How Much Fat Should We Consume?

If a diet is too low in fat, we remain hungry all day long which, after a while, can make us irritable, ornery, and mentally distracted as we shift our focus from important things to our nagging and unsatisfied appetite. I have learned that if we are fighting our cravings, sooner or later we will give in and most likely end up binging, eating even worse foods, and turning to refined carbohydrates. This is exactly what we don’t need, and our health deteriorates even further. Eating a low fat diet also increases the difficulty in absorbing fat-soluble vitamins . Fat-soluble vitamins are ordinarily provided by fatty foods—rich in raw, unheated fats from whole foods. So this actually leads to a nutrient deficient diet in more ways than one. We need healthy fats and we need fat-soluble vitamins.

As I’ve mentioned, we must have a certain amount of good fats in our diet to be healthy mentally and physically. Fat builds structures in the sheaths of our nerves and fats participate in most bodily reactions because they store energy. Each fat gram contains nine calories of energy which is higher than protein or carbohydrates. The brain, eyes, and nervous system rely heavily on fats . At least two-thirds of our brain is composed of fat. This means for normal brain function, we need to have enough good raw fat to provide the myelin sheath which coats and protects the brain’s electrical wiring system.

Our bodies need different types of fat like omega-3, -6, and -9, along with some saturated fat from coconut oil . Good sources of raw fat are as follows: nuts, seeds, avocado, olives, coconut oil, flaxseed oil, and Udo’s oil, which is a blend of essential fats. Most people also do not realize there are naturally occurring fats in greens, vegetables, sprouts, and even fruits. Please note that some cold pressed oils are not really cold pressed. High quality oils must be produced by pressing at temperatures under 118° F. Many companies may claim cold processed oil, but in fact are no better than heat treated oils. Another factor is the vessels that contain the oils are better if they are dark glass bottles that prevent light from oxidizing the ingredients and making the oil rancid.

So, can you consume too much fat? It is definitely possible to eat too much fat. It can get out of control when fat is mixed with sugar such as in ice cream and pastries. This can cause cerebral reactions. Furthermore, excessive desire for these sweets brings on the excessive consumption of fat. Too much fat ingestion can lead to obesity. An overabundant fat intake can also increase cholesterol and triglyceride blood levels. This are much fewer problems apt to occur if there is an adequate ingestion of plant fiber and lecithin when consuming fat, and that naturally occurs in plant foods, not in processed food.

So to conclude, don’t overdo it with the consumption of fats—however, it is very important to our health to eat foods that have natural raw fats already packaged within the food. Make sure that the fats you eat are raw and watch out for processed oils, most of which have been heated.

Learn more about Denley Fowlke