Should I Eat Fat? The Lowdown On Fats

Although managing menopause can feel like you’re on an emotional roller coaster, the ride might feel a little smoother if you make a few simple dietary changes like making sure you’re getting enough healthy fats.

For over thirty years, fat in our diet has been considered the culprit in obesity, heart disease, and high cholesterol. Unfortunately, the resulting “low fat” food and diet plans haven’t actually resulted in people controlling their weight or becoming healthier. In fact, the opposite is true.

It’s the type of fat that matters in addition to how much you consume. Reducing your intake of some types of fats may reduce the risk of several chronic diseases, but other types of fats are absolutely essential to our health and well-being. Furthermore, Healthy fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids, may benefit women going through menopause. Essential fatty acids found in oily fish, particularly have been shown to help promote heart health. The incidence of heart disease increases with women, especially as they age, so these healthy fats are very important.

The functions of fats include:

Brain – Fats compose 60% of the brain and are essential to brain function, including learning abilities, memory retention and moods. Fats are especially important for pregnant women, since they are integral to foetal brain development.
Cells – Fatty acids are needed to build cell membranes and keep them flexible
Heart – 60% of our heart’s energy comes from burning fats. Specific fats are also used to help keep the heart beating in a regular rhythm.
Nerves – Fats compose the material that insulates and protects the nerves, isolating electrical impulses and speeding their transmission.
Lungs – Lung surfactant, which requires a high concentration of saturated fats, enables the lungs to work and keeps them from collapsing.
Eyes – Fats are essential to eye function.
Digestion – Fats in a meal slow down the digestion process so the body has more time to absorb nutrients. Fats help provide a constant level of energy and also keep the body satiated for longer periods of time. Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) can only be absorbed if fat is present.
Organs – Fats cushion and protect your internal organs.
Immune System – Essential fats provide important precursors from messages called prostaglandins which regulate immune function and inflammation.

Types of fat

Monounsaturated fats

These are liquid at room temperature and turn cloudy when kept in refrigerator. The primary sources is olive oil. Other good sources are avocados; nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans; and seeds such as pumpkin and sesame seeds.

People following traditional Mediterranean diets, which are very high in foods containing monounsaturated fats like olive oil, tend to have lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

Polyunsaturated fats

These are liquid at room temperatures as well as at cold temperatures . Primary sources are nuts, seeds, flax seed oil, hemp seed oil and oily fish

This fat family includes the Omega-3 and Omega-6 groups of fatty acids, which your body can’t make. Omega-3 is anti-inflammatory and is found in high concentrations in oily fish and flax seeds

Saturated fat

Are usually solid at room temperature and have a high melting point. Primary sources are animal products including red meat and whole milk dairy products. Other sources are tropical vegetable oils such as palm oil and foods made with these oils.

Coconut oil is a saturated fat but it doesn’t behave like one in the body. It also heat stable and has a number of beneficial properties making it an excellent choice for high temperature cooking. Just be sure to get a cold pressed organic variety.

Saturated fat may raise low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad") cholesterol that may increases your risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) so saturated fat should be eaten in moderation in the diet.

Trans Fats

Trans fats are created when liquid vegetable oils are heated during cooking or during hydrogenation process used in food production.

Primary sources of trans fat are vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, sweets, biscuits, snack foods, fried foods, baked goods, and other processed foods made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Trans fat raises low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad") cholesterol that increases your risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), as well as lowering HDL, or good cholesterol.

They are very bad for you and should be completely avoided.

To do this avoid fried foods, use organic coconut oil for cooking at home and read the labels on food to identify those that contain hydrogenated fats.

Top Foods For Healthy Fats

Oily fish – Salmon (organic or wild), trout, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, herrings, pilchards
Omega 3 eggs
Avocados
Raw unsalted nuts (not peanuts)
Raw unsalted seeds – pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, linseeds
Olive oil
Flaxseed oil– only use cold pressed and keep refrigerated
Hempseed oil – only use cold pressed and keep refrigerated
Olives
Organic cold pressed coconut oil
Butter (organic)