DIETARY FATS: which are friends and which are foes?
A FABULOUS FUEL
Fats burn like logs in a fire: slowly, cleanly and consistently.
When your body is in fat-burning mode, you will experience satiety and steady energy throughout the day.
The process of converting fat and ketones into ATP (cellular energy) is more efficient and produces fewer free radicals (compared to burning sugar).
NUTRIENT ABSORPTION
Dietary fats are required to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Think of a “reduced-fat” diet as a “reduced-vitamin” diet too!
BUILDING BLOCKS
Fat and cholesterol form many essential structures in the body: cell membranes, hormones like estrogen and testosterone, and the myelin surrounding nerve cells.
Without the right raw materials:
structural integrity of cells can be compromised
delicate balance of hormones can be thrown off
skin is more likely to burn when exposed to sunlight
SATURATED
= SOLID
= SAFE TO HEAT
MONOUNSATURATED
= MODERATE HEAT
POLYUNSATURATED
= PROTECT FRAGILITY
PROCESSED SEED OILS
DAMAGED, INFLAMMATORY, RANCID, TOXIC*
*Most fats are friends, some are foes: processed and hydrogenated seed oils are often rancid and inflammatory (that means the structures built from them will be too)
WAYS TO EAT MORE FAT
ADD TO VEGGIES
not only does fat make vegetables taste better, it is necessary for maximizing nutrient absorption
FATTY FISH
salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and herring (SMASH acronym) are rich in essential omega-3s EPA & DHA
GARNISH
finish off your meal with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, chunk of grass-fed butter, or half an avocado
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References
NTA Student Guide. (2019). Nutritional Therapy Association.
Jones, D. S., Bland, J. S., & Quinn, S. (2010). Textbook of Functional Medicine. Institute for Functional Medicine.