Eating 👏🏼 fat 👏🏼 doesn’t 👏🏼 make 👏🏼 you 👏🏼 fat! ⁣

But it does make your food taste better, and keeps you feeling more satisfied too! ⁣

*chef’s kiss ⁣

Healthy fats are the little building blocks that make up your hormones, AND healthy hormones are the key to optimal health for women! 

 But the TYPE of fat matters! 

🥑 > 🧁⁣

Healthy fats fuel your brain’s growth and development, help you feel more satisfied after meals, supports optimal hormone production and helps your body better absorb the nutrients from your food. 

But after years of “all things low-fat” to the times of butter coffee and wondering where the hell coconut oil fits into all of this it can be SUPER confusing to know what types of fats should you be eating and which ones to avoid.

Let’s break it down. 

MONOUNSATURATED FATS 

Monunsaturated fats are found in large amounts in raw nuts and seeds, olive oil and avocados, and are where the majority of your dietary fat should be coming from. They help to promote healthy cholesterol levels, optimize blood pressure and are great for keeping your brain healthly and functioning at it’s best.

POLYUNSATURATED FATS

Essential fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats that we call “essential” because the body cannot produce them on its own, so they must be obtained through food. Foods like salmon, walnuts, flax and hemp seeds are excellent sources and should be consumed daily. Plant based sources are not absorbed quite as well as those from fatty fish so you may need to consume a little more or supplementing with an algae based omega supplement can be a great option as well. Speaking of Omega supplements make sure your contains both EPA and DHA for the most benefit.

For most of us, it’s really easy to overdo it on the omega-6 fats which often come from refined vegetable and seed oils in processed foods. 🍟🌭🍩⁣

These tend to be more inflammatory (although they’re not all bad!) while Omega 3s DHA/EPA tend to be more anti-inflammatory. ⁣But it’s ALL about the ratios.⁣

SATURATED FATS 

Fats like coconut oil, grass-fed butter and ghee which were previously thought to contribute to heart disease have been shown to actually improve cardiovascular health, as well as contribute to stronger bones and improve brain health and function. However, it’s all about moderation. So do I think we should all be drinking cups of butter and MCT spiked coffee…if it makes you feel amazing, go for it. But I’m still not convinced it’s the healthiest option. And if you’re someone who is at high risk for heart disease due to personal or family history I usually recommend limiting these types of fats.

TRANS FATS 

Trans fats, like those in processed, packaged foods are the fats you want to mostly avoid if possible. An easy place to start is to decrease the amount of processed foods like crackers, chips, cookies etc you eat on a daily basis. You can also decrease your consumption of corn, canola, safflower and soybean oils by replacing them with healthier option such as avocado, olive or coconut oils. Extra virgin oilive oil is usually best for sauces and dressings, avocado oil for cooking due to its high smoke point and coconut oil for baking as it’s lends a little of that sweet, coconutty flavor.

Here are a few delicious ways to get more healthy fats in your diet: ⁣

✔Avocado in everything! pudding, tacos, brownies... 🥑⁣

✔Make a simple salad dressing with extra virgin olive oil, mustard, honey, salt + pepper 

✔Make some trail mix or snack on a handful of raw nuts (raw walnuts, unsweetened coconut chips, gogi berries, chopped brazil nuts, cacao nibs=my go-to combo)

✔Sprinkle hemp seeds onto your oatmeal (pro-tip: these are great as “sprinkles” on just about anything)⁣

✔Add some nut butter into your smoothies (cashew, hazelnut, almond,PB, soooo many options, variety is the spice of life AND the secret to a healthier microbiome)

✔Grill up some wild-caught fatty fish (a great addition to taco tuesday)

No need to overcomplicate things just skip the more processed stuff in favor of real foods MOST of the time. And when you’re feeling pizza or a donut, remember to enjoy the hell out of it, because joy is a nutrient too! 

⁣