Body needs good fat

By Lisa Ryckman, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published April 14, 2008 at 6 p.m.

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Which matters more when it comes to weight loss: grams of fat or calories?

The bottom line: Calories count, and if you want to shed pounds, you have to burn more than you take in.

That said, people tend to think that eating fat makes you fat, but it ain't necessarily so. In fact, quite the opposite can be true. Trying to go totally fat-free can lead to overindulging in foods such as ice cream and cookies, and the calories add up fast.

A gram of fat contains 9 calories, more than twice as much as either a gram of carbohydrate or protein, which makes it a highly concentrated energy source. So choosing a lowfat yogurt rather than a fat-free one might satisfy your hunger more effectively, leading to fewer calories consumed later.

Fat is also one of the nutrients every body needs. It's critical to absorbing fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, and it's the source of fatty acids essential to proper body function.

Most nutrition plans recommend limiting fat calories to less than 30 percent of total daily intake, and saturated fat to less than 10 percent. For a typical 2,000-calorie day, that means about 65 grams of total fat.

While pretty much all fat used to be considered the dieter's nemesis, that's no longer the case. We now know that some fats - particularly the monounsaturated fat found in avocados, olives and nuts - can actually help raise the HDL or "good" cholesterol, which lowers the risk of heart disease.

Ryckmanl@RockyMountainNews.com

Here's a muffin with the healthy fats found in flaxseed and canola oil from the American Institute for Cancer Research. Find more recipes at aicr.org.

Flaxseed Raisin Muffins

Serves 12

Nonstick cooking spray

1 1/4 cups unbleached flour

3/4 cup ground flaxseed

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2 tablespoons canola oil