Anyone else have PTSD from the fat free era of the 90s? That word used to be a bad, dirty word!It was like, the more fat free crap you can have, the better!- as that’s what made you skinny right? We used to believe that anything containing “fat” was bad and didn’t differentiate between good versus bad fats; it was all the same!
Thankfully as time has gone on many of us have realized that fat is actually super important! Not only are there some really beneficial aspects around certain fats, but they also help us absorb fat soluble vitamins like A,D, E and K. Omega 3 fatty acids help the body (and therefore the gut) as they’re often anti-inflammatory which our body and gut can also use! There is also evidence that getting enough good fats in the diet can actually help maintain the lining of the gut too. This lining plays a crucial role in numerous metabolic functions, including maintenance of the gut microbiome, absorption of nutrients and immune function. In the gut’s lymphatic system we have what are called lacteals that are responsible for absorbing dietary fats and those vitamins.
Bottom line, fat isn’t the demon we might have always thought it was and healthy fats are actually really beneficial and necessary for our body’s functions.
If that’s the case then, what are some healthy sources of fat that we should be consuming? Things like fatty fish, olive oil, chia/flax seeds, eggs, avocado and nuts. When it comes to food though, a lot of different factors can come into play. It’s important to focus on the source of where the food is coming from and to purchase high quality products when we can. We love visiting a local farmer’s market because we know exactly where the product came from then and we’re supporting our local farmers!
Contrary to belief though, vegetable oil is one that we should actually avoid if we can! I share more about this in my Gut Health Made Easy Guide that you can grab HERE. It’s packed with information to support your gut health and recipes to make meal planning easy!
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