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The word fat has been branded a certain way in modern times. We hear fat and we associate it with extra kilos and we play a little rocky style training montage in our heads on how to lose, said fat. Or we hear fat and think I can’t eat that food it’ll “fatten” me.

For years, large health agencies such as the USDA – United States Department of Agriculture – have advised us to stay away from food with saturated fats because it is supposedly leads to high cholesterol. So you might be shocked to hear that that rhetoric has not helped us healthier, but actually promoted worse diseases, like diabetes and obesity. By reducing fat intake, we immediately increase the amount of refined carbohydrates and “low-fat” alternatives we eat and those are the main culprits of today’s sky-high rates of diabetes and obesity.

If we were to look beyond a tree and see the forest, it’s clear that demonizing fat is a belief financed by the sugar industry. Under this message that fat is harmful to health, real foods were replaced with a mountain of refined carbohydrates, processed products rich in salt, sugar, preservatives, and pre-prepared microwave foods. All mass produced alternatives and all unhealthy for you in the long run.

Three myths concerning fat:

Low fat diets are healthier:

When the “reduce fat consumption” clamor started, for the sake of cardiovascular health, the consumption of carbohydrates and “light” products that are NOT the healthy was increased as an easy alternative. Thus, under misleading labels it was possible for people to consume more sugar hiding within “low-fat” products and since then heart problem rates actually increased. Down this “low-fat” path diabetes and obesity  rates rose as well due to the consumption of large amounts of food containing in the supermarket.

All fats raise cholesterol:

Cholesterol is present in our bodies because it is a key ingredients for many cellular functions. However, in the past, it was widely said that it was related to the risk of heart disease. For this reason, very healthy foods such as eggs were banned. Today we know that cholesterol has a lot more to do with the quality of the food we eat and our carbohydrate intake. Fats from fish, olive oil, butter, coconut oil, nuts and avocado are fats that enrich our health, improve circulation and even reduce the likelihood of heart disease.

Eating fat makes you fat:

To say that eating fat makes you fat is like saying that if you eat vegetables you’ll turn into a green giant: ABSURD. Fat-rich foods fill your stomach more effectively keeping you satisfied and preventing you from eating compulsively even when you are full – as with sugar -. What you have to keep in mind is how easy it is to over-eat certain fatty foods, such as nuts or oils, with which if you don’t measure the amount you eat, you can easily abuse your portion and eat more calories per day. If you want to live a healthy lifestyle you should not fear fat but, rather, MINDFULLY include them in your diet.

The benefits of fat:

Now that we’ve explored the myths plaguing fat, let us explore the benefits of mindfully including fat in your diet. Fat is an ESSENTIAL NUTRIENT that we need in order to absorb vitamins such as A, D, E and K. It also gives us energy and promotes cell growth, as well as producing important hormones that promote nutrient absorption. Healthy fats also lower blood pressure, help prevent blood clots, helps fight inflammations in the body and last but definitely not least provides satiety and delicious taste to meals.

In conclusion…

It is very difficult to get rid of a bad reputation and fat has had a very bad one for years, continuously demonized even though science has proven that it’s not bad at all. Fats not only make you feel more full but they even benefit vital organs such as the brain, cell formation, circulation and even regulate blood sugar levels. That said, we hope to have clarified the arguments that revolve around fats and we invite you to read more about this essential ingredient: saturated fat is not bad, sugar versus fat or butter is one of the best fats there are.