Good fat, bad fat; have you heard these opposing terms expressed in the same sentence yet? Though the American Heart Association and registered dieticians still ignore the role of dietary fat in nutrition, there is mounting evidence that some degenerative health problems can be avoided if essential fatty acids are consumed in the right amount. And, there is solid research affirming the fact that the right fats in the right amount will actually make you lose body fat faster!

To understand fat, let's look first at its role in the human body. It certainly is obvious in its role as a secondary stored energy source. If we eat too many calories and our body can't use them all, the food is converted to cholesterol and triglycerides and ultimately stored as body fat. However, fat plays a role in many other processes in the human body. Your brain and nervous system is about sixty percent fat by weight. The myelin sheath covering the peripheral nerves are made from fat. Enzymes that help repair DNA and RNA within every cell are made from fat. Every single one of the trillions of cells in your body use fat to create and repair the cell wall. Several hormones in your body are cholesterol-derived hormones. So, as you can see, fat actually plays a role in the function and health of our bodies.

As necessary as I have made fat sound, it is important to know the difference between fats that actually fulfill these health-necessary roles and those that just contribute to unhealthy levels of cholesterol and body fat storage. The major division in fat categorization is saturated versus unsaturated. Saturated fat is primarily found in animal protein such as dairy products, eggs, beef, and pork, while unsaturated fats are found in plant sources like olives, almonds, flax seeds, and fish such as salmon. Saturated fat is very hard for your body to break down and use because they are long-chain triglycerides.

Structurally, this means they are very large with long chains of carbon molecules and the body doesn't process them very efficiently. They raise blood cholesterol levels, which increase atherosclerosis and heart disease and end up being stored easily as body fat. Unsaturated fats are short and medium-chain triglycerides which are processed very easily and are used efficiently in the body processes described. Many of these unsaturated sources contain the essential fatty acids that most of us are deficient in. The best sources of unsaturated fats and essential fatty acids are fish oil (salmon,) olive oil, canola oil, flax seeds or flax seed oil, evening primrose oil, borage oil, and other plant sources. Decreased cholesterol, decreased risk of arthritis, heart disease, and some cancers, and decreased risk of some neurological disorders have all been linked to the consumption of these essential fatty acids.

So, what does this have to do with permanently losing body fat? One of the roles of fat is the production of certain hormones like testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone. These reproductive hormones also play a major role in how much muscle tissue our body maintains and how many calories we burn per day. Studies have shown dramatic decreases in base hormone production when these good fats aren't consumed in high enough amounts. This can curtail body fat loss efforts significantly. Dietary fat also slows down the digestion of carbohydrates as I discussed in last month's article. Fat takes longer to digest and can slow the absorption of carbs which will keep blood sugar more stable which decreases hunger and increases energy. It's a very good idea to space your dietary fat intake evenly throughout the day. As healthy as unsaturated fat is, there still is a limit to how many calories you should consume per day to accomplish body fat loss. Excess good fat can still end up stored as body fat. You'll also get a decent amount of saturated fat from your diet even if you eat very lean sources of protein. The leanest protein sources such as chicken breast still have about one gram of saturated fat per ounce. So, you may not have to go overboard in adding unsaturated fat to your diet, but you'll still want to leave room for some due to the health benefits. I usually recommend approximately 20-25% of someone's total calories come from fat when trying to lose weight. On maintenance programs, fat intake can be increased slightly, though I like to increase carbohydrates for clients who have accomplished their weigh loss goals.

I would encourage you to refer to my nutrition manual to learn more about these good fats and how to implement them into your diet. You can also refer to chapter one and review my nutrient profile chart to see how many grams of fat would be appropriate for you in order to lose weight maximally and increase your health. I also invite you to contact me regarding my Metabolic Transformation Program. In the last eight weeks, 22 new clients have lost a combined 300 pounds and are off and running toward their ultimate physiques. We have a special consulting program adapted to long-distance clients to compliment our one-on-one program.