Accepting "The Fat"

Growing up, I was a believer in the "low calorie" movement of weight-loss, and had chosen to dedicate my life to avoiding fat at all costs. This meant choosing margarine over butter and accepting all "low-fat" options. Even during competition prep I was only eating 36g of fat/day (36g x 9cal/g = 324cal/day)! At the time that seemed like a lot to me until my coach suggested I up my intake to 65g of fat per day that my brain said "WTF?!" Well I did what any sane person would do and I decided to Google the benefits of fat, and here is what I found:

1. Fat is essential in a healthy brain. 60% of brain tissue is made up of fat. Vitamins A, D, E and K are not water soluble and require fat to get transported and absorbed by the body. These vitamins are crucial for brain health and many of our vital organs. You need your Omega-3's, fatty acids (from your avocados and fish) but also natural animal fats like those from red meats. Personally, if eating a med-rare steak means I'm going to be smarter, count me in!

2. Fats help boost your immune system, keeping you healthier. According to the writers of Good Calories, Bad Calories, "loss of sufficient saturated fatty acids in the white blood cells hampers their ability to recognize and destroy foreign invaders, such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi". Fats can come from various healthy sources, as long as they are consumed in the correct proportions. A tbsp of nut butter, a handful of unsalted nuts, even dark chocolate can help you reach your necessary daily intake of fat. A piece of chocolate a day helps keep the doctor away!

3. Fat makes up the bulk of the cellular membrane and our skin is made up of a very large number of cells. Without the proper consumption of fat, our skin can become dry and chapped, which can also open up pathways for infection to enter our bodies (reiterating its importance from #2)

4. Fat helps the distribution of necessary hormones that help keep your body's daily rythm. Eating the right amount and type of fats helps reproductive hormone distribution, stronger libido, a higher athletic performance and improved body fat composition. Bottom line: You get to feel sexier, and get sexy!

5. There is a long list of "healthy fats" and "non healthy fats". Low-fat options are generally loaded with sugar, which doesn't make them any healthier (seriously, next time you're grocery shopping take a look at the first 5 ingredients on the label). Adding salmon, avocado, coconut oil, walnut oil, REAL butter (so good!) nut butters, 2% milk, and full-fat greek yogurt are simple additions to your healthy diet that can help maintain your regular body functions.

Fat will also help keep you fuller, longer. It is one of the three macro nutrients (Proteins, Fats, Carbs) and is the most calorie dense of the three. By no means should any of these benefits mean that your intake of fat should heavily outweigh your consumption of the other two macros, however a balance of all three, choosing not to value one above the rest, can aid in sustainable and natural weightloss that results in life-long success. STOP FAT SHAMING!!! STOP THE MADNESS!! And eat a damn bowl of popcorn drizzled with a few melted tablespoons of beautiful butter.