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🌿 Healthy Fats: The Key to Heart, Hormone & Brain Health
Fats have long been misunderstood, but today we’re busting myths and highlighting the critical roles healthy fats play in our overall well-being. In this session, we cover how fats support hormone balance, brain power, and heart health, which types to prioritize, and how to practically add them into your daily meals. Spoiler: it’s not about cutting them out — it’s about choosing the right ones.
💛 Why Fats Matter
Healthy fats are essential — not just a source of energy, but critical for:
- Hormone production
- Brain and nerve function
- Heart health
- Absorbing fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K)
It’s not fat that leads to weight gain. It’s excess calories — from any source. Choosing the right kinds of fat in moderation can actually improve your health outcomes, not hurt them.
🔄 Types of Fat: What to Limit vs. What to Love
We break fat into four main types:
⚠️ Limit:
Saturated Fats: Found in butter, cheese, fatty red meats, and coconut oil. Limit to ~10% of daily intake to avoid raising LDL (bad cholesterol).
Trans Fats: Found in fried foods, margarine, and processed snacks. These are man-made and should be avoided as much as possible. Even if the label says “0g,” it may still have <0.5g per serving!
Fats to Limit (But Not Eliminate)
Butter, Cream, High-Fat Dairy — contains saturated fat; okay in moderation.
Fried Foods — often high in trans fats and oxidized oils.
Coconut Oil — trendy, but high in saturated fat.
Processed Snacks — often a mix of unhealthy fats and refined carbs.
Fatty Red Meats — like sausage and high-fat cuts of beef or pork. Choose leaner cuts when possible.
❤️ Prioritize:
Monounsaturated Fats: Found in olive oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds. Supports heart health by lowering LDL and boosting HDL (good cholesterol).
Polyunsaturated Fats: Includes omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Found in fatty fish, walnuts, flaxseed, and chia. Reduces inflammation and supports brain and heart health.
Fats to Include More Often
🥑 Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Great for sautéing and dressings, full of monounsaturated fats.
🥑 Avocados: Healthy fat + fiber = fuller for longer and supports hormone balance.
🍜 Nuts & Seeds: Especially walnuts, chia, flax, hemp. High in omega-3s and Vitamin E.
🐟 Fatty Fish: Salmon, sardines, and mackerel. Rich in EPA & DHA omega-3s for brain and heart.
Watch portions! Nuts and seeds are nutrient-dense but calorie-dense. A serving is about ¼ cup.
💓 Heart Health Benefits
✔️ Lower LDL & blood pressure
✔️ Increase HDL (good cholesterol)
✔️ Reduce artery inflammation
✔️ Pair with fiber (oats, beans, fruits/veggies) to sweep out cholesterol through digestion
🧠 Brain Health & Mental Function
✨ Brain = 60% fat
✨ Omega-3 (especially DHA) is essential for memory, focus, and reduced risk of cognitive decline
✨ Fights inflammation that contributes to Alzheimer’s and dementia
✨ Supports mood by helping serotonin and dopamine work properly
Low-fat diets are linked with higher rates of depression and anxiety
⚖️ Hormone Health
✔️ Fats help produce estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and regulate cortisol
✔️ Vitamin D synthesis relies on dietary fat
✔️ Omega-3 can help ease PMS, menopause symptoms, and support fertility
Note: Cholesterol is a building block for many hormones, but your liver already makes what you need — dietary intake adds to it but isn’t essential.
📝 Practical Tips for Adding Healthy Fats
🥓 Swap butter for olive or avocado oil in cooking
🍽️ Use vinaigrettes instead of creamy dressings
🥕 Add seeds (chia, flax, hemp) to smoothies, yogurt, or oats
🌿 Try nut butters instead of jams on toast
🐟 Eat fatty fish 1-2x/week or consider a high-quality supplement
Pro tip: Ground flax is easier to digest than whole. And yes, vegetable oil is fine — no need to fear the seed oils.
Questions?
You can message us in the chat here or book your free nutrition evaluation with Sam Cutrona, MS, RD here. And don’t forget—our nutrition webinars happen monthly on Mondays. Sign up for our email list to be notified of the next one!