12 Signs You Need More Fat In Your Diet

With 69% of US adults considered to be overweight or obese, I bet you didn’t think that getting too littlefat would ever be a problem!

But fat gets such a bad rep that many strive to eliminate it completely from their diets. Others simply consume the wrong kind of fat, which can cause all sorts of health problems (think heart disease, stroke, high cholesterol, and even diabetes).

According to the American Heart Association, bad fats, like saturated and the infamous trans fats, negatively affect your health; while monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) are actually good for you, when eaten in moderation.

It’s also really important to get a good mix of essential fatty acids (EFAs) like omega-3, which helps the body out in so many important ways, from reducing inflammation to fighting dementia. Keep in mind that the Standard American Diet has an unhealthy ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s, so cut back on the omega-6 rich foods (cooking oils, packaged and baked goods) to keep things balanced.

Make sure to check out my post on Healthy Fats for the full lowdown on what fats you should and shouldn’t be eating.

So, are you getting enough fat in your diet? Read on to see if you recognize any of these signs that indicate you aren’t.

1. You Have Dry Skin

If you’re suffering from dry, itchy, or flaky skin, hold off on ordering the Crème de la Mer and try eating more olive oil, nuts and avocados first. These may give your body the fatty acids it needs for your oil-producing glands, the skin’s natural moisturizers.

And, by ensuring you have enough EFAs like omega-3 and omega-6, you’ll maintain healthy skin cell membranes and produce ample supplies of lipids.

What are lipids, you may be wondering?

Lipids are an essential part of the skin barrier and stop water escaping through the skin, keeping it looking hydrated and youthful.

When you first start adding fatty acids to your diet, be patient, you may need to wait a while for results. The good news is you’ll almost certainly see an improvement in your skin.

A 2008 study looking at the effect of evening primrose oil capsules (a source of omega-6) on patients with atopic dermatitis, showed that 96% of participants experienced a notable reduction in dryness, intensity, and itching at the end of the five month trial.

2. You’re Depressed Or Angry

Certain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) may be highly effective in preventing and managing depression. If your mood has suddenly changed, try upping your servings of fatty fish, flax seeds, andchia seeds to see if it makes a difference.

A study of almost 22,000 Norwegians showed that those who regularly took omega-3 rich cod liver oil were 30% less likely to have symptoms of depression than those who didn’t.

But it’s not just that one study, there is a wealth of information on the effect of fats on our mental health. The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) reference several studies that examine the impact of omega-3 deficiencies and their negative psychological outcomes.

One of their listed studies in particular looked at the effect of these essential fatty acids on major depressive symptoms and concluded that treatment with omega-3s was as effective, or more effective, than antidepressant medications! That’s pretty incredible when you consider that one in ten Americans take antidepressants.

Deficiencies in these healthy fatty acids may also make you more impulsive, hostile, or cynical. In healthy adults of average age 45, low levels of EPA were associated with high levels of impulsive behavior, hostility, cynical ideas, and anger.

3. You’re Zapped Of Energy

If you frequently hit the 3pm slump or have to drag yourself out of bed in the morning, take a look at the macronutrients – carbs, fats, proteins – that make up your meals. Of all three, fat is the most concentrated source of energy for your body. Try adding a spoonful of coconut oil to your coffee to see if that helps put double the pep in your step.

When healthy fats are eaten along with carbohydrate containing foods, the fat actually slows the digestion of carbohydrates. This means it may improve insulin sensitivity and minimize some of the sugar crashes that can be experienced after eating simple carbs like white bread or pasta.

4. You’re Always Hungry

If you’re feeling ravenous within an hour or two of eating a meal, check if you’re neglecting your body’s need for fat.

Research has shown that a little dietary fat can help satiety (make you feel full) and regulate your appetite. The study also showed that certain types of fats are more satisfying than others. Meals rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (oily fish, walnuts, tofu) or saturated fatty acids (butter, lard, ghee) werefound to be more filling than those containing monounsaturated fatty acids (avocado, olive oil, peanut butter).

However, the American Heart Association recommends getting a good mix of PUFAs and MUFAs to reap the largest health benefits, while limiting saturated fatty acids to just 7% of your total calorie intake.

I’m not giving you free license to stuff your face, a little goes a long way when it comes to fats. I like to add sliced avocado to sandwiches, sprinkle a handful of nuts on salads, and drizzle olive oil on vegetables.

5. You’re Cold All The Time

Have you ever heard skinny people complain about being cold all the time? Or see overweight people really struggle when the summer rolls around?

Well, it may just be because dietary fat helps the body regulate its core temperature. The layer of fat just beneath the skin (subcutaneous fat) is designed to insulate the body, keeping heat inside. In addition, this fat protects our inner core from extreme temperature drops. In situations like this our fat deposits will release heat, which helps increases our core temperature.

Dr. Mercola also cites insufficient intake of proper fats as a possible cause of cold hands and feet and suggests an increase in dietary fat as a potential solution.

Of course, there is a big difference between visceral fat around the belly, and the healthy thin layer underneath our skin!

6. You Can’t Think Straight

Because omega-3 fatty acids are highly concentrated in the brain, they are considered to be crucial for memory and mental performance. Dietary fat helps build cell membranes in the brain, as well as producing a barrier of fatty insulation around each nerve fiber, enabling these fibers to carry messages to the brain faster. Balancing the intake of omega-3 to omega-6 is also important when it comes to efficient brain function.

It seems the earlier you start worrying about healthy fats, the better. It has been shown that intake of essential fatty acids during pre-school years may play a beneficial role in preventing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and improve academic performance.

So if you recently forgot your mother’s birthday, or let an important appointment slip your mind, it might be time to try switching up your diet. Following a plan similar to the Mediterranean diet has been shown in a large scale study to preserve healthy cognitive function.

7. You Can’t Lose Weight

I realize this seems counter intuitive but hear me out!

If you remove fat from your diet, you’ll naturally have to make up your percentage intake with other macronutrients (carbs and protein). If you want to lose fat, increasing your dietary fat intake and decreasing your carb intake is one of the best ways to do this. With less carbs to fuel you, your body will access fat stores for energy.

As fat contains 9 calories per gram, and carbs and protein contain just 4, that little handful of nuts will keep you going far longer than a couple of sugar laden cookies.

If your weight is concentrated around your middle then I’ve got good news for you. A study done through the American Diabetic Association found that a diet rich in MUFAs is a powerful reducer of belly fat. Dr. Oz even includes eating MUFAs as one of the four essential steps of his Flat Belly Diet.

Don’t discount the PUFAs either! It has been found that consumption of PUFAs leads to a higher resting metabolic rate and diet induced calorie burn.

8. You’re Having Vision Problems

Failing eyesight can be yet another sign of essential fatty acid deficiency. According to ophthalmologistDr. Gary Heiting, omega-3s help protect adult eyes from macular degeneration, high eye pressure, and glaucoma.

Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in the world, with as many as 11 million Americans suffering from it. A study carried out over 12 years found that people who ate the most omega-3s were 30% less likely to develop macular degeneration than those who ate less.

On the other hand, a diet high in unhealthy trans fats may actually encourage macular degeneration by interfering with omega-3 fats. I can’t emphasize it enough…ditch the fried chicken, crackers, and cookies!

It has also been proven that EFAs can help treat glaucoma, another huge cause of vision impairment in the US.

You’ll also reduce your risk of dry eye syndrome, as studies have shown that adding omega-3 fatty acids to the diet can cause a marked improvement in the symptoms of blepharitis and other dry eye conditions. The Mayo Clinic also suggest increasing your intake of oils and other EFA containing foods to combat dry eyes.

9. Your Joints Ache

If you’re an athlete, suffer from arthritis, or simply have achy joints, then adding some healthy fats to your diet is a must. By eating only the good fats and avoiding the bad, you’ll reduce inflammationthroughout your body, which could help with arthritis and other joint pains.

In addition, omega-3 fatty acids may decrease symptoms of morning stiffness and tender or swollen joints, along with helping increase blood flow during exercise. It’s believed that too much omega-6 can contribute to inflammation, so again a good balance of your omegas is vital. Rid your diet of trans fats too, which also cause inflammation.

An anti-inflammatory diet, recommended for ‘happy athletes’, emphasizes good fats, including olive oil and omega-3 foods like salmon, herring, sardines, flaxseed, and walnuts.

Of course, because fats are so calorie dense, make sure to watch the scales – added weight will simply put more stress on your joints.

10. You Have Low HDL Cholesterol

Most people know that high LDL (the ‘bad’) cholesterol can increase your risk of heart disease, but did you know that just lowering LDL may not be enough? You may also have to work on increasing your HDL (‘good’) cholesterol as well.

If your HDL cholesterol isn’t within the recommended range, try adding some more good fats.

Good fats for good cholesterol…not too hard to remember, is it?

The University of Massachusetts Medical School recommends eating fatty fish several times a week, which can significantly increase HDL cholesterol, even over a short amount of time. Choose salmon, sardines, herring, and mackerel. If you can’t stand the thought of that much fish, pop a fish oil supplement instead, it will do the same job, but you’ll probably be waiting longer to see the positive effects.

11. You’re Easily Overwhelmed In Busy Places

If you get irritated, overwhelmed, or even very excitable in crowded bars, football games or other busy environments, it might be a case of sensory overload. Try adding omega-3 containing good fats to your diet for a while and see if that makes a difference to your responses.

A 2009 study conducted by the American Psychological Association found that omega-3 essential fatty acids helped animals avoid this type of sensory overload. First the mice were exposed to a soft tone followed by a loud one. The mice who had plenty of omega-3s in their diet remained calm throughout, but those who didn’t were freaked out by the loud noise.

The researchers say it only takes a small decrease in brain DHA to cause a decline in brain function, so make good fats a daily habit.

12. You Have A Vitamin Deficiency

Have you ever felt a little ‘off’ and decided the best thing to do was to pop a multivitamin? But maybe the problem isn’t that you’re not eating enough vitamins…maybe your body simply isn’t absorbing those vitamins.

If you’ve been diagnosed with a deficiency in A, D, E and K – the fat soluble vitamins – you may just need a little more dietary fat. These vitamins, which are used for growth, immunity, cell repair, and blood clotting, actually require dietary fat to be absorbed and utilized by the body.

Having a little organic virgin coconut oil is a great way to ensure you reap maximum benefits from the vitamins you consume. Okay, it’s technically a saturated fat, but even the Arthritis Foundation recognize it as an exception in the ‘usually frowned upon’ saturated fat category.

Coconut oil has been found to improve absorption of antioxidants and other nutrients better than other fats, along with being a good anti-inflammatory. Check out my post for more great health benefits of this amazing oil.

To sum it up, balance is key when it comes to dietary fats. Make sure you eat enough MUFAs and PUFAs (especially omega-3s), and a little saturated fat is okay too, the body needs all three to function properly. Just keep in mind how important balance is when it comes to omegas. Along with a healthy intake of carbs and protein, and a balanced exercise regimen, you’ll be well on your way to looking and feeling your best.

I’d love to hear from you! Did you know it was possible to eat too little fat? Are you getting enough healthy fats in your diet?