Fun Food Fat Facts!

A few decades ago, fat got a very bad reputation for causing heart disease among other things. And we went through a phase where everything had to be low fat or non-fat. We had to cut out all the fat.

So the problem with that was whenever you take out the fat, you've got to replace it with something else. So what are the functions of fat in our diet anyway? Well, one of the first ones is it provides flavor. So if you take out the fat, you got to put something in and what does that something sugar?

It also provides satiety. It provides fullness, that feeling of fullness - I'm done eating, I just want to sit and digest now. Sugar doesn't do that. It keeps us wanting more, and wanting even more. It also provides stored energy.

Now this is back in the day when we didn't have access to food all the time. And when we had food, we ate a lot of it and we stored it. And then when we didn't have as much food, we lived off of that fat.

The other thing that's very important role of fat is that it is a component of our membranes, our cell membranes. The type of fat that we eat makes a difference because we want those membranes to be flexible and permeable, to a certain extent. You want things to be able to get in and things to be able to get out.

And finally, we have essential fatty acids. These are fatty acids that our body cannot make ourselves. We have to get this from our diet. Two of these most important ones, which are Omega-3's, are EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).

Now these two particular fatty acids do many, many things in our body for excellent health, including keeping our cell membranes flexible, but they also, for example, are important for nerve health and brain health. And like I said, much more.

Now, let me get back to sugar for a minute.

The problem with sugar, simple sugar - like table sugar, syrups, and things of that nature; we don't need very much time to digest and absorb them. Now this is like cakes, and pies, and cookies, and soda, and ketchup. ketchup has a lot of sugar in it.

And when we eat that food, and our blood sugar goes up quickly. And then what happens? Our insulin comes out and says, 'Oh, we've got to get this out of here.' And so it works to put all of the sugar into the cell.

Now the cell is going to get more than it really needs. So it's going to use what it has. And then it's going to turn that sugar into fatty acids. And the problem with those fatty acids are they are sticky. They are not healthy fats. And these increase our risk of heart disease, stroke Alzheimers, and much more.

Another big thing that they do is they interfere with the work of the essential fatty acids. And that's a big problem, because as I said before, they (fatty acids) do a lot of really good work in the body. So what do we do?

Eat a wide variety of complex carbohydrates. This would be vegetables like Brussels sprouts and broccoli, and that sort of thing. And whole grains - these have fiber in them. They have minerals and vitamins and all of the nutrients that our bodies need.

Some moderate protein, whether it's animal or plant, and moderate fat intake.

So what kind of fat do we want to eat? Well, cold water fish - like salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines. They have a lot of these omega-3 fatty acids in them. There are seeds and nuts like flax seeds, chia seed, and walnuts that have good fats.

Then there's plant-based oils, flax seed oil, soybean oil, and that sort of thing. So make sure you get your essential fatty acids and enjoy your meals. That fat will really give it the good flavor and good satiety that we need.

Now, if you're interested in talking with me further about a health issue that you have, click here, and that'll take you to my webpage, where you can sign up for a free 20 minute health chat.

Thank you so much.

Dr. Elaine

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider for advice about a specific medical condition.