Benefits of Fat

After talking with a few clients at the gym the past couple days I felt it was a good time to write something on why fat is needed in any healthy diet! Too many, the word “fat,” is a major turnoff and is nothing but bad, and should be avoided at all costs. Unfortunately the word fat has developed this bad reputation that is nothing more then that tire around most people’s stomachs and is also what should be avoided in any “healthy” diet. This is not the case and I am going to tell you why!
As many of you know there are many types of vitamins that the body uses for an array of different things from blood clotting to promoting healthy bones and teeth. Vitamins are broken down into two separate groups, Water-Soluble and Fat-Soluble. All the B-Complex (B1, B2, B6, and B12) vitamins as well as Vitamin C are characterized as water- Soluble Vitamins because they dissolve in water and are not stored in the body. The second classification of Vitamins, fat-soluble, are made up of Vitamins A,D,E, and K. These vitamins can be stored in the body for much longer periods of time, which posses a greater risk of toxicity. Fat- Soluble vitamins must dissolve in fat before they are absorbed in the blood stream. Once these vitamins enter the blood stream they carry out their functions. What this means is the fat in your diet is going to be used to help dissolve all fat-soluble vitamins, causing them to be able to carry out there actually functions. If you do not have adequate amount of good fats (Unsaturated) in your diet the fat-soluble vitamins will build up and be stored in your liver and fatty-tissue, running the risk of becoming toxic. These fats will also help bring down bad cholesterol(LDL) while raising good cholesterols(HDL). This is the first major reason why fat must be part of your diet.
The second major role fat plays in ones diet is for the use of energy! Fat is a much richer form of energy then both Protein and Carbohydrates. One gram of Protein or Carbs is equal to 4 kcal, while one gram of Fat is equal to 9 Kcal. Since energy is generated from burnt Kcal this tells me that each gram of Fat has more then two times as much energy as an equal amount of Protein or Carb. Generally Fat sources are going to take much longer to digest and will be stored in the body as energy for a longer period of time. This is why athletes will use Carbohydrates to fuel them through practices, workouts, or games. It will give a quicker burst of energy without risking that sluggish (full) feeling in your stomach that may lead to a negative effect in performance.
Additionally Fat is needed for many athletes so they can either maintain or gain weight. Many athletes spend such a great deal of time practicing that there total caloric needs are extremely high. Knowing that 1G of Fat= 9Kcal, obviously by incorporating good fats into your diet it will be much easier to reach the total number of calories that is needed for the particular athlete. If you look at a pro athletes diet and nutritional needs it will be damn near impossible to consume the total number of kcal they need without eating any fat in the diet.
Above are some of the important roles fat will play in your diet. Through my research I have found that fat should make up anywhere from 15%-30% of your total calories eating. Every individual’s body is slightly different and reacts to macro nutrients differently. A close friend of mine follows a strict Zone diet which is 40% Carbs and 30% Protein/Fat. Others may find that 30% Fat is too much for them. Trial and error is the best way to determine what works best for you. I like to keep a fairly even distribution of Protein, Carbs, and Fat in each and every meal I consume. Mike Mahlar has done great research on hormone optimization and has come to the conclusion that by eating all three macronutrients each meal you can naturally optimize your hormone levels, which is a good thing. These are just a few of the benefits good fats can have on your diet. You may be wondering know what food sources make up these so called “good fats.” Olive Oil, Avocados, Mixed Nuts, NATURAL Peanut/Almond Butters, and Bacon are a few of my favorite forms of fat, not candy bars or fried foods!