Healthy Fats, Healthy People

Fat was the culprit of the American obesity epidemic in the 80s. With the guilty party identified the food industry starting pumping out fat free and low fat products left and right. Unfortunately, our waistlines kept growing. The problem was that food manufacturers added sugar to their products to make them taste good in the absence of fat. Oftentimes, the calorie level of the regular and fat free versions were near identical. Don't believe me? Check out the nutrition label on regular Wheat Thins versus reduced fat Wheat Thins next time you are at the grocery store. You only save about 20 calories! In addition, studies have shown that people tend to eat more food when they choose fat free products over the full fat version. It's the "I can have one more, it's fat free!" mentality. It turns out that fat is not the enemy it was once made out to be. It actually has several essential functions in the body including internal organ protection, nerve transmission, and absorption of fat soluble vitamins. You need it in your daily diet.

Of your total daily calories, about 20-30% should come from fat, depending on your specific goals and health. What's most important is that you choose more of the so-called heart healthy unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats. Saturated fats tend to be solids at room temperature (think butter and animal fat) and can increase your risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, and atherosclerosis when consumed in excess. Saturated fats should be limited to 10% of your total daily calories. The rest should come from unsaturated fats which tend to be liquids at room temperature (think olive and canola oil) and promote heart health. The unsaturated fats can be further divided into 2 categories: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Both are healthy but today I'm going to focus on some specific polyunsaturated fats- the essential fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6. Together, they are involved in the regulation of many processes in the body including blood pressure, blood clot formation, blood lipids, the immune response and the inflammation response to stress and infection. They are called essential because they are vital to these processes, yet they cannot be produced by the body so must be consumed in your diet.

You've probably heard a lot about the health benefits of eating fish. Fish provides the essential fatty acid omega-3, also known as alpha-linolenic acid. Although you need to consume both of the essential fatty acids on a daily basis most Americans get too much omega-6 and not enough omega-3 so I will further narrow my fat focus to omega-3. Males should consume 1.6g/day and women should consume 1.1g/day of omega-3. Focus on meeting your daily omega-3 needs from food. Try to eat a variety of fish 2-3 times per week. If you don't like fish, incorporate flaxseed oil or omega-3 fortified products (such as eggs) into your diet. If you are having a hard time meeting these needs with food alone a supplement may be beneficial.

The following is a list of the amount (in grams) of omega-3 fat in a 4 oz serving:
Pacific herring -2.4
Mackerel -2.1
Atlantic salmon -2.1
Canned pink salmon-1.9
Trout-1.1
Canned white tuna-0.8
Canned light tuna-0.3
Canned sardines-0.7
Shrimp-0.4
Flaxseed oil (14 g)-8.4
Fish oil capsule (2)-7.2

Bottom Line: Most of the fat in your diet should come from unsaturated fats such as canola and olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado, flaxseed, soy, and fish. Aim to consume fish 2-3 times per week.

Getting more fish in your diet doesn't have to involve cracking open another can of tuna! Below is an awesome fish recipe.

Salmon with Lime-Ginger Dressing
2/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 5 limes)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger
4-6 oz skinned salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)
cooking spray
1 sliced peeled mango
1 sliced peeled avocado
8 cups gourmet salad greens

Combine the lime juice, honey, and ginger in a small bowl, reserving 3/4 cup juice mixture for dressing. Place the salmon fillets on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Baste fillets with remaining juice mixture. Broil 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness, basting once after turning.
Divide salad greens among 4 plates. Arrange salmon, mango, and avocado on top of greens. Drizzle with reserved dressing.

Makes 4 servings (1 serving= 2 cups greens, 1 salmon fillet, 1/4 mango, 1/4 avocaco, 3 TBSP dressing)