What Everyone Gets Wrong About Fatty Foods and Weight Loss
And why healthy fats are your friend.
Long before Paleo, Keto, or low-carb diets were a thing, fat was weight-loss enemy number one. Today, it’s making a comeback…and it should. Here’s why having fat in your eating plan is important, despite its high SmartPoints value.
Fat is your friend
Mother Nature created fat for a reason. On the most basic level it provides a long-term energy source, but that’s just the beginning. “Fat is essential, meaning you can’t survive without it,” says Alissa Rumsey, RD, owner of Alissa Rumsey Nutrition and Wellness. “It’s the only nutrient capable of delivering fat-soluble nutrients to our cells, so we need it to absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K as well as antioxidants like lycopene and beta-carotene.” Fat also provides insulation to prevent you from freezing when it’s cold out, cushions your organs to protect them from injury, is part of hormones, and is part of the membranes that surround every cell in your body.