Are Your Non-Fat Foods Making You Fat?

Have you been counting fat grams only to find yourself feeling continually hungry, tired and depressed?

Have you limited fat from your diet but steadily put on a few pounds each year?

Do you purchase fat-free alternatives to your favorite foods only to find yourself unable to pronounce anything on the ingredient list?


Today, so-called fitness and health magazines, food companies and advertisers encourage people to avoid full-fat foods in order to lose weight and avoid disease. As a result, most Americans have stripped fats from their diets, shunning them as precursors to obesity, heart disease, high cholesterol and a variety of other illnesses. And the result of eating low to no-fat diets? We are fatter and sicker than we’ve ever been. Approximately ¾ of Americans are considered overweight and researchers predict that in the next 20 years, diabetes rates will double, to say nothing of the people who are currently pre-diabetic.
First, know the facts:

In order for food developers to create a non-fat food product to sell, they have to replace the fat with sugar and/or artificial sweeteners. As we all know, a diet high in sugar will cause body fat to rise rapidly.

In addition, non-fat and low-fat foods are NOT satiating, meaning you actually have to eat MORE of them to feel full. Have you ever thought twice about the Pringles tagline, “Once you pop you can’t stop”…they’re right! The product is not designed to satiate you but rather to get you to buy another can of Pringles!

Also, because many low or no fat foods are high in calories but essentially devoid of nutrition, your body metabolizes them simply as sugar, causing your insulin and cortisol levels to skyrocket, which in turn causes your body to pack on fat.

By comparison, research confirms that when eating a diet that includes healthy fats at every meal your blood sugar remains stable, your metabolism speeds up and your energy levels increase drastically.

What you can do TODAY to get healthy fats in your diet.

1. Start cooking with coconut oil (great for stir frying vegetables and even eggs).
2. Eat salmon with breakfast, lunch or dinner
3. Choose meats such as lamb, beef and buffalo from grass-fed, organic sources ONLY and avoid eating meats from toxic, non-organic, grain-fed sources
4. Incorporate more avocados into your diet
5. Try eating raw (unroasted, unsalted) nuts as a snack
6. Eat organic, whole eggs (yes, including the yolk) and keep the yolk in tact to maintain the integrity of the egg’s omegas (the best methods for cooking eggs are frying or poaching).
7. Use cold-processed, unfiltered organic olive oil on salads, vegetables and meats


The Benefits of eating these fats?

1. Fats constitute about 50% of the cell membrane. Eating fats along with proteins actually strengthens our cells, helping prevent wrinkles
2. Fats stabilize blood sugar levels, helping alleviate the symptoms of stress, depression and in severe cases, adrenal fatigue
3. Research shows that healthy fats are necessary for reproduction, specifically in the production of sex hormones
4. Fats are brain food and are essential for healthy brain development and function
5. Certain fats, such as the fat found in coconut products, help our bodies fight off parasite infections
6. Fats play a vital role in the absorption of calcium and are necessary for healthy bones
7. Fats help reduce inflammation and shorten recovery time from exercise


Fats to AVOID:

1. Remove margarine from your refrigerator and your vocabulary. It’s plastic.
2. Avoid all trans-fats
3. Avoid canola, soy, sunflower and corn oils due to their high levels of omega 6 to omega 3 ratios (a leading cause of inflammation and heart disease).