Heart HealthNot Enough Fat – Cutting Fat Too Low Can Impact HDL Cholesterol
When it comes to lowering cholesterol, it’s common to drastically decrease fat intake. While it’s important to reduce total fat, especially saturated and trans fats, if you limit heart healthy fats too much you can make it difficult to raise HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels.
Fat is an essential component of a healthy diet, providing energy and the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Some types of fat even reduce your risk for certain chronic diseases.
What’s important is the amount and type of fat. I recommend restricting fat intake to about 30% of your total daily calories. This would mean if you are consuming 1,500 calories per day, 450 calories, or 50 grams, would come from fat sources.
Healthy fat sources include mono- and poly-unsaturated fats. Here are examples of healthy fat sources to include in your diet in moderation:
- Olive oil
- Canola oil
- Avocados
- Seeds
- Nuts
- Peanut butter
- Fish
Some fat in your diet actually promotes weight loss by helping you feel full longer, decreasing your likelihood to snack and overeat.
Eight steps to lower your cholesterol
All the best,
Lisa Nelson, RD
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