Here is another one of those myths about health that really needs to be dealt with. Eating low fat foods in order to get or maintain a low fat body… This is bogus because eating fat does not make you fat.

In fact, fat is the variable element in your diet you use to control the amount of energy you consume. This is because your carb and protein requirements are set based on your current or desired lean body mass. Your body can only make use of so much protein, used to support existing lean mass, create more or even shed mass. Once you have that figured out, you balance that with your fruits and vegetables. If you keep those 2 things in balance, your hormonal reaction to food will be balanced and you will be happy and healthy. The problem is that is rarely enough calories to sustain yourself, especially if you are training hard.

So where do you get the balance of your calories? FAT. Don’t get me wrong, there are some fats out there that deserve the vilification they receive, including but not limited to trans fats. But there are many other fats that are good little guys and should not only be included in your diet, but also celebrated.

So, what is fat? Fats are compounds of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen assembled in various lengths, shapes and orders. They are a vital nutrient required for energy and the construction and maintenance of structural elements in the body, such as cell membranes.

Lets discuss the different types of fats shall we?

Monounsaturated Fats:
The “mono” prefix means these fatty acids have a single double bond in their fatty acid chain. (The more double bonds they have, the more fluid it is.) They are generally liquid at room temperature. Monounsaturated fats are found in many oils, including olive, flax seed, sesame, sunflower, safflower, corn and peanut oil. Keep in mind however they are found in these oils, they do not comprise them completely. They contain varying levels of monounsaturated fats; the rest is a blend of polyunsaturated and saturated fats. Olive oil for example is 75% monounsaturated and canola oil is 60%.  Monounsaturated fats are also found in avocados and nuts. These are typically understood to be “healthy” fats.

Polyunsaturated Fats:
You guessed it, the “poly” prefix means these fats have more then 1 double bond in their chain and will be liquid even when refrigerated. They also go rancid easily, particularly when heated. Heating them leads to oxidization that opens up the free radicals. Polyunsaturated fats are found in grain products, soybeans, peanuts and fish oil.

Essential Fatty Acids
They’re called essential because the body can’t produce them by itself and must get them from foods. We’re talking omegas 3 and 6.

Omega-6 is found in corn and other grains, as well as grain-fed livestock. Omega-6 plays a crucial role in dermal integrity and renal function among other things, but if left unchecked can run amok and spur inflammation.

Omega-3 is what keeps the Omega-6 in check. These are found primarily in fish, algae, flax and nuts. You can also find it in eggs and chicken that are fed fish or flax meal. There are 3 types of Omega-3s, ALA (flax), EPA and DHA (fish oil). Omega-3 helps circulation by thinning the blood, fights inflammation, supports brain function and eases depression, anxiety and even ADHD.

Now, how much Omega-3 do we need to keep the Omega-6 in check? What is the ratio of 6 to 3? It’s a 1:1 ratio, although you will see many in the establishment say that 4:1 is good enough. (currently western diet is anywhere between 10-30 parts Omega-6 to Omega-3…)

Saturated Fats:
Saturated fats are much more stable due to their chemical makeup. They don’t have the tendency for rancidness as the polyunsaturated, even when heated. This is good.

Saturated fats make up ½ of cell membrane structure and enhance calcium absorption and immune function. They aid the body’s synthesis of essential fatty acids and provide a rich source of fat soluble vitamins.

You get saturated fats from meat, and the cleaner your meat source the better. When it comes to meat, organic isn’t good enough. We’re looking for grass-fed and grass-finished meats. Organic can simply mean organic grains, and grains still aren’t a natural food source for cows.

Trans Fats:
These are chemically modified for stability. However, the modification also makes them go unprocessed in the body because it doesn’t recognize it as fat.  Therefore instead of being eliminated from the body, it is absorbed through the cell membranes where they screw up cell metabolism. They are associated with inflammation, atherosclerosis, diabetes, obesity and immune system dysfunction. High levels of trans fats in your diet also cause a redistribution of fat tissues into the abdomen, even when dietary calories are controlled. So trans fats are bad for your profile.

Interesterified Fats
Basically the new trans fats created to avoid the trans fat label. Hydrogenated for shelf stability and amounts to the same level of unnatural poison-like qualities of trans fats, perhaps even worse.

Basically what it all comes down to is natural sources of fat is good. Use it to control your caloric intake after you’ve taken care of your body’s building block requirements (protein/carbs). Keep your Omegas in check and you’re good to go.

Fat does not make you fat. (sugar does!)

*Thanks to www.marksdailyapple.com for the info, highly recommended reading if this has piqued your interest.
Chris Walls is a Personal Trainer at the Crossfit Kelowna training centre.  For more information on Crossfit, please visit http://www.crossfitkelowna.com