The Skinny on Fats

THE SKINNY ON FATS

Fats are an essential part of our diet. Fats help maintain healthy skin, regulate brain and vessel function, insulate the body against temperature changes, and act as a cushion to protect and hold vital organs in place. Healthy fats plan a necessary role in optimal neurological and hormonal balance. Fat carries fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K throughout the body and helps preserve body protein for the growth and repair of muscle and other tissues. In a weight loss approach, when you consume less calories than your body requires and you limit carbohydrates, your fat cells release body fat to use as fuel. Fat has received bad rep over the past couple of decades; however, current research notes that a low-fat diet is unsuccessful for weight loss and detrimental to our health. We have found that the “danger” of fats lies in oxidation, a process that is provoked by processing, light, heat, and oxygen. Oxidized/damaged fats are rancid and promote cardiovascular incident. Avoid processed oil products. Choose fats that are organic where possible as toxins are stored in fat cells! Use chart below for best picks.

Role of Toxins and Fat: Many of the toxins in our environment and food system are fat soluble and thus get stored in our fat cells. When we lose weight our fat cells may shrink but they never disappear, so it is especially important to consider a detox following significant weight loss to ensure the toxins released do not become sequestered in our fatty deposits. In order to limit our toxin exposure, it is important to choose fats that are non-processed and organic as foods with fats are more likely to be trapped in our body vs. water-soluble toxins which are easily detoxified by liver and kidneys.

Use this table to choose the right fats that offer the most nutritional benefits with the least toxicity! When considering which choices to use in a cold salad dressing, a low-heat sauté, or high heat roast, check out our guide here!