With the 1980's came big hair, spandex, and of course - the low-fat diet craze! Back then, the prevailing wisdom was that if you eat fat, you will get fat. This couldn't be further from the truth, so let's explore why this is the case.
At first glance, the argument that if you eat too much fat, you'll gain too much fat seems logical. After all, a gram of fat has over double the calories of a gram of protein or carbohydrates. So it seems to make sense that eating too much fat will make you fat! When you look deeper though, you find that our bodies require fat. And not just specific parts of our bodies, either. Every part of your body - every cell and nerve - contains fat at some level and in some form. Think of your hair, nails and skin - how dried out would you look if you didn't nourish these with the fats that they need to function? How would your face look if it didn't have a layer of fat beneath your skin to soften your lines and facial features? Your brain needs fat. In fact, your brain is made up of over one-half fat - no fat, no thinking. And the synapses that fire to create brain function are also supported by fat. If you're having problems concentrating, maybe you're eating too little fat!
The real truth is that sugar and other simple carbs create the fat-storing response by triggering insulin production, and insulin in effect tells the brain to store fat to use as energy. Therefore, too much sugar = too much fat storage.There are specific dangers to eating a diet too low in fat, as well. For instance, many vitamins need fat in order to be absorbed into the body. Vitamins A, E, D and K are examples of these. These vitamins are simply not able to be utilized if there isn't enough fat for them. This can lead to vitamin deficiencies and related health problems. (A deficiency of vitamin D alone can be contributed to depression, heart disease, fertility issues, and soft bones and teeth.)
A side effect of eating a low-fat diet is that you tend to choose highly processed foods to take the place of the taste, mouth feel, and feel of fullness you get by eating fat. So you eat so-called healthy, low-fat choices rather than the whole foods - fat included - that your body truly needs. And these processed foods contain a multitude of preservatives, artificial ingredients, and chemicals that simply are not a good choice for anyone, on any diet or way-of-eating. Of course, this doesn't mean you should go and consume as much fat as possible. Choose wisely. Healthy choices include mono and polyunsaturated fat found in olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish. Avoid artificial trans fats which can create inflammation and are linked to heart disease, stroke, and other chronic conditions and contributes to insulin resistance, which increases your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Trans fats are found in packaged snack foods, stick margarine, fried foods, commercially-baked pastries, cookies, doughnuts, muffins, cakes, and pizza dough. Even small amounts of saturated fat we now know is not harmful. About 10% of your caloric intake. Primary sources are coconut oil, grass-fed beef, whole fat dairy, and chicken skin. But also remember to enjoy the foods that you eat!
After all we've been told about how beneficial a low-fat diet is in the past, the scientific truth is that we all need fat in every cell of our bodies, every day, in order to achieve and maintain our wonderful health and well-being.
To your health & happiness,
Amy
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