The Skinny on Fat

The Skinny on Fat: It's Good for You!

Is fat the enemy? Or are there unrealized benefits from certain sources of the much-maligned substance? Here, with his light-hearted, easy-to-digest breakdown of the good, the bad, and the ugly on fat, is Dr. Joe Klemczewski.

Fat! Everything You Need to Know

By Joe Klemczewski, PhD
eDiets Contributor

To say you haven't heard the phrase "good fat/bad fat" would indicate that you’re either suffering from amnesia or you have spent the last decade reading only Harry Potter.

Or maybe you've worked for the American Heart Association for 40 years and didn't get the memo that even they have changed their recommendations away from avoiding all fat to instead include "good fats."

Not sure exactly what you should be eating to be successful at weight loss? Tried a bunch of diets, but just can't seem to get where you want? eDiets can help you! Our nutritionists, dieticians and fitness pros can get you in the best shape of your life. Visit eDiets for a FREE diet profile and start today!

My futile attempts at humor aside, most of us know there are "good fats" out there -- fish oil, some nuts, flaxseed oil, olive oil… The list goes on depending how much money you’re willing to wave at the health food store clerk. But most of us just want to know if we have to have a certain amount of fat, if it will help or hurt our attempts to lose weight, and how we can get it in our diet easily. Save carbon chains, hydrolysis, free-fatty acids and gluconeogenesis for grad students -- just tell me what to do! (Preferably in a page or less, right?)

In a nutshell, saturated fats are bad, unsaturated fats are good. So they tell us. Saturated fats come from animal products like beef, pork, high-fat dairy, and egg yolks (fish being the exception) and unsaturated fats come from plant sources as mentioned above. The terms saturated and unsaturated refer to their chemical composition and stability. Saturated fats are bigger and more stable and therefore harder to break down to use for energy. Think of them as big clumpy, sticky molecules that clog up your arteries – a big, yucky hairball in your drain. Unsaturated fats are more easily digested and used as energy and they actually have some amazing benefits.

They are used by the body to create cholesterol-derived hormones, some of which are helpful in metabolism and even things like mood and libido. They contain essential fatty acids that are used for cell repair, cell membrane maintenance, the nervous system, the immune system and will even help increase the good cholesterol (HDL) in your body while reducing the bad. So instead of just avoiding all fat, if you make an effort to sneak in some of the good, you’ll increase your health and potentially lose weight, if it’s part of a good overall plan.

In addition to the direct fat-loss effects, you may find that additional fat in your diet helps control carb cravings and it becomes easier to eat less. Studies with protein have demonstrated the same -- when kids were made to eat a certain amount of protein per day, but then could eat anything they wanted, they ate hundreds of calories less per day just due to being more satisfied/full after eating. Fat does the same thing. If you add fat as a regular part of your diet, add good fat.

When I'm dieting, I do make an effort to add good fat and it works – it’s not theory and it’s not merely academic. Start with flaxseed oil. Why? It’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are hard to find in nature (if you don’t want to eat salmon every day), are the most helpful for every reason on this page and more and are easy to integrate. Simply add half of a tablespoon to a meal or two where it fits nicely. I usually recommend about 20 percent of calories coming from fat when dieting, and certainly more is allowable when maintaining weight. For the average female, that equates to about 25 to 35 grams per day and for men around 45 to 55 grams per day (depending, of course, on calorie intake which depends on things like age, activity level and metabolic rate).

Cook with olive or canola or even grapeseed oil. Make or use salad dressings with olive oil. Some nuts like almonds also have high percentages of unsaturated fat and unique health properties. I certainly don’t like to see someone go to one extreme or the other (no carbs or no fat) but many dieters are terrified to add fat. Consider this a polite prompt and permission to try it. You can even get a note from your doctor; I’m sure he or she would agree. I think you’ll find it easier to lose or maintain your weight, your brain will be happy and I’ll bet even your hair and skin look better -- who wouldn’t like a nice, shiny coat?!

Here’s where I may lose you: Everything I’ve said so far is pretty common knowledge and you may be wishing you had spent the last 10 minutes doing something more worthwhile like watching a Seinfeld re-run or clipping your toenails. Those who eat healthy as a way of life often aren’t aware that even moderate amounts of good fat may not be enough for optimal health.

A client of mine recently demonstrated this. Though she is extremely fit, eats very healthy -- including a solid amount of unsaturated fat -- she was having chronic symptoms similar to hypothyroidism. Being blessed with a high metabolism, we had the ability to increase food many different ways. I increased carbs, added more omega-3s, we brought body fat levels up…nothing…until she started adding more saturated fat in her diet. All of a sudden lethargy decreased, energy increased, body temperature improved, and she reported feeling “amazing.” Because she was so committed to eating healthy, she failed to realize that with a fast metabolism and an incredibly high activity level, cholesterol levels were dropping to dangerously low levels.

Some people, because of good genetics and/or a great lifestyle, can end up too low in total cholesterol, LDLs, triglycerides, etc. Most struggle in the other direction for sure, but here’s the correlation: Being in a dieting state for long enough can mimic my client’s condition. Though I’m not a fan of dieting on a very-low carb diet and eating a ton of saturated fat, a lot of people could benefit from keeping some of their fat intake coming from saturated sources. The hormones I mentioned that are cholesterol-derived can’t always keep up when the diet is “too clean.”

Hard to imagine, I know, but true. Cattle ranchers will love me for this and vegetarians will hate me for it, but sometimes for some people it’s a necessary part of health and for dieters it may increase success. Hey, someone pass me the steak sauce...

eDiets has great ways for you to eat healthy, lose weight and take control of your life. With our 24/7 online support, we're there whenever you need us for inspiration and support. To get started, click here and fill out a free diet profile.

Dr. Joe Klemczewski has an international nutrition consulting practice using his unique on-line program to help clients succeed with intensive personal communication, has published two books, and is a featured writer and contributing science editor for fitness magazines. He can be contacted through his Web site www.thedietdoc.com.