Fat helps the body absorb Vitamin D and E which are fat soluble so can only be absorbed with the help of fats. They are essential to give your body energy and to support cell function and produce the hormone leptin which reduces your appetite by acting on specific centres on the brain to reduce the urge to eat.
Fat is a very important nutrient in a healthy diet. It has multiple functions in your body and each type of fat has a unique fatty acid profile with specific health benefits/ detriments. The type of fat in our diet seems to be more important than the quantity, but as we always say, everything in moderation. Replace animal (saturated) fats with plant (unsaturated fats where you can and avoid man-made trans fats.
Types of Fat
The Less Healthy Fats
Saturated fats
These fats are solid at room temperature.
Usually found in animal-based food like beef, pork, poultry, full-fat dairy products and eggs and tropical oils eg coconut and palm.
Trans fats
Trans fats are unsaturated fats that have been modified through various processing methods. They are used to extend the self-life of fats and solidify liquid fats (such as hard margarine). Trans fats are considered to be pro-inflammatory and there is a world-wide drive to eliminate them from processed foods due to the ill effects they have on our health. It is currently recommended that we limit or avoid all intake of trans fats and rather replace them with minimally processed, unsaturated fats. An easy way to identify if a food product contains trans fats is to look for the word hydrogenated.
Trans fats raise your bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and lower your good (HDL) cholesterol levels.
Trans fats can be found in many foods from cakes, pie crusts, biscuits, cookies , crackers and margarines.
UK government guidelines suggest to more than 5g per day should be consumed.
The Good Fats – Containing Your Omegas
Polyunsaturated Fats
These fats have heart health benefits and if you replace some of your saturated fat in your diet with these fats you can reduce your heart disease risk over time. One of the reasons for this is because certain types of these fats are considered to be anti-inflammatory and heart disease is considered to be an inflammatory disease. Inflammation is the basis of many diseases and so it is in our best interest to find ways to decrease inflammation on a regular basis. They also provide nutrients to help develop and maintain your body’s cells.
OMEGA 3 is considered the most important of the essential fats our body needs. These omegas can improve heart health, as they help lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels. They help manage or prevent depression, can help with weight loss and help with reducing inflammation.
Omega 3 consists of 2 main fatty acids, EPA and DHA. These are the ‘active’ and most easily used forms. EPA and DHA are found primarily in fish (like salmon, trout, mackerel etc.). The current recommendation is to consume at least 2 servings of oil fish per week to try increase your omega 3 intake.
OMEGA 6 is also an essential fat which you need to obtain from your diet and mainly help to provide energy and can help in treating symptoms of chronic disease.
Omega 6 can be found in sunflower, safflower, soy, sesame, and corn flower, soybeans, corn, nuts and seeds, meat, poultry, fish and eggs.
Monounsaturated Fats
Monounsaturated fats including Omega 9 occur mainly in our plant sources. This includes Mediterranean fats like avocado, olives and olive oils, and certain nuts and seeds.
Positive health effects occur when we replace saturated fats in the diet with these fats. This effect is lower than that of replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats but is still beneficial none the less. The benefits to be expected include a lower total cholesterol, lower LDL and lower triglycerides.
The replacement of saturated fats with Omega 3, 6 and 9 can also increase your insulin sensitivity and when your body is sensitive to your insulin, you reduce the amount of fat that accumulates around your abdominal area. Abdominal fat is inflammatory and so this fat replacement in your diet may help to reduce the amount of inflammation in your body and thus risk for certain diseases.
How Much Fat Should I Be Eating
If for example you are on 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, your target range for total fat is 44 to 78 grams a day. Of that, saturated fat should make up no more than 22 grams. To monitor the fat in your diet, simply add up the fat grams from the foods you ate during the day.
Easy Tips to Help You Reduce Unhealthy Fats
- Cook with vegetable oils and spreads like olive oil, rapeseed oil and sunflower oil.
- Measure the amount of oil you use with a teaspoon or use a spray bottle.
- Swap hard cheese and processed meat for oily fish and vegetables like avocado.
- Reduce your intake of processed meats like hamburgers and sausages. Choose lean meats (meats with less fat) like skinless chicken, turkey and fish. Or plant-based protein like lentils, beans or Quorn.
- Snack on unsalted nuts and fruit, rather than biscuits, cakes and crisps.
- Use semi-skimmed, skimmed or 1% milk. Or no added sugar, plant-based milk like almond milk, soya milk, oat milk and cashew milk.
- Use lower fat cheeses like feta, mozzarella, half-fat cheddar, edam and ricotta, rather than cheeses like halloumi and cheddar. Or grate your cheese to make it go further in your meal.
- Check the amount of saturated fat per serving on your foods labels to help you keep to the recommended daily intake.