Eating Fat Does Not Make You Fat
GDVXN222720938
Eating fat does not make you fat. Read that again.
This is a topic I am very passionate about because for my clients, it changes EVERYTHING.
Signs of Fatty Acid Deficiency:
Before we dive into why fats are so important, I want you to develop awareness around some of the signs you may experience if you have a fatty acid deficiency. Our digestion, liver, and enzymes all have to be working optimally to ensure that fats are broken down. If they're not, it may result in:
Dry skin, itchy/peeling feet
Dandruff
Having your gall bladder removed (or GB attacks)
Craving fatty/greasy foods
Low-fat or reduced-fat diet
Tension headaches at base of skull
Headaches when out in the sun
Sunburn easily
Muscles that become easily fatigued
What You Need to Know:
There are two fats which are absolutely essential to the human body: omega-3 and omega-6. Together, with four other conditional fats, they serve the following roles in the body:
Long burning sources of energy (because they slow the absorption of food)
Building blocks for cell membranes and hormones (they literally hold our cell walls together)
Aids absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K (fat-soluble vitamins)
Protective lining for the organs of the body
Makes food taste DELICIOUS
Directly impacts body's ability to inflame and anti-inflame (Nutritional Therapy Association, 2019)
Wait, what? Did you read that last one?
The body constantly seeks ways of achieving homeostasis. If we get a splinter, our skin and tissues inflame to protect against infection and then anti-inflame. Our body does this by using prostaglandins which are hormone-like substances formed from essential fats. More on this later.
Good Fats vs. Bad Fats
The difference between a healthy fat and a bad/damaging fat is in the way they are processed, not in the inherent nature of their source! We need a mixture of healthy fats in our diet to maintain optimal health, but we need to avoid the fats which are chemically processed, genetically modified, or overheated.
Where We Go Wrong
Balance is the key word for understanding fats. The ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s should be approximately 1:1. Why? So that the body can achieve balance again. So it can inflame and then anti-inflame. So that the pro-inflammatory prostaglandins can become balanced by the anti-inflammatory prostaglandins. The American diet typically has a ratio which more often looks like 20:1 because it is a diet based on way too much grain, flour, and processed foods. This is where it all goes wrong!
Where do we get anti-inflammatory prostaglandins from? Wild and unprocessed foods: cold-water fish, grass-fed beef, flax seeds, walnuts, fish oils, and even insects!
Where do we get inflammatory prostaglandins from? Corn, peanuts, organs, conventional meat raised on grains, dairy, shellfish, coconut oil, conventional eggs, palm oil, grains, farmed fish
So imagine, if you will, a man who primarily eats fried fast food, high amounts of sugar and carbs, and is chronically stressed. Do you think he has a shot at reducing inflammation anywhere? Chances are, probably not because his body cannot anti-inflame. This imbalance affects women, as well. If you are a woman and experience incredibly painful cramping during your cycle, there is a chance that balancing your omegas could be helpful (read: you CAN have a pain-free period!)
History Lesson:
During the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, U.S.-based medical institutions like the American Heart Association (and many others) issued guidance to Americans instructing them to avoid all saturated fats due to a drastic rise in heart disease. Numerous large-scale studies have been conducted since the 1950s that completely disprove this hypothesis, yet it still persists today. One of my top priorities as a functional nutritional therapy practitioner is to get my clients to understand that fat is not a foe. Chronic inflammation, high amounts of processed foods, high sugar = those are the enemies. (I have a wonderful hand-out that dives into history and current understanding of fats. If you are interested, let me know and I will email it to you!)
Warmly,
Jennifer