Are hidden fats damaging Your Health?
In the 80’s we were told low fat is best…we were told to avoid whole milk, yoghurt, butter and cream; we were lead to believe that these products would make you fat and lead to heart disease and high cholesterol. Low fat was the key to losing weight and having our dream body……
Did we lose weight and get healthy?
Er…no, we became more obese than ever and cardiovascular health has never been so poor. Diabetes rates are off the scale and cancer rates in the western world are alarming.
So what went wrong?
Let’s take a look for a moment at what the food industry sells us to replace these high fat foods……Margarines created in laboratories loosely based on hexane treated and bleached vegetable oils, low fat yoghurts which were packed with sugar to replace the flavour, high carbohydrate ‘low fat’ snacks such as pretzels and crisps. These foods are masquerading as so called ‘healthier’ alternatives but in truth, margarines are full of damaged oils, dangerous Trans-fats and high in unstable PolyUnsaturated Fatty Acids – PUFAS oxidise very easily with exposure to heat and light, they have already been hydrogenated during the manufacturing process and if you heat or cook with marg at home you will be exposing it to further oxidisation; this causes a chain reaction of cellular damage within your body, not to mention upsetting the Omega 3/6 ratio in the body….high omega 6 intake is highly inflammatory and linked to diseases such as Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, IBS, arthritis and more.
Low fat yoghurts are another great example of the food industry's dangerous marketing; by removing the fat content from yoghurts, manufacturers either need to add sugar, salt or chemicals to replace the missing flavour. By adding sugars we are inadvertently increasing our consumption of refined sugars. Refined sugar causes dramatic glucose and insulin spikes within our body, reducing vitamin and mineral absorption, leading to insulin resistance. According to Udo Erasmus, the guru of Fats and author of Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill, excess sugars are ultimately converted into saturated fats and excess cholesterol within our body, which can lead to heart disease, diabetes and more.
You’re getting the picture……but I bet you’re wondering, what on earth can I eat then?!
The good news is fats are not to be avoided, and the golden rule is that there are no bad fats in nature! I’ll repeat that one and let you sit with it for a moment….recall that weight watchers group you went to who told you that eating nuts/seeds and avocado is a cardinal sin?! Ignore and delete this information from your memory ......please! There are no bad fats in nature!
Good fats, or should I say Wonderful Fats, come from just those sources; packed perfectly to ensure that the delicate fats are not oxidised or damaged. If you are consuming a range of fats from nature you will naturally balance your oh so important Omega 3 / Omega 6 ratio and naturally lower inflammation within the body and begin to fight disease, not feed it. Make whole and ideally pre-soaked nuts / seeds, avocado, cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, olives, wild oily fish once or twice weekly should all be on the menu to ensure you are getting your fill of good fats.
The most common concern I hear from clients when I suggest they increase their good fat intake is “will I put on weight”?
The other great news about eating the right fats is that they naturally produce the hormone CCK in our system when we digest them. CCK and also the hormone Ghrelin, signals a feeling of fullness when we consume fats, so we actually consume less…..listen to your body. In my experience when clients reduce their damaged fat intake and consumption of the ‘low fat’ Ultra Processed foods that serve as ‘alternatives’, the result is that people who need to, generally lose weight plus can expect to have more energy, better skin, more vitality and generally feel just great.
I’d love to hear your experiences, keep in touch via the social buttons and please subscribe for more bite sized articles to help you improve your health…..
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