If you grew up in the 80’s and 90’s like me, you lived through the low-fat diet era where any food that was low in fat was considered healthy.

I remember my mom introduced me to diet sodas, low fat crackers and cookies, and low fat cereals and yogurts.

Never mind the ridiculous amounts of sugar, high fructose corn syrup, or fake sugar included in these product that shot your blood sugar through the roof.

Just as long as a food item didn’t have fat, it was safe.

Because fat makes us fat right?

Well actually… it’s excess sugar and processed carbs that get converted into fat that lead to more body fat.  

Fat (aka fatty acids) are actually necessary building blocks for crucial structures in our bodies.

Fats are the building blocks for every cell membrane in our body.  They constitute approximately 50% of the mass of most cell membranes.

The cell membrane is the outside layer of the cell.  It's what helps regulate what comes into the cell and what goes out of the cell.  It's where hormones attach to communicate with the cell to tell it what to do.

A pretty important structure right?

What's more is that cells make up tissues and organs.  If our cells are weak and dysfunctional so will our organs be.

As cells turnover (die off and new ones are created), you need fats from your diet as building blocks for new cells.

Hormones are also created from fats (cholesterol).

Most every client I’ve worked with presents with fatty acid deficiency.

It’s no wonder that we struggle with hormone issues along with toxic, dysfunctional cells, tissues, and organs.

We simply aren’t consuming enough beneficial fats, in the optimal balance, and from quality sources.

If you’ve ever been on a low fat diet it’s very possible that you are deficient in essential fatty acids.

Here are some signs of fatty acid deficiency:

• Musculoskeletal issues
• Endocrine (Hormone) issues
• Cardiovascular issues
• Immune (Inflammatory) issues
• Allergies & skin problems
• Depression and mood instability (fats are also a large component of our brain)

 Fats play numerous important roles in our body such as:

• Longer lasting energy (compared to carbohydrates)
• Building blocks for cell membranes & hormones
• Aiding in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E & K
• Modulating and reducing inflammation
• Serving as a protective lining for other organs
• Helping to regulate blood sugar by slowing the absorption of food into the blood stream
• Increasing satiety (so you aren’t hungry again in an hour)
• Making food taste great (Can I get an amen?!?)

When it comes to fats, sourcing and type matter.

There are a few different types of fatty acids that I won’t get into today but you definitely want to steer clear of partially hydrogenated / trans fats and fats from fried foods or non-organic meat sources.

These are not structurally sound and/or are toxic.

If we want to build a strong body, it's like building a strong house.  We'll want to choose structurally sound materials like steel and bricks, not weak or toxic materials like straw or manure (because who wants to breath that in all day!)

Another thing to keep in mind when it comes to choosing fats is that some fats are more stable than others when exposed to heat. 

Heating certain fats/oils changes their structure, causing them to become rancid (toxic and inflammatory to our body). 

Cell walls are built with these fats creating poor structure and leading to dysfunctional cells.  These rancid fats become poison to our body. 

How do you know if you are heating your oils too high?  That will be covered in a future email so stay tuned!

If you are now thoroughly confused (sorry this is a meaty topic for an email), I can help you navigate the world of fats!

Let’s get you booked for a complimentary discovery session, the first step in working together on your nutrition goals and holistic lifestyle practices.

At this session, I get to learn more about where you are with your health and nutrition and where you want to go.  You’ll learn more about me, my process, and what it looks like to work together.

No strings attached, and no hard sell.  Just a chance to gain clarity and decide if we are a match.

My schedule is filling up for July, so book your discovery session today.

Here’s to taking the confusion out of fats so you can build healthy cells and hormones!

In health,

Heather Glenn

Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner

Restorative Wellness Practitioner & Certified Holistic Health Coach

Certified Behavior Change & Weight Management Specialist 

www.heatherglenn.com

Nourish to Thrive