Fat Food - The good and the bad
Reading time: 6 – 9 minutes
Fat Food – The good and the bad
Reading Level: Intermediate
Fat, Fat, Fat… A word that rings through our ears like finger nails on a chalk board. Run for the hills and leave the fat behind is the standard approach to any “dieter”. Although that seems logical and fitting for most, it’s simply not the case. There are many variables when it comes to qualifying the degree of health behind a particular fat. The goal here isn’t to avoid it, but to understand the facts behind the various sources and make appropriate choices while consuming them at the appropriate times. So before diving in to a no/low fat diet, let’s get the facts straight and look at the do’s and do not’s in the wonderful world of fat.
But before we break it down to the specifics, let’s first try to grasp the idea that fat in general is caloricaly dense. Every gram of fat equates to 9 calories, compared to just 4 calories per gram of carbohydrate or protein. So, for example, if you’re about to eat a serving of chips that has 7 grams of fat and 30 grams of carbohydrates, 63 of those calories are from fat (9 x 7 = 63 calories) while just 120 calories are from carbohydrates (4 x 30 = 120). Don’t be confused here, fat can and will add calories to your overall daily intake quickly. So be cautious and aware when you’re tossing olive oil into your evening veggie stir fry. Although healthy and delicious, the olive oil will tack on calories quickly with a little slippin of the bottle tippin.
The Do Not’s
Saturated Fat: I’ll spare you as to the actual root meaning of the word “saturated”, as it deals with the scientific composition of hydrogen and carbon atom bonds (all you science and bodybuilding nerds can revel in the fact that you already know all of the details. For the rest of the world, we’ll stick to the “need to know” info). Consumption of high levels of Saturated Fat has been correlated consistently with incidence of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. You’ll find saturated fat in sources of:
- Coconut Oil
- Palm Oil
- Cows Milk
- Dairy Products
- Butter Fat
- Palmitic Acid
- Palm Oil
- Meat
- Cocoa Butter
The worst of all these evils being full fat milks, cheeses, butter and other dairy products. Why are these saturated fats so nasty to consume anyways? I’ll do my best to keep it easy here, but try to follow.
Let’s talk about Cholesterol. I’m sure we’ve all heard the word a time or two along our years of pitter pattering through doctors offices and highly intellectual conversations with our personal trainers 
. But what exactly is cholesterol and what are the true effects that it has on our internal physical health? Let’s just say that cholesterol is a waxy component in the cell membranes of your body. It’s presence is required to keep nerve function and contributes to cell signaling fluidity. Cholesterol is also the precursor for various biochemical pathways within the body. One such process acts within the liver as cholesterol is converted to bile, which is then stored in the gallbladder. Bile contains bile salts which help to solubilize fats within the digestive tract, thus aiding in the intestinal absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Without the presence of fat in the diet, our bodies would struggle to absorb these essential vitamins. Cholesterol is also and important precursor molecule for the synthesis (production) of Vitamin D and the steroid hormones; cortisol, aldosterone, progesterone, estrogen and testosterone. Without getting your mind all twisted and contorted in these terms, just know that cholesterol is very, VERY important in proper bodily function.
Cholesterol is transported via lipoproteins. Two forms of these include HDL and LDL. I’m sure you’ve heard these two terms as well. Here’s what you need to know:
- HDL – High Density Lipoprotein (Good Cholesterol)
- LDL - Low Density Lipoprotein (Bad Cholesterol)
That’s really all you need to know about those two. But to give you a little more detail, the metabolism of HDL contributes to the transport of damaging white blood cells away from atherosclerotic arterial walls caused by high consumption of saturated fats and trans fatty foods. LDL carries cholesterol to the arterial walls where they essentially scape the wall and cause damage. Thus the “attack” of white blood cells and formation of scaring and closure of the arterial wall. Without adequate consumption of foods that help raise HDL, LDL can have this harming effect within the arterial walls of building plaque and creating blockages.
Ways you can work towards increasing your HDL include:
- Cardiovascular/aerobic exercise
- Losing Weight
- Removing Trans Fats from the diet
- 1-2 drinks of alcohol a day or less
- Increasing soluble fiber intake
- No Cigarette smoking. Put em down.
- Consumption of Omega 3 fish oils or flax oils
Trans Fat: Trans fat can occur naturally in foods, yet they are more commonly known to be created through “hydrogenation” (additional of hydrogen atoms) of unsaturated fatty acids into what is considered partially hydrogenated fat. The benefits of this chemical process includes an increased shelf life of products, decreased need for refrigeration as well as decrease in cost. However the negatives far outweigh the positives. The condensed version is that these partially hydrogenated trans fats decrease HDL while increasing LDL!!! So if you were paying any attention to the above paragraph even in the slightest bit, you would realize that this is a very bad thing. So stick away from those fast food joints and processed snacks calling out your name at the grocery store.
HEY SKIMMERS!!! If you started scanning through the above, do me a favor and at least focus here on the Do’s. I promise to keep it short, sweet and to the point!
The Do’s
Unsaturated Fat: Mono and Poly-unsaturated fat. These two bad boys are what we want to focus on when stuffing our faces with fat.
Monounsaturated fat raises HDL cholesterol while lowering LDL cholesterol. Foods you’ll want to go for that contain monounsaturated fat include:
- nuts
- avocado
- olive oil
- sesame oil
- corn oil
- oatmeal
Polyunsaturated fat can lower LDL cholesterol but will have no effect on HDL cholesterol. Foods containing polyunsaturated fats include:
- grain products
- fish and sea food (herring, salmon, mackerel, halibut)
- soybeans
- fish oil
With all the above mentioned on LDL and HDL cholesterol, I’ll assume you have a good handle that chowing down on these sources are very important. Do, however, always be conscientious of the calories involved when incorporating large levels of fat in the diet. It is easy to get a little out of control with your fatty intake and a good thing can quickly go awry. I’ll be focusing future articles on dietary tactics involved with incorporating fat into the diet and the cycling of carbohydrates. But for now, let’s try to increase our unsaturated fat intake while steering clear of the saturated and trans-fatty foods. Your heart and body will love you for it…
