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Last Friday, I published my first Flashback Friday post, Too Skinny. Today’s post is in regards to FAT. Fat is not a 4-letter word. Fat is fantastic! It’s no secret these days that healthy fats are beyond important for the proper functioning of our bodies and our minds. Fat is one of the topics I’m most excited to learn more about during my Nutrition course.
When I was underweight and trying to change my diet, I began by consuming more calories. However, I had a significant fear of FAT. It was my desperate attempt to hold on to some of the control I enforced when restricting my calories. So I avoided fat. I was gaining weight (however slowly) because I was consuming more calories, but my body was desperate for more fat. Here’s a very simple guide of such fats from Mayo Clinic:
| Monounsaturated fat | Olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, avocados, nuts and seeds |
| Polyunsaturated fat | Vegetable oils (such as safflower, corn, sunflower, soy and cottonseed oils), nuts and seeds |
| Omega-3 fatty acids | Fatty, cold-water fish (such as salmon, mackerel and herring), flaxseeds, flax oil and walnuts |
As soon as I introduced fats back into my diet, everything improved. My appetite, portion control, skin, hair, memory, and overall well-being.
With that being said, the fats I choose are pretty much exactly from the list above, and although I splurge on tasty desserts from time to time, I almost never eat fried food. It isn’t appetizing to me and I choose foods that are easy for my body to digest. I know some people have stomachs of steel, and I don’t mean to be critical of others in their eating choices.
Listen to your body! It speaks loudly.
The fats I regularly eat:
- raw or roasted nuts & seeds – primarily walnuts, almonds, pepitas
- almond or peanut butter – natural, no hydrogenated oils added
- granola – I love Nature’s Path because I’ve found it’s lower in sugar than others
- avocado – it is not uncommon for me to eat a whole avocado with lunch or dinner
- olive oil, coconut oil, etc – in salad dressings, cooked with whole grains, etc.
- salmon – grilled, sashimi, smoked, etc.
What is your main source of fat each day?
I love all the yummy things you’ve listed, avocado, salmon, granola… there are 6 ways to sunday to enjoy! Look at you, already helping us out:) We are going to learn a lot from you!
I’m definitely all about eating the healthy fats. LOVE avocados and fish. Plus seafood is high in B-12!
This is a great post! I had a similar mindset in college about avoiding fats and eating low cal foods. Too bad all that I ended up eating was fillers and junk! I get fats from full fat greek yogurt, avocado, nuts and nut butters, olive oil and a daily tablespoon of ground flax. I never really thought about how important fats were until I started to notice an improvement in my hair when I ate flax regularly.
Thank you! It’s nice to hear from others who’ve had similar experiences and I love your list of fats. So glad you stopped by – please come visit again soon!
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thank you for this!! I am currently recovering from an eating disorder and am working on my fear of fat. Somehow I keep going through nut butter jars but can’t seem to get my head wrapped around other fats. It is so nice to see that you can feel, look and be beautiful, happy and healthy while eating fats!!