ingredient list as well. You don’t want to choose low-fat at the risk of high sugar. Include wholefoods like oily fish, olives, avocado, nuts and seeds to ensure your intake of healthy fat.

The skinny on fat is to eat moderate amounts of healthy fats from wholefoods. Understand where your dietary fat is coming from and learn to read nutrition panels with an open and informed mind. Don’t be fooled by product claims on labels or misleading advertising. Become a smart consumer, a mindful eater and put your health first.

Lisa Donaldson (APD) – nee Simpson
www.FEEDinc.net
FEEDinc. Nutrition Clinic
Follow me on Twitter: @Lise_Simpson