By: Cameo Morningstar

Eat Fat, Get Thin

In the 1980’s and 1990’s dieting was all about “LOW FAT.” Clever corporations capitalized on our desires by creating low-fat versions of everything forbidden and thus met America’s obsession with weight-loss. Despite our efforts to eliminate fat, we got fatter and fatter with each passing year. It’s no wonder that by the time I was in my early 20’s I was at my heaviest. I fell for the fat-free fad myself. I assumed that as long as everything I ate was labeled fat-free I could eat my fill of it. The truth of the matter is that fat-free does not mean calorie free. And it certainly does not mean sugar-free. Many people assume that if they eat fat, they’ll get fat. Such is not the case. A healthy diet should contain a balance of nutrients including Essential Fatty Acids (or EFAs).

Not all fats are created equal. There are three categories that fats fall into, Saturated, Polyunsaturated, and Monounsaturated. Saturated fat is harmful because it raises cholesterol levels and is associated with cardiovascular disease and type two diabetes. Saturated fat is typically (not always) solid at room temperature and is found in animal fat, dairy fat, chocolate, shortening and most oils. While some saturated fat in your diet is OK in moderation, it should be kept low for optimum health benefits. Trans Fats have been getting a lot of press recently. New York City made history when the Board Of Health voted unanimously to ban trans fats from all of New York City’s restaurants. Trans fats have joined the ranks of cigarettes in terms of public health. While the Trans Fat Ban in NYC is controversial for many reasons that I will not discuss here, they really should be eliminated from any healthy diet. They are man-made fats and they are absolutely detrimental to your health. Trans Fats raise the LDL levels in the blood, which can lead to a variety of deadly diseases. They are most often found in packaged goodies and fast food items since their job is to extend the shelf life and freshness of the foods that they are in. You can avoid these trans fats by reading ingredient labels carefully. Anything that contains hydrogenated oil, or partially hydrogenated oil should be put back on the shelf! Buyer, beware, these trans fats lurk in many “diet” foods such as protein bars, low-fat and non-fat ice cream, bread, crackers, and (gasp) commercial peanut butter. Mono and Polyunsaturated fats are the good guys. Vegetable fats are mostly poly or mono unsaturated, as are fish, walnuts, pecans, almonds, flax, soybean oil, sunflower oil, and safflower oil. Monounsaturated fats include avocados, cashews, peanuts, pecans, natural peanut butter, olives and olive oil. These fats contain Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids, which are also known as EFAs (Essential Fatty Acids). The reason that EFA’s are so important for good health is because your body can only get these essential nutrients through food. The body does not produce EFAs on its own.

So, why should you add the good guys to your diet? For many reasons! First of all, EFAs are essential to your brain. The brain is made up of 60% fat. Diets that are too low in fat can lead to health problems and recently have been linked to depression and alzheimers disease. In terms of vanity, EFAs promote great skin and shiny hair. A sign of EFA deficiency is dry, flakey skin, dandruff and excima. EFAs can help skin maintain its elasticity and youthful glow. More importantly, EFAs improve insulin sensitivity, which will help prevent agains adult onset diabetes and keep your blood sugar stable which is essential for weight loss and maintenance. EFAs also increase your bodies ability to absorb fat soluable vitamins, increase the metabolic rate and help burn fat. Yes, you can eat fat to burn fat! But there is a catch – you must eat it in moderation as part of a healthy diet. You can’t pig out on icecream assuming that the almonds you topped it with will make it healthy. In fact, it will do the opposite, adding calories to an already fattening meal and cause your body to store even more fat! So, take my advice to heart when eating your healthy fats.

Adding EFA’s to your diet must be done moderately, even though they are “healthy fats” they are high in calories. You cannot eat your fill of them. Rather, you add a small amount to your daily meals and snacks (aiming for about 20% of your daily calories to come from such foods as nuts, olive oil, avocado and flax). Here is a list of my favorite healthy fats and a guideline as to what constitutes a serving: