‘The trick is to get a good balance of the right fats,’ explains Lyndel Costain, registered dietician and member of Dieticians in Obesity Management (UK).
‘You need some fat in your diet to absorb fat–soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, to build cell membranes and provide essential fats that the body cannot make. You also need some fat stores to insulate and cushion the body and make vital hormones.’
Even those who want to shed pounds need fat. Studies have shown that including small amounts of fat in their diet helps people to lose weight; a little fat helps fill you up. Another recent study in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that drizzling a small amount of fat–based dressing over vegetables boosts the absorption of carotenoids, which are potent, disease–fighting antioxidants.
‘Never try to cut fat out completely – your body needs it,’ warns registered nutritionist Anita Bean. ‘Including foods rich in essential fats – oily fish, avocados, nuts, olives and seeds – in moderation can help you burn body fat more efficiently, improve your aerobic capacity and boost your immunity. Plus, foods rich in essential fatty acids – olive oil, flaxseed oil, walnut oil, nuts, seeds and oily fish – are good for the skin, as well as for strengthening connective tissue around fat cells.’
The good guys
According to Anita Bean: ‘You should aim for most of your fat to be the monounsaturated or polyunsaturated kind, avoiding saturated fats as far as possible.’
Monounsaturated fats
‘These fats are good at raising levels of good cholesterol and lowering bad cholesterol, and can also cut your heart disease and cancer risk,’ she says.
Olive oil is the best–known source of monounsaturated fat, but it is also found in rapeseed oil, avocados, sunflower and sesame seeds, soya oil and nuts such as peanuts, almonds and cashews.
‘These fats are good at raising levels of good cholesterol and lowering bad cholesterol, and can also cut your heart disease and cancer risk,’ she says.
Olive oil is the best–known source of monounsaturated fat, but it is also found in rapeseed oil, avocados, sunflower and sesame seeds, soya oil and nuts such as peanuts, almonds and cashews.