What Does Fat Even Do?

Let's go back to the basics: Fat is important for vitamin absorption, brain function, energy, and also hair and skin health.

Getting the right amount and types into any diet can be tricky. Athletes often add too much, too little, or choose sources that aren't beneficial for their specific goal.

You should be conscientious about adding essential fatty acids in your diet as your body can't produce them itself or function without them. So when it comes to fat sources, my recommendation is to add Flameout® to your daily supplement intake – it's great for inflammation, helps with recovery, and helpful for skin/hair/nail health.

Limit the amount of saturated fats in your diet by calculating how much you're getting from meat and consider avoiding any additional sources since it can increase your LDL.

It's easy to get carried away with fat and go overboard. For some reason, most people aren't aware that there are 9 calories per gram of fat, as opposed to protein and carbs which contain 4 calories per gram. So just one tablespoon of oil has more calories than 5 ounces of chicken!

My favorite sources of fat are Flameout, MCT oil, avocado, and almond/peanut butter. The saturated fat in my diet comes from red meat and a little cream in my coffee.

It's hard to give a recommended amount because everyone has individual needs, but as a baseline, start with about 40 grams of fat per day from various sources. Of course, if you're doing a keto diet (no carbs) then that number would have to be higher, and if your diet is very high in carbs, consider lowering it.

Everyone is different and what works for one lifter often won't work for the next. Try making small adjustments to your everyday nutrition in order to maintain your results and feel better during the process.