![\"man](\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/19144657\/man-woman-avocado-toast-giggle-breakfast.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nFat is the enemy \u2014 at least that\u2019s what we were told for decades. Low-fat and fat-free foods flew off shelves as people assumed cutting fat from their diets would help them keep off the pounds.<\/p>\n
But research shows that low-fat and fat-free foods typically have higher sugar content\u00a0and excess sugar consumption has been linked to weight gain as well as an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular issues.<\/p>\n
The truth is, we need to eat fat. But that doesn\u2019t mean all high-fat foods are equally healthy.<\/p>\n
When it comes to sources of dietary fat, there\u2019s a big difference between eating an avocado and eating a plate of greasy fries.<\/p>\n
So what exactly are \u201chealthy fats\u201d \u2014 and which types of fat should you avoid at all costs?<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what you need to know.<\/p>\n
\u201cFat is vital for brain and cell function,\u201d says Andrea N. Giancoli, M.P.H., R.D.<\/p>\n
Along with protein and carbohydrates, fat is one of the three main macronutrients that our bodies need to thrive. While carbs often get the credit for giving us energy, Giancoli says, \u201cFat has double the amount of energy of carbs or protein.\u201d<\/p>\n
This means that while carbs can give us the initial energy during workouts, fat gives us the extra energy to keep going after 20 minutes or so.<\/p>\n
And, registered dietitian Maleah Staton, R.D., C.P.T., adds, \u201cFat is important because it helps us absorb fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dietary fat also provides the essential fatty acids known as linoleic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid) and alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid) that our bodies can\u2019t make.<\/p>\n
These fatty acids have been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, better brain function, and improved eye health, among other benefits.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
There are four different types of fat found in food:<\/p>\n
Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats get the honor of being deemed \u201chealthy fats\u201d \u2014 and, Giancoli says, we need a good balance of these two types of fat in our diets.<\/p>\n
Monounsaturated fats are unsaturated fats that have a single (mono) chemical bond.<\/p>\n
Studies have shown that replacing a diet high in saturated fat with a diet high in monounsaturated fats can help decrease LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, aka \u201cbad\u201d cholesterol), and monounsaturated fat has also been linked to lower blood pressure.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, polyunsaturated fats are made up of multiple (poly) chemical bonds. These types of fat provide our bodies with omega-3 and omega-6, two fatty acids that are essential for health, but not made by the body.<\/p>\n
Omega-3 fatty acids have been linked to better heart health and eye health, along with a lower risk of some emotional and cognitive conditions.<\/p>\n
To get more omega-3s in your diet, the American Heart Association recommends eating fatty fish \u2014 like salmon, sardines, tuna, and mackerel \u2014 at least twice a week.<\/p>\n
Omega-6 fatty acids \u2014 commonly found in vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds \u2014 are also essential.<\/p>\n
However, research suggests a high-omega-6 diet may be linked to inflammation, and we should aim for a balance of omega-3s and omega-6s.<\/p>\n
![\"Butter\"](\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/11141352\/Healthy-Fats.600.butter.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n
Saturated fats and trans fats are considered the not-so-healthy fats.<\/p>\n
Typically solid at room temperature \u2014 think butter and palm oil \u2014 saturated fats have been linked to health issues including heart disease from increased LDL cholesterol and weight gain.<\/p>\n
Saturated fat is found in animal meats and dairy products, so it\u2019s almost impossible to avoid if you\u2019re an omnivore \u2014 but the good news is it\u2019s not necessary to avoid saturated fat completely.<\/p>\n
Like most things, it\u2019s OK in moderation; the American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat to 5 or 6 percent of the total calories you eat every day.<\/p>\n
The least healthy of the bunch, there are essentially two types of trans fats: those that come naturally from animals, and artificial trans fats that are manufactured by adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils.<\/p>\n
Artificial trans fats have no health benefits \u2014 they\u2019re known to raise LDL cholesterol, lower HDL cholesterol, and increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, and even type 2 diabetes.<\/p>\n
Trans fat poses so much of a risk that partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) \u2014 the primary source of artificial trans fats \u2014 have been banned by the FDA.<\/p>\n
A manufacturing ban on most foods containing PHOs went into effect in 2018, and by 2021, all foods containing PHOs were removed from the food supply (which makes artificial trans fats easy to avoid).<\/p>\n
![\"salmon](\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/19144652\/healthy-fat-foods.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n
You should be adding healthy, high-fat foods to your diet. Just be careful, because it\u2019s easy to go overboard, even with unsaturated \u201chealthy\u201d fats.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s important for us to consume fat mindfully, sparingly, and intentionally,\u201d Staton says.<\/p>\n
Every gram of fat contains nine calories, making it more calorically dense than foods that are high in protein or carbs (each of which contains 4 calories per gram).<\/p>\n
Here are some qualifying healthy fat foods:<\/p>\n
According to Giancoli, you should get 20 to 35 percent of your daily calories from fat. If you eat 2,000 calories per day, that means 400 to 700 of those calories should come from fat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Fat is the enemy \u2014 at least that\u2019s what we were told for decades. Low-fat and fat-free foods flew off shelves as people assumed cutting fat from their diets would help them keep off the pounds. But research shows that low-fat and fat-free foods typically have higher sugar content\u00a0and excess sugar consumption has been linked […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2447,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2446","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fitness"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2446","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2446"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2446\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2448,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2446\/revisions\/2448"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2447"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2446"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2446"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2446"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}