Fats

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Think dietary fats—not body fat!

Fats as a nutrient? It's hard to believe when practically every person wants to get rid of it! Besides, fat is associated with a number of chronic diseases, including heart disease and cancer. And, at one point, everyone seemed to be on a low-fat diet, trying to reduce their long-term risk for these conditions.

Now, many individuals decrease their fat intake for the purpose of losing weight, realizing that fat has over twice as many calories per gram compared to carbohydrates and proteins (fats have 9 calories per gram). This is actually a pretty good strategy for weight loss, but unfortunately many individuals still struggle for long-term success.

Are your fats healthy?

We used to think in simple terms—increased dietary fat leads to increased body fat, which leads to obesity and other chronic diseases. Things have actually gotten a bit more complicated these days, with more and more research centered around fat and its effects on health and wellness.

We now know there are unhealthy fats and healthy fats. The four major dietary fats in the foods we eat include saturated fats, trans fats, monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats.

• The unhealthy fats—saturated and trans fats—tend to be more solid at room temperature (like a stick of butter).
• The healthy fats—monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats—tend to be more liquid (like vegetable oil).

Fats can also have different effects on the cholesterol levels in your body. The unhealthy fats raise bad cholesterol (LDL) levels in your blood. While the healthy fats lower bad cholesterol levels and are beneficial when consumed in moderation.

How much should you consume?

The recommended intake level is 20-35% of daily calories. This range will meet the needs of most individuals, and will help prevent both unwanted weight gain and increased health risks. Fat intake, like many other nutrients, needs to be tailored to your individual goals.

Fats can do good.

Fats are essential for the proper functioning of the immune system and they affect the production of a number of different hormones, including the male and female sex hormones. We also know that they are a very concentrated form of energy.

Because of this, your body is able to store an incredible amount of energy as body fat (adipose tissue). Fat is often an important energy source during prolonged endurance activities, such as cycling and running.