Healthy Fat! You Heard Right!

Now let’s talk about Healthy FAT!

Don’t shy away, fats can be healthy. Fats have gotten bad press, but did you know they are actually a key in lowering inflammation and helping people to lose weight. I know it’s crazy, right? Over the last couple of years, the truth is finally coming to the surface.

Fat is essential for your body to work optimally and the key ingredient for cellular function. – Tweet this!

We have all heard about the effects fat has on heart disease, but now studies have shown no link between cholesterol, saturated fats, and heart disease.

13 Ways Healthy Fats Are Good for You!

• Fats help with weight loss (especially compared to low-fat diets).
• Fats give us energy.
• Fats are vital for brain and nerve function keeping it sharp.
• Fats balance mood.
• Fats aid in preventing dementia.
• Fats are required to make hormones like testosterone and estrogen and to metabolize vitamin D.
• Fats are key in reversing every single indicator of heart disease risk including cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, inflammation, and more.
• Fat is required to make cholesterol.
• Fats found in every single cell in the human body, needed for cell structure.
• Fats aids in the body’s important metabolic and hormonal functions.
• Fats help absorption and use of fat-soluble nutrients.
• Fats optimize digestive health and bone health.
• Fats satiate us by turning on leptin which tells us we are full.

A low cholesterol diet just forces your body to work harder to make its own, revs up its own production, causing higher cholesterol levels.

There are different types of fats:

1. Saturated (butter and coconut oil).
2. Monounsaturated (olive, avocado, and many nuts).
3. Polyunsaturated (omega 3 and 6).
4. Trans-Fats.

Saturated fat is what we have known till now as the “forbidden fat.” – Tweet this!

Saturated fat is essential for fat-soluble vitamins and nutrients, and is actually beneficial as it can actually lower triglycerides, raise HDL and the less harmful (fluffy) type of LDL, lower inflammation by turning off the genes that produce cytokines, and prevent leaky gut. Fats like coconut oil and butter don’t raise saturated fats, but it is actually the carbohydrates you eat that force your liver to make fat, leading to high cholesterol, especially the bad type of LDL, triglycerides, lowering HDL.

It is important to be careful with saturated fats in the presence of a high refined carbohydrate diet and low omega 3 intake as it may lead to inflammation.

Healthy fat sources are great snacks for in between meals to balance your blood sugar and immediately satiate.  – Tweet this!

Avocados:

Choose healthy fats like avocados full of nutrients, fiber, antioxidants, and minerals to help reduce inflammation, prevent cancer, and satiate.

Coconut Oil:

Coconut Oil fights off fungus and bad bacteria, improves digestion, metabolism, as an antioxidant; improves memory for those with Alzheimer’s disease; improves cholesterol; lowers insulin levels; which strengthens the immune system and helps cells communicate better, protecting you from cancer.

Olive Oil:

Olive Oil is great for your brain and lowering inflammation hsCRP, and even cancers. It has powerful antioxidant compounds, reducing the risk of heart disease.

Grass-Fed Butter, if tolerated and even Grass-Fed Ghee:

Grass-fed ghee is full of vitamin D, A, omega 3s, CLA, and butyrate, which promotes intestinal health.

Nuts:

Nuts are a great source of proteins, minerals, fiber, and essential fatty acids. Studies have proven that nuts lower the incidence of cardiovascular disease, improve cholesterol, prevent blood glucose from spiking, lower risk of type 2 diabetes, reverse brain dysfunction, and even lower the risk of death.

So to recap, every meal you want to focus on veggies, protein and healthy fat, you can have fruit as dessert and make sure you are adequately hydrated…now isn’t that easy!! You got it!!! I am here for you!

RELATED POST: Protein Power! 

Taking Your Life Back,

Madiha Saeed, MD ABIHM

Holistic Mom, MD

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