Kids’ lives and social circles are built around ways to intake sugary treats. From the tantalizing music of ice cream trucks, to birthday party delights like cupcakes and piñatas, one of our first loves in life is sugar. Sugar is everywhere and adults are the ones dispensing it to children. Yes, carbs deliver vitamins and minerals when found in vegetables and fruits, but as kids we crave the processed sugars, often in the form of candy, popsicles, or cookies.
Let’s take a step back and reflect on what sugar is. It is a carbohydrate, the quick energy-addictive macronutrient. It’s one of three macronutrients. The other two macros are protein and fats. Protein is what makes up everything in your body, while carbs and fats are the energy sources. Carbs provide quick energy, while fat is vital for organ function and provides long lasting energy reserves. Watching our kids turn up their noses at an avocado, an amazing wild caught salmon fillet, or refusing to eat a steak without all the bits of fat cut off, shows us that we have helped to gear their palates toward sweet versus savory flavors. We have under-prioritized fats. The problem is that dietary fat is what children’s growing bodies and brains need most for development.
Dietary fat is an essential nutrient that is crucial for human survival. Despite what the news media and even our own government has told us for decades, fat is more essential for health than carbohydrates are. The human brain requires fat to build itself and function. The brain is composed of approximately 60% fat. Fat is necessary for the formation and maintenance of cell membranes, which play a critical role in communication between cells. All the cells in our bodies require fatty acids for their cellular walls. Our cells and their ability to communicate with each other, relies on these fatty acids for important functions of our immune response system and inflammation regulation.
Heat regulation and protection of vital organs is another important role of fat. Body fat serves as insulation, which is why having too low of body fat can be dangerous. This isn’t usually a problem in our modern American diet and culture, as most people have quite the opposite problem, storing excess body fat, but certainly is in other parts of the world.
Without fat in our diet, we actually can’t absorb some essential vitamins. For Vitamins A, D, E, and K, dietary fat is required to dissolve and absorb them. That’s why these vitamins are labeled fat-soluble. This one aspect of fat is overlooked or not known by most people, leading to major health problems and deficiencies.
Fat is a concentrated source of energy, providing more than twice the amount of energy per gram compared to carbohydrates and proteins. When the body needs energy, it can break down stored fat to release it. At FastEatLive, we coach clients to become more metabolically flexible, to increase the ease and speed of this process, and to use their excess stored body fat.
Lastly, hormones such as estrogen and testosterone, are made from cholesterol, which is a type of fat. Without an adequate supply of dietary fat, hormone production can be disrupted, leading to a range of health problems.
We recommend that you source your dietary fat from whole foods primarily, but often suggest supplementation as well. Great sources of fats are found in nuts, seeds, fish, avocados, olives, meats, and dairy. A healthy, balanced diet should include a variety of fats from different sources to ensure optimal health and wellness. Contact us at FastEatLive.com for healthy food ideas for you and your children, plan customization, or questions about this topic and more.
For an individualized meal plan or higher level nutrition coaching, contact us at info@fasteatlive.com
