Do you still reach for the margarine instead of the butter at the grocery store? For decades, many health organizations have convinced Americans that fat is bad. Because of this, food products like margarine, egg white omelets and fat-free cookies have saturated the market, and are promoted as “healthy.” When food manufactures create low-fat products, they often replace the fat with sugar and refined grains, because without natural fat, foods do not taste as good. We have depleted fat from our diets and replaced it with one of the most dangerous foods — sugar.
Finally, research is showing that fat is not as bad as we thought, in fact, it is a necessity. A study published in the (SET ITAL) Journal of the American Medical Association (END ITAL) showed that among the 48,835 women who participated in the trial, there were no significant differences in the rates of colorectal cancer, heart disease or stroke between the group who followed a low-fat dietary plan and the comparison group who followed their normal dietary patterns. If you were to follow an ancient diet, you would not see low-fat milk, low-fat cheese, margarine or highly processed vegetable oils. Low-fat diets have been linked to poor brain function, depression, hormonal imbalances, GI distress, insulin resistance and weight gain.
Healthy fats are essential for our bodies. And when we do not get enough healthy fats, it can lead to many serious health problems such as depression, heart disease, hormonal imbalance, insulin resistance and weight gain.
» Fat keeps you full. Foods rich in healthy fats take longer to digest, thus creating a feeling of fullness quicker than foods such as refined carbohydrates.
» Fat lowers bad cholesterol & increases good cholesterol. If you have been told by your doctor that you have low HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol), then you can help increase it by adding healthy fats to your diet. A diet high in refined carbohydrates like white bread, sugar, etc., has a negative effect on your HDL level.
» Improves brain health. Your brain is mostly made of fat, particular omega-3 fats, therefore your brain requires fat to perform optimally. It is also important to consume omega-3 fats during pregnancy, which is crucial for baby’s brain and cognitive development. In children, omega-3 supplementation early in life was found to improve intelligence. For adults, research shows that individuals with adequate omega-3 intake perform better on cognitive tests and are associated with better attention span, focus and memory. Eating enough healthy fat sources is key to following an anti-depression diet. Research has shown that supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids in the diet causes significant improvement in depressive symptoms.
» Improves blood sugar. By decreasing your refined carb intake and replacing it with healthy fats, you can help stabilize your blood sugars, reduce your HgbA1c, and reduce your chance of diabetes.
» Increases vitamin absorption. Eating a fat-free diet can lead to vitamin deficiencies. Fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) require fat to be absorbed into the body to do their job. Your diet needs to contain enough healthy fats to carry these vitamins throughout your body. Symptoms of omega 3 fat deficiency include “brain fog”, anxiety, depression, fatigue, weight gain, allergies, arthritis and poor sleep. Some of the healthiest fats include: almonds, walnuts and other nuts, avocado, free-range, local eggs, coconut oil, flaxseed, chia seed, wild caught fatty fish such as salmon, ghee (clarified butter), and extra virgin olive oil (in raw form). Include at least one small serving of fat at least daily, and even at every meal. Add avocado to your salads and sandwiches, cook with coconut oil, and toss chia seeds and flax seeds in your smoothie, yogurt and oatmeal. Don’t confuse good fat with bad fats. You should always avoid trans fats, they are usually listed on a label as “partially hydrogenated oils.” Also avoid hydrogenated vegetable and seed oils, as these are harmful fats. Most are artificial and raise your LDL cholesterol while lowering your HDL cholesterol. Fat is not the enemy if you choose your fats wisely. Begin to incorporate good fats in your diet daily for weight loss, blood sugar control and heart health instead of reaching for that “fat-free” cookie.
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