Not all fats are villains, some fats are in fact necessary for the body to function. If you dread anything with “fat” in it because you want to lose weight, you need to hear this – a category of food called “healthy fats” actually boost weight loss. Like all other macronutrients, fat is also an essential nutrient, needed in an optimum amount, percentage of 20% to 35% of daily calorie intake. In fact, all body cells have fat content and fat constitutes 60% of the human brain. If you are not consuming a good amount of healthy fat, you are hampering brain health. Fat is needed to relay signals through the body and in production of essential hormones. As a survival mechanism, in the absence of carbs, our body switches to fat as an alternative source of energy. Most importantly, fat is absolutely necessary for the absorption of vitamins such as A, D, and E because these are fat-soluble vitamins. Fats such as omega-3 fatty acids strengthen the heart and reduces inflammation in the body, they also raise good HDL cholesterol and lower bad LDL cholesterol. Looking at all these benefits, it?s not a good idea to dread “fats” and switch to “low fat” and “fat free” versions of everything in your diet because you are trying to shed extra weight. In fact, a particular type of fat called linoleic acid found in nuts, seeds, eggs, and meat targets belly fat. Lauric acid, a medium chain fatty acid, found in coconut oil boosts f...