As featured in Body+Soul

One of my favourite things about being a naturopath is sitting and talking about food and nutrition. As I sat with a new client the other day, he proudly told me he always goes for skim milk and low fat options – yet he was 10 – 12kg overweight, had high blood pressure, fatigue and poor concentration. Unfortunately, these situations are all too common. We have come to believe that eating ‘fat’ is bad for us, but research is now showing that’s not quite the case.

Back Story: How we got here

Our food contains different combinations of macronutrients (Alcohol also provides energy, but this should be minimal). Each macronutrient provides a different amount of energy for our body to use. The total daily intake for an average adult is 8700Kj and this can come from various ratios of macronutrients.

Macronutrient Kilojoules (kJ) in 1g Calories in 1g
Fat 37 9
Carbohydrate 17 4
Protein 17 4
Alcohol 29 7

(Ref: http://www.mydailyintake.net/energy/)

Thanks to fat’s energy density, researchers once thought that by reducing our intake, our waistlines would follow. The problem with this strategy is fat helps us feel full. Limiting our fat consumption means we tend to eat more, usually carbohydrates. We have also started to understand that not all kilojoules are equal and macronutrient get metabolised differently. Low-fat, fat-free, lite or skim products tend to have more carbohydrates or sugars, meaning you’ll secrete more insulin to process them. Excess insulin leads to greater energy storage rather than energy burning.

Types of fat

The type of fat we consume is important. The general rule I tell my patients is to choose fats that come from nature and are as unprocessed as possible. There are 3 main categories:

1. Unsaturated

Typically referred to as ‘healthy’ or ‘good’ fats and found in nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil and fish. These are the ones you want!

2. Saturated fats

Mainly found in animal foods and coconut oil and have been given a bad wrap up until recently. A 2010 review published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition looked at evidence collected for 350 000 people. They concluded: “There is insufficient evidence from prospective epidemiologic studies to conclude that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of Coronary Heart Disease, stroke, or Cardiovascular Disease.” Something to add though: health benefits are still seen when we replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats. No benefits are seen when we replace saturated fats with carbohydrates.

3. Trans fats

Usually man-made; found in margarine, snack foods and deep-fried foods. Avoid at all costs!

Healthy ways to increase your fat

When looking to up your dietary fat intake, you still need to make sure you’re not overdoing your daily kilojoules. Here are some simple additions to help you get started.

  • Always choose full fat dairy products if you choose these in your diet
  • Add a spread of avocado to your sandwich or wrap
  • Drizzle cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil over steamed veggies or salads
  • Sprinkle chia, flax or sunflower seeds over your cereal
  • Order fish instead of red meat or poultry
  • Add a teaspoon of good quality nut butter or seed paste to your smoothie
  • Snack on raw nuts as opposed to crackers.