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In recent times, thanks to increased awareness of healthy eating and largely thanks to increased efforts to combat the "obesity epidemic" and heart disease in the West, foods that are low in fat have flooded the market. You may be wondering what West has to do with how we all eat? We are largely influenced by Western media and since in the world of science we always admire them for new frontiers in research, we have swallowed low fat evangelism – hook, line and lead. Note that the increase in obesity and heart disease may have more to do with the growing sedentary lifestyle.
The argument against fat was that fat made us fat and we had to replace all that fat with carbohydrates. The fat was expelled from food production, food manufacturers had to find a better way to make food more appetizing – what did we get? Processed foods low in fat and high in sugar.
This led to many misconceptions and, unfortunately, to an increase in the same diseases that we tried to prevent. (Please note that carbohydrates are not the enemy either. Good nutrition basically involves having a significant amount of all food clbades during meals). Contrary to what manufacturers say, "low fat" foods contain as many calories as those that contain regular fat (if not more). The low-fat label was simply a disguise to sell more products.
I cringe when I see people promoting low fat foods as part of a healthy diet or for weight loss. Thanks to this trend, it is common for customers to tell me in our first coaching call "oh I eat low fat A or low fat B". My advice is always "throw it away, you do not need it". It is better to consume your fat in moderation, getting all the incredible benefits of good quality fat and giving up all that too much processed sugar (too many chemical bonds) that your body has to fight to digest.
The fat you want to avoid are fats that increase cholesterol levels, clog the arteries and cause overall problems in the heart and organs. These are the trans fats usually on the ingredients list in the form of partially hydrogenated oil.
Most low-fat labeled foods contain trans fat. This fat is obtained by adding hydrogen to natural fats to make it solid that way, it can stay longer on the shelves. Trans fats increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other chronic health problems.
Again, low-fat foods contain astonishing amounts of sugar that hook the consumer to the product. These sugars also come from refined carbohydrates. Our bodies digest refined carbohydrates faster. As a result, it will increase blood sugar, which will increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease and high cholesterol.
They are also loaded with salt / MSG to improve taste. High salt content can cause high blood pressure. (Also note, not your ordinary table salt.)
The good news is fat is essential for blood clotting, muscle movement, maintaining healthy blood vessels and proper functioning of the nervous system. It helps the body absorb fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K and minerals. It is also a great source of energy.
Did you know that your hormones are made from fat? Eliminating good quality fats from our meals will cause a deficiency in these vitamins and this can affect your immunity and limit the body's ability to heal itself.
Here are some foods that contain healthy fats that your body will be grateful for. [19659002] Seeds and nuts – nuts, flax seeds, chia etc.
Fish – Salmon, mackerel, sardine, cord, are excellent sources of healthy fat. They are rich in Omega 3 which is essential for maintaining optimal health.
Avocado – Full of healthy fats, they are also rich in vitamin K, B vitamins, potbadium and much more. If you can not eat it alone, there are so many ways to incorporate it into your daily meal – using it as a spread on your toast, adding it to your smoothie mix (Activate your smoothie and keep you longer), adding to a salad or having it as a side dish.
Eggs: Rich in protein and healthy fats. Make sure to always include the yellow as well as the egg whites, to get the best of both worlds. In the past, we have been led to believe that yellow is full of cholesterol and not good for the body. Just in case you have not read the latest news / research, the egg yolks are good for you. I mean that's an egg without the yolk?
Do not forget your oils too. Oils like extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil and palm oil.
And if you like a glbad of hot milk like mine (unless you're lactose intolerant), say goodbye to skim milk. 19659002] In summary, there is ample evidence that healthy fat sources improve heart health. There is no long term benefit of low fat diets with regard to weight loss and disease reduction.
Eating your fats whole foods is your best bet, but if you need to get it in packaged foods, grease the labels at the front and inspect the food label at the restaurant. close behind. Reading your food tag is a great way to make sure the food actually contains the promises on the package. More importantly, be active. Take the habit of taking "walking breaks" at work. Find an activity you like and feel your feelings with it
The problem is not that we eat fat, the real problem is that we do not use it as fuel
References [19659020] Coronary heart disease in men: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9229205
About Ezinne Meribe
Dr. Ezinne Meribe is the host of the podcast Beyond A Dress Size; a series of podcasts that creates stimulating conversations to eliminate misconceptions about nutrition, weight loss, health and body diversity while allowing women to live beyond the numbers on the label; Scale or tape.
at Zinnyslifestyle, where she leverages her professional qualifications and personal experience to teach women how to HELP and LOVE their bodies and LIVE in her in a fabulous way; have managed to win the fight to be overweight and love his body. A graduate of a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS), she completed her postdoctoral training in Public Health at the University of Kumamoto, Japan. As a physician and public health specialist, she continues to promote preventive medicine as the best way to tackle the serious health system constraints in developing countries.
You can connect with her on
Instagram @zinnyslifestyle
Facebook @zinnyslifestyle
Read more about Medium @ezinnemeribe
or send an email to [email protected]
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