Contrary to what many of you might think or have been led to believe by well-meaning health professionals or manufacturers of low fat foods, I have an important secret to tell you- eating “fat” does not make you fat! Counting calories does not make you skinnier either but we will leave that for another article!!!
Americans spend 54 billion dollars on diet products and seem to be on non-stop low-fat, low-carb, and low calorie diets yet we are getting fatter as a nation with 71.6 million Americans considered obese according to the American Heart Association! We spend 100 billion dollars on health care yet we are reaching near epidemics with respect to cancer, obesity, diabetes and heart disease. There are a few things that you could try with regards to your health. For example, you could take a look at using CBD products to help promote your help. If this is something that interests you then you could check out a site like neoteric nutra as this can give you all the relevant information and products to help you improve your health.
On a personal level, are you constantly on a diet and worried about everything that you put in your mouth and still can’t lose weight? Do you have friends or family members who are on some sort of diet or religiously counting calories. Are they getting skinnier? And, if they are, are they able to keep it off? Probably not.
Many clients come to me with the belief that if they eat an avocado or put olive oil on their salads that they will gain weight. Or, if they add that extra hemp seed or flax seed oil to their food, this will somehow add to their waistline! This could not be further from the truth.
Ever since the 1980s when the National Academy of Sciences published a study linking dietary fat with cancer and continuing on with the famous Dr. Pritikin, Americans have been on the low fat bandwagon! Well, I will give you a hint- fats (at least the good variety) are not the problem and can even help you keep off the weight if integrated properly into your diet! Read on to learn more!!!
So, what are fats exactly? Fats are macronutrients (yes, they are nutrients you need!) that are made up of hydrogen atoms forming building blocks called fatty acids. There are three main types of fats and, depending on the configuration of the hydrogen atoms, fats can be saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats.
Does it make a difference which fats I consume? Yes! Not all fats are created equal and it is essential that we are consuming the right types of fats not only for our waistline but also for our health! Excess consumption of the wrong types of fats can lead to weight-gain, obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, colon cancer and even diabetes. While there are some fats that you want to avoid (transfats) and minimize (saturated fats,) it is important to integrate the good fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) into your diet!
What are the benefits of fats? Not only are fats important for brain development during infancy and childhood but they are essential for growth, healthy skin, vitamin absorption, the regulation of bodily function and providing energy for the body.
Monounsaturated fats help reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering Low Density Lipoproteins otherwise known as LDL’s. (As a side note, we want high High Density Lipoproteins and Low Low Density Lipoproteins.)
Polyunsaturated fats contain Omega 3 fatty acids, which help boost brain power, reduce depression, protect against heart disease, prevent cancerous activity in the body, minimize risk for diabetes, arthritis, asthma, PMS, allergies, water retention, rough or dry skin, and dull hair. Consuming Omega 3’s also is helpful in fetal brain development and brain function, and has been connected with the improvement of ADHD in children. Polyunsaturated fats have also been said to prevent heart disease by lowering dangerous LDL cholesterol in the body. However, this hasn’t been proven with some people saying that it actually risks old age heart problems, if this is the case it can be countered by using CBD oils. Products such as CBD tinctures are used often and have multiple benefits for your health such as, reducing arthritis symptoms.
Exactly how does fat help in weight loss? As mentioned before, fat helps our bodies feel satiated, giving us a fuller feeling. Have you non-vegans even had a low-fat cup of yogurt then a few minutes later just wanted something more? Our bodies know that something was missing and, in my opinion, this is the fallacy of the low-fat products because in the end often we end up eating more.
Fats also work on a metabolic level and help us boost our metabolism! Have you ever wondered why the Italians serve their bread with olive oil? When we eat healthy mono-unsaturated fats such as avocados, olive oil, and walnuts and Omega 3 polyunsaturated fats such as hemp or flax seeds or oils, these healthy fats actually help metabolize carbohydrates and control insulin levels therefore aid in weight loss. The hormone Eicosanoid called the “master hormones” helps control insulin levels by slowing down the release of sugar from carbohydrates into the bloodstream thereby decreasing the production of insulin. When you consume good fats they bind to the PPAR receptor (peroxisome proliferator activated receptor) and turn on genes that increase your metabolism, help you burn fat, and lower your sensitivity to insulin.
Confused? So, here is my fat cheat sheet:
Yes: Go for It and Eat Without Guilt!
Monounsaturated fats are found in olive oil, avocados, canola and peanut oil, nuts such as almonds, pecans, walnuts, cashews and pistachios and seeds such as pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds. Contrary to what many erroneously believe, these fats will not wreck your diet and since they are plant-based also add a good source of protein to your diet! Definitely do not snack on nuts all day but try adding an avocado to your salad at lunchtime or having a handful of nuts as an afternoon snack and see how good you will feel!
Polyunsaturated fats are found in flax seed and flax seed oil, hemp seeds and hemp seed oil, corn oil, and soybean oil. I put hemp seeds on my salads, throw flax seeds in my cereal, squirt flax or hemp seed oil on our pasta and even put them in my morning smoothies! Be creative- even my children can’t tell when I add them and they boost the nutritional value of the food we are all eating!
Proceed with Caution and Eat Sparingly!
Saturated fats are fats found in animal products such as red meat, pork, chicken, eggs, dairy products such as cheese and whole milk, butter, and coconut oil (since it is plant-based I consider this one ok in moderation.) When these are consumed, the liver uses saturated fat to manufacture cholesterol and too much can result in a high level of LDL’s (supposed to be low). Many experts recommend that you keep your saturated fat consumption below 10% of your dietary intake but I say why go there at all!
Stop: Just Don’t Do it (ever)!
Transfats are fats produced when a liquid oil is solidified during hydrogenation. Transfats are found in fried foods, packaged foods and even animal products such as beef, lamb, pork, lard, and butter. Trans fats do a double wammy by lowering HDL’s (supposed to be high) and raising LDL’s (supposed to be low).In 2006, New York City’s Board of Health even banned artery-clogging transfats from restaurants and hopefully many others will follow suit.
What is the bottom line?
If we want to maintain optimal health and look and feel our best, we must eat a primarily whole foods and, in my opinion, plant-based diet. Girls, please STOP counting calories and being so vigilant about your fat intake and just make sure what you are putting in your body are lots of fresh fruits and vegetables- and, don’t forget the healthy fats! Healthy fats do not make you fat!
Diet and lifestyle coach, writer, raw food chef and teacher Katherine Pennington from Be in Balance clears up some commonly fatty misconceptions.. and gives you free range to eat avocados til you burst.