Why you might want to welcome some fat into your life

Fat is a scary word for people who are watching what they eat.

Did you know that not all fat is bad fat?

Nutritionist and Health Coach Tania Gustafson said you actually need to eat fat to burn fat, so forget about those diets telling you to eliminate fat altogether or to eat too much of it.

Gustafson said there must be a balance and the result will be natural pacing of digestion, your metabolism will turn on and your body will start burning that stored fat.

Fats to reach for include olive oil, coconut oil and cream, hemp, chia and nuts and nut oils.

Gustafson cautions people to stay away from vegetable oils because of the way they're processed.

One other thing: portion!

It's usually portion size that gets people in trouble with fat.

Think about a thumb size for something like avocado, a palm size serving of nuts and a tablespoon (or less) of oils.

So go ahead fill your plate (with mostly veggies) proteins and don't forget the health fats!