Fats are the third macronutrient and each gram of dietary fat contains nine calories. This is more than double the caloric density of both proteins and carbohydrates! Therefore, the portion sizes of fats will visually look smaller.
Vitamins that are only found in fat sources include A, D, E and K because they are fat-soluble. It is also important to recognize that we need Omega’s, both 3’s and 6’s, in a balanced diet.
Fats are needed for:
Slow-burning source of energy
Cell functioning and membrane/structure
Hormone production and balance
Enhance nutrient absorption
What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a lipid, or fat cell, that your liver produces. Because fats do not mix with water, lipids are carried through the body to your cells by using lipoproteins. Lipoproteins are exactly what they sound like- a lipid + a protein. When doctors measure cholesterol levels, they are measuring the lipoproteins in the blood, and then estimating the measures of different kinds, HDL and LDL for example.
You need Cholesterol for:
Structural integrity of cells
A precursor to make hormones like estrogen, testosterone, etc.
Making Vitamin D
Bile salts that aid in digestion
High-Density Lipoproteins (HDL) have the highest ratio of protein to lipid content. A simple way to think HDL is that you want High amounts of HDL. HDL in specific collects excess blood cholesterol and shuttles it back to your liver to be recycled or removed; therefore, lowering your total body cholesterol levels. Cholesterol is excreted after it has been converted into bile acid. HDL has the ability to thin the arterial plaque, or fat buid-up in the arteries. This helps reduce cardiovascular disease risk.
Low-Density Lipoproteins (LDL) make up the majority of the total body cholesterol level. Opposite of HDL, LDL has a very low level of protein to lipid proportion. LDL’s contribute to the arterial plaques, or increase the fat in the arteries. That is why LDL’s are known as the “bad” cholesterol, and you want Low amounts of LDL.
Why has my cholesterol risen as I’ve aged?
There is a receptor that lets the LDL, “bad” cholesterol, into the cell called “low-density lipoprotein receptor” (LDLR). As we age, this receptor’s activity slows- meaning that there is less LDL let into the cell and more LDL still circulating in the blood. Another concept to consider is that the conversion of cholesterol to bile acid slows, meaning that the rate of excreting excess cholesterols also slows.
If you’re a woman, keep reading!
As we age and approach menopause, estrogen production declines. Remember that one function of cholesterol is a precursor to produce new hormones. Additionally, estrogen regulates the biosynthesis (or production) of new cholesterols. Research shows that women of menopausal age show lower levels of HDL (“good”) and increased levels of total cholesterol.
Managing & Lowering Cholesterol
Remember that the liver is the primary source of new cholesterol production. Therefore, eliminating animal products is not the most efficient way to lower and maintain healthy cholesterol levels…
Think back to CrossFit’s “Health in 100 words” - Eat a diet of meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no added sugar. Keep intake to levels that support exercise but not body fat. Practice and train major lifts: deadlift, clean, squat, presses, clean and jerk, and snatch.
Leading a lifestyle that supports adequate body composition WILL support healthy levels of cholesterol because excess body fat affects the way that you make and manage lipoproteins. Lastly, smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol have been shown to increase LDL and lower HDL levels.
Managing and lowering total cholesterol levels might look like regularly eating a diet consisting of whole foods and minimally processed foods, eating an appropriate amount of calories (as compared to eating an excessive amount of calories in general), and managing your insulin response to foods. These factors in combination with regular exercise training help to maintain adequate body fat and body composition, which is proven to help lower cholesterol levels.
Have more questions about Fats?
Reach out and let’s chat a little bit more about your goals and questions specifically
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