Should I Eat “Good Fat?” Cause…

Short answer Yes. But, let’s talk about this, since the fact that you asked means you DON’T KNOW ANYTHING about it.

First let’s do the whole good fat / bad fat / whassadifference thing.

Good Fats:

• monounsaturated: olive oil, almonds, peanuts, avocados, etc
• polyunsaturated: salmon, albacore tuna, walnuts, etc

Bad Fats:

• trans saturated fats: fried foods, pastries, chips, cookies, etc (check ingredients for anything that says “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated”). Do these never! Or close to never.
• saturated fats: whole milk products, red meats, coconut oil, etc. Do these in limited quantities. UPDATE: though coconut oil is technically a saturated fat, a difference in molecular makeup means your body processes it differently than other saturated fats. It also has a ton of other health benefits (noted here by reader Beth–thanks gurl!–and here by my trainer Tracy). So, with coconut oil (as long as it’s raw or unrefined), have at it.

YAH BUT I’M TRYING TO FITNESS, SO LIKE, NO FATS, JUST TO BE SAFE

So, problems with this. First of all fitnessing doesn’t just mean weight loss, it means giving your body the nutrients it needs to be the best physical version of itself possible. And there are a lot of things about polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats that are important for your body. SUCH AS:

• Mono: lowers bad cholesterol
• Mono: reduces the risk of heart disease
• Poly: these are fatty acids, which are essential for your body to function and absorb nutrients. Your body LITERALLY REQUIRES them.
• One of these essential fatty acids, omega-3, helps your body build muscle and burn fat. IF THIS ISN’T FITNESSING I DON’T KNOW WHAT IS.

I MEAN I GUESS, BUT, IT’S STILL FAT, SO…

The biggest reason to make sure you get your good fat, in my opinion, is that it actually MAKES YOU FEEL FULL. If you are anything like me, this is quite a feat, and seems almost like magic, because it is so mystifying and rare. But eating some nut butters and avocados will make you feel fuller, for longer (much like foods high in protein or fiber), which is a great way to make sure you keep your calorie count in check. BUT, be aware that the foods that are high in good fats are usually also high in calories, but don’t let that scare you off OKAY? The idea is to replace some of the bad fats with good fats, so your calorie count is in check but you’re still giving your body all this good stuff.  Here are some ways to do that:

• Instead of putting butter on toast, drizzle olive oil with a dash of salt
• replace creamy salad dressings with chopped avocado and some olive oil and lemon or balsamic; the avocado mixes in to make it creamy and delicious
• if you’re tired of chicken breast and trimmed pork, don’t go for steak or a burger. Try salmon with a little lemon and dill (or some other way, honestly salmon isn’t my favorite, I can only eat it with dill and lemon and like a million capers, but, you do you, and let me know if you have a recipe that will make it taste good)
• if you’re craving a decadent snack, skip the cookies and go for an apple with almond butter, or a bowl of banana and walnuts
• instead of coating foods with breadcrumbs in recipes, use crushed walnuts or almonds

Remember, eliminating all fats is NOT FITNESSING. You need to give your body important nutrients, and feel satisfied, and a big part of that is making sure you get the healthy fats it needs. So, eat good fats! Also, they taste really good, so.