By Sue Ann Gleason –
Are you living a fat-phobic life style? The idea that fat in your food = fat on your body is an outdated nutritional belief system. When this belief system was firmly in place we all jumped on the Low-Fat-No-Fat Battleship. We waged war on fat and removed it from the premises.
When fat became the enemy, we got very good at reading food labels. Yet, the only thing we looked at was the number of fat grams in the product, totally ignoring the gazillion chemicals, food colorings, and “natural” flavors it contained. (If the ingredients are “natural” why not name them?)
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When fat became the enemy our refrigerators became stocked with:
Skim milk
Low fat or no fat yogurt
Fat free salad dressing, or worse yet—no salad dressing
And our favorite sweet snack became Snackwell’s cookies.
So what happens when we don’t get enough healthy fat in our diets?
The quality of our skin diminishes.
We got a little grouchy.
We can’t find our keys.
We have trouble absorbing vitamins A, D, E, & K (all of our fat soluble vitamins)
Our bones suffer.
Our kids start acting out in school.
We fall asleep at our desks at 3:00pm.
Why?
When food scientists took the fat out of our food they replaced it with more sugar and all of the latest research is pointing to fructose, not fat, as the real culprit in diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
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Dietary fat is very slow burning in the body. When you replace the fat with faster burning carbs you tend to feel less energetic, you risk burning muscle tissue, and you wreak havoc on your metabolism, your hormones, your blood sugar, and your energy.
Essential fatty acids are just that—essential. They cannot be synthesized in the body and must come from dietary sources. Dietary fats supply some of the best, and most stable sources of energy. Some fatty acids, in particular the omega-3s, lower triglycerides and soothe inflammation. If you want to feel good all day long, you need to make sure you are getting enough healthy fat in your diet.
Remember, the human body needs fat to function properly and for proper hormone production. If hormone production is off, your metabolism will follow. Hormones regulate all kinds of things in your body including your ability to build and maintain muscle tissue, which is responsible for a large portion of your energy expenditure. In simple terms, muscle burns calories 24 hours a day and if you eat a low fat or no fat diet you will have a hard time building, restoring and maintaining muscle.
When choosing fats, pick unsaturated fats from plant sources and limit saturated fats. Leave out trans fats, artificially hydrogenated oils used mainly to extend the shelf life of food. Margarine, butter substitutes, and any foods containing hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils have trans fats in them, even if it’s not listed on the label. As a general guideline, women need about a third of their calories coming from healthy sources of fat.
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To boost your consumption of healthy fats, try adding some of these items to your grocery list:
• olives
• avocados
• walnuts
• hazelnuts
• almonds
• Brazil nuts (great source of selenium)
• seeds (hemp, flax, pumpkin, sunflower)
• wild cold-water fish (preferably line caught)
• coconut oil (also linked to brain health)
And while you’re upgrading the items in your pantry, check the label on your peanut butter jar. If it says hydrogenated vegetable oil, throw it away and upgrade that as well!
Sue Ann’s recipes, radiant life tips and reflections embody the concept: Dancing with Delicious. Her mission is to show people that a radiantly healthy lifestyle can be easy to achieve AND delicious. When not working with private clients, Sue Ann can be found sampling exotic chocolates or building broccoli forests in her mashed potatoes. Visit her website to schedule a Radiant Life Breakthrough Session on the phone or in person, or to inquire about speaking engagements.
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14 thoughts on “Get an Oil Change”
GREAT article!! I have been trying to explain this to people for years!! I eat a lot of fat in my diet (coconut oil, butter, real cream in my coffee) and I have been the same weight for years. I always say it’s not the fat that makes you fat, it’s the sugar and processed carbs 🙂
Thanks, Sue Ann for this informative post. Fats are given a bad rap, and you did a super job of explaining the good vs. the bad. AND coconut oil is my favorite for baking. AND I even think I am getting smarter with all the brain food!:) Great post!
Fantastic article..and so true!
Love this article – so true!! Don’t know what I’d do without my nuts!
Great article Sue Ann!! More people need to understand the importance of consuming ‘healthy’ fats for optimal health. I enjoy all of the healthy fats that you listed here and have never felt better or looked better. I manage to keep my weight under control 🙂 and maintain a sparkle in my eye & glowing skin. I honestly believe it’s all due to a healthier lifestyle. Also, as we get older we need these fats to help us with brain power and anti-aging.
Thanks for sharing your fabulous knowledge!!!
~Melissa
This really breaks down the information so I can use it. Thank you!
Great article Sue Ann. I tossed out packaged, processed foods over 4 years ago, but I do remember the Snackwells products! Love the reminders about what happens when we don’t get enough of the best kinds of fat, and appreciate the list of specific foods that can boost healthy fats. I love nuts and use almond and hazelnut butter instead of peanut butter. Thanks for these tips!
It’s so good to hear from so many of you. Thank you for reading the post and sharing your nutritional experience and wisdom. Let’s hear it for the avocado!
This is great information Sue Ann. It totally hits the mark. Most people are so worried on eating fat, when our bodies are actually craving for it.
Very informative. We all need this info.
Fantastic, Sue Ann, and spot on! Fats, the good ones, are vital to our health and brain function. I am an avocado and coconut evangelist! Thank you for pulling this information together in a concise and usable way.
*shanna
Super informational. Two questions… How do you feel about nutella (your hazelnut comment made me wonder, plus nutella is new to my diet as my sweet tooth fix)? And second, have you seen the corn industry’s commercials about tge research, the research that says sugar is sugar. I would be interested in your thoughts on that too! 🙂
Wonderful information & reminders! This is what I drive home in the http://www.healthyshed.com program with RESET. The key is low-glycemic, not low-fat 🙂 As far as sugar @Amber…. stick with real, raw sugar. I don’t know what commercial you are talking about, but steer clear of ALLL derivatives of sugar (ie: splenda, etc). I’m not sure about Nutella, either- I’d have to see the label. But, for a sweet tooth fix, try Raw Cacao Nibs or Powder (at whole foods)!
Great questions, Amber. I have a wonderful recipe for homemade nutella that I’d be happy to share with you if you’re interested. Perhaps my next article will be the great sugar debate.
I use bananas, dates, raw honey, or the highest quality maple syrup to sweeten various desserts and sweets that I prepare from scratch. A little goes a long way.
Not all sugar is created equal and I would be very skeptical of research backed by the corn industry. Absolutely avoid any and all artificial sweeteners. They are disruptive to the endocrine system and can actually lead to weight gain.
A great rule of thumb: No white, no wheat, no sweet (meaning processed or refined sugar), and very little meat.
Thank you, everyone for the wonderful feedback and questions!
In good health,
Sue Ann
Dancing with Delicious