I'm sure you know the one I mean. Seeing that we're dealing with eating and weight issues here, the "F" word I'm referring to is "FAT". How is fat defined these days? If we were to look it up in the 1998 edition of 'Webster's According to the Average Person Dictionary,' the definition of fat would probably be: The substance we have learned to be paranoid of; the component of food we avoid like the plague; the only thing we seem to see when we look at our bodies; cellulite; gross, ugly, disgusting... Unfortunately, this type of definition could go on and on.
So, what is fat, really? There are two types of fat relevant to this discussion. One is dietary fat and the other is body fat. A major misconception many people have is that if you eat fat it automatically turns into fat on your body. This is NOT true!
Dietary fat is the fat that is in the food we eat. Fat is one of the three classes of nutrients, along with proteins and carbohydrates, that our bodies need in order to function properly. Dietary fat is necessary to aid in the absorption of vitamins; enhance the flavor, aroma and texture of food; provide for feelings of fullness; delay hunger; and to help with digestion.
An actual, healthy low-fat diet consists of about 60 grams (that's no typo!) of fat per day for women and about 75 grams per day for men.
It is likely that you will eat more when you decrease fat intake because, one, food won't taste as good so you'll want more and, two, fullness won't last so you'll eat more because you will be hungry more often.
The body requires fat to function properly, just as it needs blood to function properly. Body fat is necessary for many reasons It maintains body temperature; protects internal organs; maintains the menstrual cycle; stores vitamins A, D, E and K; cushions bumps and falls; reduces food volume; maintains nervous system functioning; maintains urine functioning; prevents dry skin; lubricates the iingestive tract; decreases constipation and bloating; provides energy; and gives the body contour and shape.
One of the things people tend to get confused about is how much fat is OK to eat. In our society of extremes, if we are told that 60 grams per day is good, we think that 30 grams or less would be even better. This backfires when fat-restrictive diets end up causing overeating or binging. Our bodies will naturally crave nutrients we aren't getting enough of. Since fat is a nutrient, don't be surprised if high—fat foods are all you want when you're trying to "be good" by eating "low-fat." Think of how much more fun eating would be if you let yourself have what is recommended by nutritionists: 30% of calories from fat. That doesn't mean 30 grams of fat; in a normal 2000 calorie meal plan, that comes to 60 grams.
Fat doesn't have to be your enemy. It is an essential part of healthy nutrition. Think of it this way: if it were true that when you ate fat it turned into fat on your body, everybody would continually grow and expand in size each and every time they ate! Since we know for sure this does not happen, eat healthy -- add fat back into your meal plans.
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