Weight Loss

Imagine this common scenario: Start your day off with a breakfast consisting of non fat cereal, loaded with non fat milk, banana slices, orange juice and a coffee loaded with milk and sugar. Do you lose weight? Absolutely, not! In fact, you gain weight, feel hungry by 10 am, and continue your day feeling fatigued and eating sugar from a variety of high glycemic index forms of carbohydrates. Not the best recipe for long term weight loss results, is it?

Poor fat…this essential macronutrient is so misunderstood. From low fat diets to an abundant amount of “fat free” foods, most people avoid this precious macronutrient in an attempt to lose weight and keep it off for good. However, research shows we need fat to lose weight, to prevent disease, and to feel satiated.

In terms of fat, let’s call a spade a spade. Fat tastes delicious! In fact, fat provides food products with a specific “mouth feel” that satisfies and makes food taste great. Without fat, food tastes lousy and needs something extra added to improve flavor. If you are a food manufacturer, and remove fat from a product to be able to market it as “low fat”, what do you typically ad back in to improve taste and appeal to consumers taste buds? Sugar of course! Unfortunately, an excess of sugar and refined flour will trigger the over secretion of our “fat storage” hormone insulin. This leads to fatigue, cravings, excess weight gain, and, in severe situations, the development of Type II diabetes.

For weight loss and optimal health, there are five keys to eating fat and losing weight. They are:

Eliminate trans acids (partially hydrogenated fats). Trans fatty acids are a specific type of fat formed when liquid vegetable oils are made into solid fats, such as shortening and hard margarine. Most of the trans fat in the typical North American diet are derived from commercially baked and fried foods that are made with vegetable shortening, some margarine (especially hard margarines) or oils containing partially hydrogenated oils and fats. French fries, donuts, pastries, muffins, croissants, cookies, crackers, chips, and other snack foods are high in trans fatty acids.
Minimize saturated fats. Saturated fats are found in full fat cheeses and red meats. Excessive consumption of saturated fats can raise the level of bad cholesterol, also known as low density lipoprotein (LDL). High LDL levels increase heart disease risk because they keep cholesterol in the blood circulation which carries it to the arteries to be deposited. In addition to raising LDL levels, research also demonstrates that eating too many of the wrong fats, such as saturated and trans fatty acids, increases inflammation in the body.
Eat mono-unsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats can be found in olive oil (73 percent), grape seed oil (60 percent), hazel nuts (50 percent), almonds (35 percent), Brazil nuts (26 percent), cashews (28 percent), avocados (12 percent), sesame seeds (20 percent), and pumpkin seeds (16 percent). The health benefits of mono-unsaturated fats are numerous, and include lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk of heart disease.
Fill your diet with essential fats. Essential fatty acids are called such because they are vital for health and cannot be produced by the body, thereby making them essential. Every living cell in the body needs essential fatty acids to rebuild and produce new cells. The essential fats to include are called omega 3 essential fats that are found in cold water fish, fish oils, flaxseeds and flaxseed oil, nuts, seeds, and fortified foods (i.e. bread, soymilk and eggs).
When using fat, think “sprinkling”. Fat contains more the twice the calories as carbohydrates and proteins (9 calories per gram vs. 4 calories per gram), so you do not need to eat as much (i.e. 1 teaspoon of olive oil for cooking, 1 ounce of low fat cheese, etc.).

Take home point:

Fat is a necessary part of the daily diet for weight loss and optimal health. From fish oils and wild salmon to avocados and raw almonds, eating the right type of fat can improve heart health, brain function, and can naturally reduce inflammation in the body. Now that you know the “good” fats vs. the “bad”, you can get the most out of this precious and necessary macronutrient.

Dr. Joey Shulman is the author of the national best seller The Last 15 – A Weight Loss Breakthrough. For more information, please visit www.drjoey.com