The Skinny on Fat
I have been preaching the benefits of fat for years now and found this article that sums it all up nicely. The low fat craze has made us fatter. Read on... (article from Jesse Cannon, achieve-fitness.com)
For about 50 years now, North Americans have been eating low fat (some no fat) diets and the funny thing is we have gotten progressively fatter and less healthy. Who ever said low fat diets were healthy, and more importantly, why does eating less fat mean you’ll be less fat?
In attempt to keep this easy to understand, as most of what you read and hear is complicated, confusing, and contradictory, I’m going to be direct, to the point, and explain things in a way that most people can understand.
Where to start??? Well, I’ve done some research on this and have found very little science to back up the claims that eating less fat will keep you trim. I have also found many examples that totally dismiss this idea. For example, the French eat significantly more fat than we do here in the US while their rates of obesity, disease, and illness are much lower.
Another example is the Alaskan Eskimos. They consume as much as 70% of their calories from fat (whale blubber and fish) and they have one of the lowest rates of heart disease in the world – until they come to the US and eat like us!
Before I cover other examples I’d like to talk about some the reasons why the “low fat diet” is not only making us fatter, but also killing people faster than you can imagine!
Does that shock you? If so, do I have news for you!
Ok… here are just a few reasons:
1. eating less fat means you have to eat more protein or carbohydrates
and most people end up eating more carbohydrates (and the wrong
type!)
Dietary fat is very slow burning in the body so when you replace the
fat with faster burning carbs you tend to feel less energetic, risk
burning muscle tissue, and wreak havoc on your metabolism and hormones
because your energy levels (blood sugar) are like a roller coaster.
Dietary
fats supply some of the best, and most stable sources of energy. So
if you want to feel good all day long, you need to make sure you are
getting enough fats, and the right types.
I’ll touch on which types to
avoid and which to include in your diet later in this article.
2. the human body needs fat just to function properly, let alone optimal
health.
Certain amounts of fat are necessary for proper hormone production.
If hormone production is off so will your metabolism be. Hormones regulate
many things in the body including your ability to build and maintain
muscle tissue, which is responsible for a large portion of your energy
expenditure. In simple terms, muscle burns calories 24 hours a day and
if you eat a low fat or no fat diet you will have a hard time building
and maintaining muscle.
Here are some facts:
- obesity increased from 14% of the American population in 1960 to over 22% by 1980
- the Harvard Nurse’s Health Study which ran well over 10 years found that not only did low fat diets not decrease the risk of heart disease but also that saturated fat wasn’t so bad after all, and that too little was just as harmful
To read more of the facts about dietary fat and health check out these great resources:
The
Soft Science of Dietary Fat
Dietary
Fat
Fat
and Cholesterol
So to sum things up…
…if you want to lose weight and be healthy – DON’T eat a low-fat diet! You would have to be absolutely insane to after learning the truth about dietary fats. If you have doubts or questions please do some research and you will be amazed at what you will find out. In the meantime, go eat some healthy fats!
How to Introduce Fats
By adding the right type of fats to the diet, not only will you help your body burn it’s body fat stores but you will also improve your overall health. Benefits of healthy fats in the diet include, to name just a few…
- Helps regulate hormone imbalances
- Lubricates the joints
- Protects every cell of the body
- Makes cells “communicate” better with each other (thus assisting in anti-aging)
- Protects against common health problems such as heart disease, arthritis
- Provides energy and makes you feel more full
- Helps ward off cravings
- Adds flavour and texture to foods
Consider balancing your diet by including some sort of healthy fat at each food meal.
For example
Breakfast – 1 fish oil capsule or 1 whole egg
AM Snack – ½ an avocado
Lunch – Flax oil in your salad dressing
PM Snack – handful of almonds
Dinner – a serving of salmon and drizzle olive oil over steamed veggies
PM Snack – handful of mixed nuts and seeds
You may be surprised that by making this healthful change, that extra 5 lbs of ‘baby fat’ around the hips or belly may just banish.
Krista Schaus SPI C.P.T.
CPU National Powerlifting Champion 56 kg
DE Coaching Team
Krista Schaus PICP CPT
Ontario CANADA
krista@definingedge.ca
Kate Kline PICP CFT
Arizona USA
kate@definingedge.ca
DE Client Services
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