They can give you better skin,
improve your mood and boost your immunity. But don’t go reaching for the
doughnuts just yet – there are rules. Here’s how to do fats the right way
All fats are not created equal
Brace yourself: fat is vital for a healthy,
balanced diet. Essential for energy and insulation, it is also responsible for
carrying fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) through the bloodstream and
keeping the skin and immune systems working properly. The real difficulty is
deciding – from monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, saturated and Trans fats
which are good and which aren’t. To do so you need to understand the importance
of cholesterol and the effects different fats have on it. Two types of
cholesterol exits: bad cholesterol – LDL – that can clog up your arteries and
lead to heart disease; and good cholesterol – HDL – that can prevent heart
disease and transports protein and carbs through your body.
Most
products rich in Trans fats are also rich in refined carbohydrates which might
contribute to the diabetes risk but trans fats are definitely not the sole
cause.
‘Monounsaturated fats reduce bad
cholesterol and raise good cholesterol. These are liquid at room temperature –
olive oil, canola oil and peanut oil are great sources’, advises Shabir Daya,
pharmacist and co-founder of online health store victoriahealth.com.
Polyunsaturated fats – found in nuts, corn and leafy greens – reduce
cholesterol levels overall; great if your LDL levels are especially high.
Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and made from animal fats (think
cheese, butter and fatty meat), but despite their bad reputation, nutritionist
Ian Marber says they are important to bodily function (protein, which is
essential for building and repairing body tissues among other vital jobs, is
found in many saturated fats). ‘I always say don’t go looking for saturated
fat; it generally find you’, say Barber. Finally, Trans fats – found greasy,
fast food – are without merit at all. ‘They’re unnaturally made and chemically
treated by the food industry, which means they can’t be processed effectively
by the body and block absorption of the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated
fats that the body needs’, says Marber. Avoid, avoid, avoid.
The holy grail of eat
Essential fatty acids (EFAs) omega-3 and
omega-6 are, as the name implies, crucial, because our bodies can’t produce
them independently. They help improve brain and mood function and allow for
normal growth and development. Oily fish are a great source of omega-3, while
most plant oils are rich in omega-6. Our bodies need both, but according to
Daya just a little omega-6 is enough – too much can lead to heart disease and
arthritis because it has inflammatory properties. Omega-3 is, happily, the opposite,
as it has potent anti-inflammatory properties. ‘We can never have too much
omega-3 because it’s active in so many processes in the body. Somewhere between
1,000mg and 2,000mg daily is a good place to start’, says Daya. Note – you may
have heard of omega-9, but this is not an ‘essential’ fatty acid because of the
body’s ability to produce it in small quantities. Nonetheless, olives, avocados
and almonds are all good dietary sources and have healthy, immune-boosting
properties.
Salmon is not the only fish
Fish oils from cold-water and oily fish
like salmon, sardines and mackerel are excellent sources of omega-3, but recent
studies have found that krill oil (extracted from the tiny shrimp-like
crustaceans that live on the bottom of the ocean) is the easiest form of EFA
for us to digest, plus there’s no aftertaste to contend with. When you also
consider krill is bottom of the food chain and doesn’t contain any of the
toxins that some oily fish do (which is due to a lack of purity in their diet
and environment), it makes sense. Try Power of Krill, $37.5 for 60 capsules, by
Life-Flo.
Power
of Krill, $37.5 for 60 capsules, by Life-Flo
Eat fat, look good
‘Good fats are vital for good cell function
and integral for your skin barrier which helps protect against the elements,
bacteria and water loss’, says consultant dermatologist at University College
Hospital Dr Emma Edmonds. A layer of fat just underneath the surface of your
skin (known as subcutaneous) is also responsible for giving your face a more
rounded, healthy appearance and protects against the appearance of wrinkles.
EFAs, in particular, are vital for good skin. Dr Edmonds says, ‘There’s
evidence to suggest that the anti-inflammatory properties of omega-3 can help
reduce skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis’, which is why it is a key
ingredient in many skincare range because its topical anti-inflammatory
properties are second to none’, agrees David Delport, Ren’s training and events
manager. ‘The oil in Omega 3 Night Repair Serun ($51, an Elle skincare staple)
comes from vegetal plankton and Camelina Oil, which both work together to boost
lipids (essentially your skin’s own fat) in the skin, protecting and supporting
cell membranes. This ensures skin can heal and replenish itself, so you’re left
with a plump, healthy complexion’. Omega-3 in topical form is ‘bio-available’,
meaning that the skin recognizes it as natural, ensuring it’s absorbed easily.
The low-fat debate
Just because the label reads low fat, it
doesn’t mean it’s better for you. ‘Historically, the idea of eating a low-fat
diet was a simple and rather naïve way of gauging calories and weight loss – it
became shorthand for healthy, but this isn’t the case’, says Marber. Low-fat
foods, particularly ready meals that claim to be healthier choices, are often
packed with salt, sugar and flavour-enhancers and are more detrimental to your
health. According to Daya, ‘those who eat low-fat foods generally have a higher
calorie intake than those who go for full-fat foods’, precisely because of all
the hidden additives. Fat is converted into glucose slowly by the body –
roughly translate, this means the calories last and you feel fuller for longer.
As Marber also points out, ;full fat has good – what the food industry has
coined – “mouth-feel”, the experience you get when eating something satisfying,
coupled with the spots it hits on your taste buds and receptors it pushes in
your brain. With low-fat food not only is there poor mouth-feel, but you’re
also more likely to feel hungry sooner and reach for something else to fill the
void’.
Read the label
The nutritional content on every label is
based on a Food Standards Agency guideline of a 100g serving. Although the
newer traffic-light systems on packaging don’t distinguish between essential
and non-essential dietary fats, Marber suggests a basic rule of thumb when it
comes to understanding how much fat you should consume: ‘3g or less of total
fat per 100g is considered low, while 20g would be high – you should aim to be
somewhere in the middle. In terms of saturated fat, a low percentage is less
than 1.5 per 100g, while more than 5g per 100g is high. In order words, stick
to the lower have to be labeled as such, but look out for ‘partially
hydrogenated’ or ‘hydrogenated’, as that’s how recognize them and be able to
steer clear.
‘Just because the label reads LOW
FAT, it doesn’t mean it’s BETTER for you’
