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EMBRACING HEALTHY FATS
It’s hard to believe that the 90s had us running in the opposite direction of fats—especially considering how essential healthy fats are for our overall health. If “fat” still feels like a bad word to you, keep reading. We’ll break down why we need healthy fats, what types of fats to look for, and how to incorporate them into your daily eating.
We need dietary fat for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. A lack of dietary fat can potentially lead to a deficiency in these vitamins, so we want to make sure we’re getting enough.
Fat is critical for the production of steroid hormones, including sex hormones (like testosterone and estrogen) and stress hormones like cortisol. This is because dietary fat helps with the production of cholesterol, which is what these hormones are made of.
Fat also helps to keep us full, so if you often feel hungry after eating, check to ensure you’re getting enough and eating enough food in general.
While there are different types of healthy fats, it’s important to note that most foods contain a mix. For example, beef doesn’t just contain saturated fat, it also contains monounsaturated fat—the same kind found in olive oil and avocados. This means that when we choose whole foods, we can usually make sure we’re getting a healthy mix.
This type of fat is considered to be heart protective, because of its ability to improve HDL (the “good” cholesterol) levels while decreasing “bad” LDL. Monounsaturated fats can also help to regulate blood sugar and decrease inflammation.
Some great sources of monounsaturated fats include olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds.
Eat it at Impact: All of Impact Kitchen’s house-made dressings use extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil as the base, so no matter the bowl, you can be sure you’re getting the best quality. If you’re looking for a quick and easy breakfast option, try any of the Impact Toasts—the Egg & Avocado is a fan favourite!
When we’re talking about omega-3s and -6s, we’re talking about polyunsaturated fats. While omega-6s (typically found in vegetable oils) often get a bad rap because of their pro-inflammatory properties, it’s important to note that we just want to keep that ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 in balance.
Most processed foods are made with vegetable oils because it’s inexpensive, so if we’re consuming these foods, we also want to make sure we’re eating foods that are also rich in anti-inflammatory omega-3s. In fact, this is the main reason Impact Kitchen uses anti-inflammatory fats as the base for cooking, baked goods and salad dressings. Good sources of omega-3s include cold-water fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel) and nuts and seeds, like flax, chia and walnuts.
Eat it at Impact: Try the Breakfast Bagel with smoked salmon for a healthy source of omega-3s (not to mention the healthy fats from the avocado).
Saturated fats often get demonized as the “bad” fats, but current research seems to point to them being healthy in moderation. It’s worth mentioning that these fats are shelf stable—making them easy to cook with—and, as noted, foods that contain saturated fats usually contain other healthful fats. Certain foods, like coconut oil, also contain medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), which provide a quick source of energy for the body.
Eat it at Impact: Try the MCT bars for on-the-go energy, or add grass-fed steak to your favourite bowl!
What are your favourite ways to get healthy fats into your day?
We need dietary fat for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. A lack of dietary fat can potentially lead to a deficiency in these vitamins, so we want to make sure we’re getting enough.
Fat is critical for the production of steroid hormones, including sex hormones (like testosterone and estrogen) and stress hormones like cortisol. This is because dietary fat helps with the production of cholesterol, which is what these hormones are made of.
Fat also helps to keep us full, so if you often feel hungry after eating, check to ensure you’re getting enough and eating enough food in general.
While there are different types of healthy fats, it’s important to note that most foods contain a mix. For example, beef doesn’t just contain saturated fat, it also contains monounsaturated fat—the same kind found in olive oil and avocados. This means that when we choose whole foods, we can usually make sure we’re getting a healthy mix.
This type of fat is considered to be heart protective, because of its ability to improve HDL (the “good” cholesterol) levels while decreasing “bad” LDL. Monounsaturated fats can also help to regulate blood sugar and decrease inflammation.
Some great sources of monounsaturated fats include olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds.
Eat it at Impact: All of Impact Kitchen’s house-made dressings use extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil as the base, so no matter the bowl, you can be sure you’re getting the best quality. If you’re looking for a quick and easy breakfast option, try any of the Impact Toasts—the Egg & Avocado is a fan favourite!
When we’re talking about omega-3s and -6s, we’re talking about polyunsaturated fats. While omega-6s (typically found in vegetable oils) often get a bad rap because of their pro-inflammatory properties, it’s important to note that we just want to keep that ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 in balance.
Most processed foods are made with vegetable oils because it’s inexpensive, so if we’re consuming these foods, we also want to make sure we’re eating foods that are also rich in anti-inflammatory omega-3s. In fact, this is the main reason Impact Kitchen uses anti-inflammatory fats as the base for cooking, baked goods and salad dressings. Good sources of omega-3s include cold-water fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel) and nuts and seeds, like flax, chia and walnuts.
Eat it at Impact: Try the Breakfast Bagel with smoked salmon for a healthy source of omega-3s (not to mention the healthy fats from the avocado).
Saturated fats often get demonized as the “bad” fats, but current research seems to point to them being healthy in moderation. It’s worth mentioning that these fats are shelf stable—making them easy to cook with—and, as noted, foods that contain saturated fats usually contain other healthful fats. Certain foods, like coconut oil, also contain medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), which provide a quick source of energy for the body.
Eat it at Impact: Try the MCT bars for on-the-go energy, or add grass-fed steak to your favourite bowl!
What are your favourite ways to get healthy fats into your day?
