Fats: Good Fats? Bad Fats?
Eat Fat? Don’t Eat Fat? Help!
By Dr. Rick Kattouf II
When it
comes to nutrition, the word "fat" tends to get bounced around more
than a ping-pong ball in a table tennis match. Over the years, we hear so many
different things regarding fat such as, "eat less fat", "eat
more fat", "avoid eating fats", "eat more healthy
fats", etc., etc. Understandably so, many individuals become frustrated
simply because they don't know which way to turn when it comes to dietary fat.
First off, dietary fat is important. Fat helps to assist in a number of our
body’s functions. With that being said, over the last many years, we see a push
towards eating more "good/healthy fats" versus bad fats. We hear
terms such as saturated fats and trans fats. These are considered the "bad
fats." On the flipside, we hear terms such as, unsaturated fats and the
so-called "good fats" such as monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated
fats and omega-3 fats.
So how do we
break through the clutter? Is good fat actually good? As mentioned above, yes,
dietary fat is important and we do want to be cognizant of good fats versus bad
fats. But at the same time, just because a fat may be considered a "good fat",
in no way means that we should consume high amounts of it. And, often times,
herein lies the issues that individuals face. Individuals hear that foods such
as almonds, olive oil and salmon are all good for us because they contain good
fats. While this may be true, yes, they do contain good fats; but, just because
it's good does not mean that, more is better. When it comes to nutrition, we
have to step back and pause for a moment before we jump right in. Let's dip our
toe in the water and at least test the temperature first. We neither live nor
eat in a vacuum. Rather, when it comes to nutrition, it's a very dynamic,
multilayered approach. We do not want to view nutrition as if we are living and
eating in a vacuum. Just because, ‘food A’, is good for us, does not mean we
simply just load up on ‘food A.’ But, we see this happen all the time.
Individuals hear that healthy fats are good and the next thing you know, the
amount of fat they are consume is increasing (and so is their body weight and
body fat!).
At the end
of the day, fat is fat; whether it's good fat or bad fat. Fat is very
calorically dense. There are 9 calories per 1 gram of dietary fat. Compare this
to only 4 calories per 1 gram of carbohydrate and protein. There are a few
dietary fats that really stand out in terms of individuals over consuming them.
For example, nuts, nut butters and oils. When individuals are questioned about
the amount of these type of fats that they are consuming on a daily basis, it's
very common for them to have a knee-jerk reaction of, "but it's good
fat." And yes, no one will disagree with that. These foods definitely
contain good fat. But let's dive into some very common snacks that individuals
have quickly gravitated towards over the last many years because they have been
told, "eat more good fats."
One of the
more popular and common snacks is, a handful of almonds. This has become the
go-to snack for so many individuals. On the surface, it sounds healthy, right?
It's almonds; it's good fat and good fat is, well, good. Individuals are really
proud of this snack; they feel they are making a fantastic choice. And I get
that. They have read that almonds contain good fats and therefore, a handful of
almonds seems to be the perfect snack. Let's break this snack down. A handful of
almonds easily translates into approximately, 4 tablespoons. And often times, much,
much more. At 4 tablespoons almonds, we are looking at 340 cal, 13% carbohydrate, 16% protein, 71% fat. As you read
those numbers, what stands out to you? I'm sure it's the, 71% fat. Read that
again, 71% fat! That's not good. And
I realize, the knee-jerk reaction from individuals is, "but it's good
fat!" Yes, but as mentioned above, fat is fat. Whether it's good fat or
bad fat, a meal or snack with 71% fat is far from good.
Let's review
what it means to properly fuel the body at every meal and snack. The goal is
the following; 50-65% calories from carbohydrate, 15-25% protein, 15-25% fat. A
handful of almonds as a snack is a perfect example of eating healthy, but not
eating right. Nowhere did we mention that a handful of almonds was unhealthy,
those words were never spoken. Sure, almonds are very healthy, but it doesn't
mean, as a snack in and of themselves, that it is right. It's not even close.
Look how off balance a handful of almonds is in terms of macronutrients.
This is a
great example of feeding the body but in no way, is it fueling the body. Think
of it like this; water and gasoline are both liquid properties. So why don't we
just put water in the gas tank of our car? Well, we all know that would not
work and just because it's a liquid, water is not going to fuel our car. The
same holds true for the human body. Just because it's food (and healthy food),
in no way means that it's going to fuel our body. A snack that consists of a
handful of almonds is nothing shy of, water in the gas tank.
As mentioned by the Mayo Clinic, "But a
word of caution — don't go overboard even on healthy fats. All fats, including
the healthy ones, are high in calories."
Let's
examine another meal that has become super-popular when it comes to consuming
good fats. Individuals will report eating a very healthy dinner of salmon and
vegetables. For example, 6 ounces of grilled salmon and 1 cup of vegetables. Is
this healthy? Absolutely; no one is going to disagree with that. But let's dive
into the details. This meal contains 430
cal, 16% carbohydrate, 41% protein, 44% fat. Healthy? Yes. Is this right?
Absolutely not; not even close. Another great example of, water in the gas tank. This is food and this meal is feeding the
body, but in no way, is this meal fueling the body. Look at the macronutrient
balance. This meal is far too high in protein and fat and virtually has no
carbohydrates, therefore, no fuel. Point being, while this meal does contain
good fats (omega-3 fats), it is way out of balance, too high in fat and not
fueling the body.
Let's break
down one more very popular, healthy meal, that many individuals report having.
This meal consists of 4oz chicken breast, 1 cup cooked brown rice, 1/2 cup
mixed vegetables, 2 tablespoons olive oil. On the surface, this probably looks
like a homerun, right? It seems super healthy, low-calorie and pretty well-balanced,
right? That is of course until we break this meal down, macronutrient by
macronutrient. Here's how this meal breaks down: 672 cal, 31% carbohydrate, 25% protein, 44% fat. What
numbers just absolutely jump right out at you? I'm sure it's the 672 cal and
the 44% fat. This meal, which seems very healthy, has almost 700 cal and 44%
fat; it is so far from right. And again, is this meal healthy? Absolutely it's
healthy, it's very healthy. But once again, eating healthy is not the key to
success. Rather, eating right is the key to success and these are two
completely different worlds.
We must
always keep in mind that it's not about eating healthy. It's all about eating
right. Just because a certain food, good fats in this example, is healthy, does
not mean we should just eat them in excess (more is not better).
So, let's
review some healthy dietary fats:
- nut butters (peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower butter, etc.)
- nuts (almonds, walnuts, etc.)
- omega-3 fats (salmon and other fish)
- Oil (olive oil, flaxseed oil)
- Avocado
Yes,
these are all healthy dietary fats and we want to incorporate them into our
nutrition. But as we discussed above, just because a food is healthy, does not
mean that more is better. Always keep in mind that fat is very high in calories,
whether it's good fat or bad fat. It takes a very, very small amount of dietary
fat to drive the total calories and fat calories through the roof. At 9 cal per
gram, we need a very small amount of these dietary fats at each meal. Peanut
butter is another great example. Whether someone is making a peanut butter
sandwich or using peanut butter in a smoothie, it's very common for individuals
to use in the upwards of 2, 3, 4+ tablespoons. 2 TBSP peanut butter does not
seem like a lot in terms of volume. But at close to 200 cal and 16g of fat, 2 TBSP
is a lot and most likely, far too much. Most of these individuals only need
approximately, 2 tsp to 1 TBSP, of peanut butter for a given meal/snack as the
dietary fat source.
In summary,
dietary fat is a critical macronutrient for the human body. It's very important
for many of our body’s functions. But at the same time, it's the right balance
of carbohydrate-protein-fat, at every meal and snack, that is the key to
success. It's not just about eating healthy fats. Rather, it's about fueling
the body properly (and not just putting water in the gas tank) at every meal
and snack so that we can set the body up for great success.
WORKOUT SMART, EAT RIGHT, GET RESULTS®!
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Rick
Kattouf II, O.D. is a 2x Best-Selling Author and Fitness & Nutrition expert
and has been named one of America’s PremierExperts® and one of the World
Fitness Elite® Trainers of the Year. Rick is a Sports Nutrition Specialist,
Heart Rate Performance Specialist, Master Personal Trainer & Triathlon
Coach. He has been seen on ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox affiliates around the country
as well as in the USA Today, Chicago Tribune, National Examiner, Ironman.com,
Livestrong.com, Runner’s World, Bicycling Magazine, Men’s Health UK, FIGHT!
Magazine, Florida Cycling Magazine and The Independent in the UK. Rick is the
CEO/Founder of TeamKattouf® Inc, CEO/Founder of TeamKattouf®
Nutrition LLC, CEO/Founder of Virtual Gym LLC, Creator of TeamKattouf®
Nutrition Supplements, Host of Rx Nutrition, author of Forever Fit, Creator of
5-Round Fury® Nutrition Supplement, 5-Round Fury Fitness® workout app, Creator
of Coach2CEO,
Creator of Fuel Keeper®, Entrepreneur and Inspirational Speaker. Dr. Rick
has personally coached individuals in 30+ states and 10+ countries.
