The last big category on our “makes you
healthier” list includes many different foods
with one thing in common—they’re all good
sources of fat.
We’re discussing good fats for a number
of reasons, some of which we’ve already
talked about. First, fats are an excellent
energy source. And one major goal of this
dietary shift is to make your body more
efficient at using fats (from your diet and
your fat stores) for fuel. Fat is also critical to
many metabolic processes, and ensuring that
your diet includes adequate healthy fats
means you’ve got the right building blocks for
vital organs, cells, and hormones.
In addition, fats provide both satisfaction
(via palatability) and satiety (via gut-brain
hormonal pathways). A meal with a healthy
amount of fat suppresses hunger longer than a
meal that’s primarily carbohydrate—so we