Everyone who is trying to “lose weight” or “get in shape” opts for the FAT-FREE products!  Is this a good thing or a bad thing?  If this is you, I applaud you for trying to take a healthy route and cut out the fat.  But let me first tell you a couple of things about fat.

There are 3 types of fat:

1. Saturated fat:  Solid at room temperature, derived from animal sources.
Examples:  meat, dairy products such as cream and cheese, coconut and palm oil.
2. Unsaturated fat:  Liquid at room temperature, derived from plant sources.
Examples:  canola oil, olive oil, peanut oil, nuts, and seeds.
3. Trans fat (hydrogenated):  Solid at room temperature, derived from the process of adding hydrogen molecules to an unsaturated fat.  They last longer, making them more marketable.

Unsaturated fat would be the only fat that you need to include in your diet.  Oh my gosh! Did I say include fat in your diet?  Yep!  I sure did?  The reason is simple.

Reasons for moderate fat consumption:

1. It is an essential nutrient, meaning you need it in order to sustain life.
2. You need it for proper hormone function.
3. Keeps cell walls strong, cushioning internal organs.
4. The absorption and storage of fat soluble vitamins.

This being said, how do you know what foods to chose?

When you buy fat-free products make sure to read the labels because they can be very deceiving.  Take for example 2% milk.  You would think that it only contains 2% fat, right?  WRONG  2% milk has 130 calories of which 45 calories come from fat, I’m not assuming you are a math genius but 45 out of 130 is not even close to 2%, it is actually 35%.  Oh my goodness, I can just see the expression on your face!  So be aware of those food labels.

What should you look for on the labels?

1. Sugar content:  in order to keep good taste, consistency, and shelf life, sugar and/or fat must be added to the product.  So if it doesn’t have fat, it is sure to be loaded with sugar.
2. Serving size:  FDA law is that any product with .5 grams of fat or less can be labeled fat-free.  The loophole is there is no restriction on serving size.  So check out that fat-free butter spray you use that is only fat-free if you use 3-5 sprays.  Oh man…..how they get us!  It makes me so mad!

Tips:

• When at the grocery store, shop around the perimeter of the store. There you will find the freshest foods, for example, vegetables, fruits, chicken, fish, etc.
• Try to stay away from fat-free products.
• Read food labels, especially serving size and ingredients.  Look for hydrogentated or partially hydrogenated oil in the ingredients, if it has it, it contains trans fat.
• To add the “good fat” to your diet, add some olive oil and nuts to your salads and veggies especially good are flaxseeds and walnuts, these are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids.  Also eat plenty of fish like salmon, halibut, snapper, shrimp and scallops, also high in omega-3 fatty acids.
• When you heat a good oil (olive oil), it becomes a trans fat.  So if you are making veggies, don’t cook them in olive oil.  Drizzle the oil after the veggies are cooked for taste.
• Supplement with fish oil, and/or krill oil.