Dietary fats - the sequel!

So, following on from my last post, let's have a look at what fats you could include in your diet...

As long as the amounts ingested are controlled and don’t lead to a calorie surfeit, it’s fine to include a mix of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and healthy saturated fats in your diet.  As we’ve already seen, fats are vital for our health and well-being – we just need to make educated decisions about what we choose.

Coconut Oil

This has gained a lot of traction in the West over the last decade or so, although coconut oil has been used for a long time in India and Asia.  It’s a really versatile product and can be used for cooking and baking, as well as for conditioning the hair and moisturising the skin.

It’s essentially tasteless so can be used for cooking both sweet and savoury food.  I personally use coconut oil whenever I’m shallow frying eggs or potatoes etc., and also when I’m making protein muffins.

There are quite a few benefits to including it in your diet in place of other more shady oils and fats (remember all that stuff about hydrogenation?):

• It has the potential to reduce hunger thanks to the MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides) it is made up of

• May boost heart health when used in moderation

• Can have a positive effect in reducing the instance of epileptic seizures in children (although researchers are not yet entirely sure why)

• Increases HDL cholesterol while decreasing the level of LDL cholesterol

If you choose to include coconut oil in your diet, make sure to find an organic virgin oil rather than a refined version.

Ghee

You’ve probably heard of this in relation to Indian cooking where it is used more than any other type of fat.  It’s essentially butter that has been heated and the milk solids and water removed.

These days most supermarkets have it in stock, although it’s worth checking the label to make sure that it’s made from pure butter and doesn’t have any nasty stuff like preservatives in it.

I haven’t actually tried making it myself but it’s on my “to do” list – if you’ve given it a go then let me know how it turned out!

So why should we use this instead of other fats?  Here are some of the potential benefits:

• One of the fatty acids in ghee, butyric acid, has been found to have anti-inflammatory properties

• It contains all of the fat-soluble vitamins – A, D, E and K

• It can be a good option for lactose intolerant people to try as it contains only trace amounts of milk sugars and proteins

• Ghee has a high smoking point which means that it can be cooked with at high temperatures without breaking down and producing free radicals

Ghee can be cooked with as it is, or can be flavoured with herbs and spices – you could even try it on popcorn!

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

I’m pretty sure we’ve all got some of this kicking around in the kitchen at home, right?  We probably associate this most with the Mediterranean, and there have been many studies done that attribute the longevity of people in Italy, Spain, and Greece to the inclusion of olive oil in their diet.

But what does that actually mean?  How can extra virgin olive oil help our health?  Well, let’s see:

• Oleic acid is present which has been found to have anti-inflammatory properties

• It’s rich in antioxidants which of course can reduce oxidative damage (remember that craze around free radicals a few years ago?)

• Studies have indicated that a diet containing extra virgin olive oil can improve brain function and reduce cognitive impairment

• If used in moderation it can help to lower blood pressure

Culinary experts suggest using extra virgin olive oil for dressings and for dipping bread into, for example, rather than cooking.  However, that could just be because it’s rather more expensive than the refined or virgin oils that are available.  Studies have been done which show that cooking with extra virgin olive oil, even at high heats, is safe and delicious!

Avocados

I’ve found that these are a bit like the Marmite of the fruit world!   I think that, more often than not, it’s the slightly soapy fatty texture that puts people off rather than the taste.  Personally, I love them, and I’d eat them every day if I could!

For those of us that like to eat these little “alligator pears”, here are some of the benefits they give us:

• Stuffed full of the fat soluble-vitamins (A, D, E and K)

• They have high levels of potassium which can reduce high blood pressure

• They’re also packed with fibre which is good for bowel health and helps us feel full after eating

• They contain lots of antioxidants including lutein and zeaxanthin – both really important for eye health

If you don’t fancy smooshing up an avocado with some apple cider vinegar, Tabasco and pepper, spreading it on crispy toast and topping off with a poached or fried (in coconut oil, naturally!) egg – my preferred method of eating! – then avocado oil is also available for both cooking and as a dressing.  As with coconut oil, you can also use avocado oil on your skin and hair to improve their condition.

Other great sources of healthy fats that you can include in your diet

Honestly, I could give you a huge long list of many other animal and plant-based sources of healthy dietary fats, but we’d be here all day!

Here’s a list of a few that you can try to include depending on your preferences – please do research them before adding them in to your diet so that you know what you’re getting from a nutrient point of view:

• Fatty fish – salmon, sardines, mackerel, tuna etc

• Seeds – sunflower, chia, flax, hemp

• Eggs

• Nuts – almonds, walnuts, brazils

• Grass-fed animal products – lean meats, butter, cheese

But one thing we shouldn’t lose sight of is that any fat, healthy or otherwise, can cause us to gain weight if we are eating more calories than we are burning.  Fat has 9 calories per gram, which is higher than carbohydrates and protein (4 calories per gram for both). 

While I’m not suggesting that you sit down every day and work out your macros (unless that’s something that you find helpful), it’s definitely worth keeping in mind. There are lots of resources out there about optimum levels of fat to include in your diet based on your energy needs, so it’s worth doing a bit of research.

But what about the fats that we need to cut from our diets?

There has been a lot of publicity about how bad saturated fats are for us, and that’s true as far as it goes.  But all saturated fats are not created equal!

As I’ve said before, it’s all about balance – there are healthy saturated fats and there are unhealthy fats.  I think we all know well enough now that a diet consisting of pizza, burgers, and fries is not going to end well!  These all contain saturated fats which are more than likely hydrogenated and therefore will also contain trans fats.  They are also going to be fairly light on nutrients which means that you’re essentially eating “empty calories”.

The healthy saturated fats that we have already talked about, coconut oil and so on, can of course have a detrimental effect on our health if we eat too much of them, but in the right amounts, they offer a multitude of benefits to our health and well being.

Be choosy with where you buy and what you order

I honestly believe that it’s a case of everything in moderation.  Of course, it’s perfectly fine to cut processed “junk” food out of your diet completely, and I doff my imaginary hat to anyone that has the willpower for that.  For me though, I’m content to have pizza every now and again (and maybe a side of garlic bread…!) but I’m more selective about where I buy it from.

Ever since lockdown there are so many pubs and restaurants that have introduced a take away service, and the majority of them near my home are using the same fresh locally sourced ingredients as always.  So if I order pizza, I know that the base is handmade and the toppings are more than likely going to be fresh produce rather than processed.

And at the same time, it’s okay to have Chinese food, or a takeaway burger – just don’t make it a regular weekly thing.  Fancy a doughnut or a slice of cheesecake?  Why the heck not?!  Sunday roast with all of the trimmings?  Go for it – there’s usually a good selection of steamed or boiled veggies so make sure to fill up on those rather than a heap of roasties!

My philosophy is that a little of what you fancy does you good.  By having these cheeky meals now and again I avoid cravings for “bad” foods and I don’t binge.  I don’t see them as “cheat” meals, and I definitely don’t then workout twice as much in the days after as “punishment” for eating them.  Be kind to yourself, show yourself grace, make informed decisions, and enjoy what you eat!