Fats

I am sure every person reading this blog has heard at some point in their life that they need to avoid fats, fats make you fat and it is better to choose Low Fat or Fat Free products. Am I right? I know that I am because I didn't eat avocados for 3 years (and I love guacamole) because I thought it would make me fat and lets be honest I was always hungry. I bought low fat/fat free everything and I thought that was the healthiest choice. Society (books, billboards, TV, commercials, print ads, weight loss articles etc) has made us believe we should fear fats. That avoiding fats is the healthiest option. All of us have the best intentions and we only know what we know.

Well I am here to tell you that fats HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT, not gain weight. They actually aid in micronutrient absorption in our bodies. Fats do not make you fat but instead support your cell membranes, bones, liver, lungs, kidneys, immune system, heart function, your bodies detoxification etc. When you digest fat for example from nuts and seeds all the fat is not digested. Since fat is binded to the antioxidants and fiber our bodies absorb the good fats and release the bad.

Choosing Low Fat or Fat Free products can cause serious damage to our health. A Low Fat diet is actually the #1 cause of gallbladder disease and can cause thyroid problems. Not to mention that LF and FF products have increased artificial sweeteners or salt to compensate since fat itself contains minerals and brings flavor into our system.

Society made a blanket statement that fat was bad, but the truth is the bad fats are polyunsaturated fats. These are they fats that are unstable and remain liquid even in the frig such as corn and canola oil. The polyunsaturated fats are loaded with free radicals that cause aging, inflammation, heart problems and caner.  Also we need to avoid trans fats at all cost! I know many states have ban trans fats but don't let that fool you, trans fats are still on our foods (french fries, chips, crackers, breads, peanut butter etc) under a different name.

That being said we want to make sure our diets contain a healthy amount of saturated or monounsaturated fats found in avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil, grass fed animal products, coconut oil, real butter etc.

Since all this can be confusing don't stress and look at the fat content on a food label or the sugar content or sodium content. Instead look at the ingredient list and make sure their are less than 5 ingredient and that you personally can pronounce and understand what each of them are.  As for calories remember 1000 calories of kale does not  equal 1000 calories of twinkies. Our bodies know how to process and digest the kale absorbing all the nutrients, so make sure you are eating real whole foods.

Hope this helps!!!!! If you have any questions just let me know.