Why Fat is My Friend

The recent article Fat (Reconsidered) by Nina Teicholz and her newly released book The Big Fat Surprise, finally provides a comprehensive analysis as to why this nation fed into the FAT IS BAD campaign and what we all should do about it. If you love fat, like I do, you know longer have to hide from the world. You don’t have to sneak fat in when no one else is looking, add avocado to your salad, put bacon in your stir-fry, have butter on your toast. None of these foods are going to hurt you and they taste GREAT!!!

When I was on the Fat is BAD band wagon, I ended up eating a lot of processed-refined carbs and small amounts of protein (because red meat is BAD and full of BAD fat) After I read the books, The Metabolic Typing Diet by William Wolcott and Biochemical Individuality by Roger Williams, it finally dawned on me that I am an individual and what may work for one person, may not necessarily work for me. Freedom!! I no longer had to listen to the latest media blitz demonizing carbs, fat or protein– depending on the day any one of these macronutrients could be in the sites of the firing squad- but I could eat foods that taste good and make me feel good.

Based on my Metabolic Type, I need more fat and protein in my diet compared to carbohydrate. That does not mean I don’t eat carbohydrates at all, it just means they make up a smaller percentage of my diet. It also means that I eat carbohydrates primarily from vegetables, some low sugar fruits, and whole grains like faro, quinoa, and Ezekial bread.

Eating larger percentages of fat and protein, does not mean I eat ribeye steaks and butter for dinner either – although I certainly do from time to time. It does mean that I incorporate high protein beans, vegetables and grains and some animal protein at each meal. I do eat butter, coconut oil, olive oil, and sesame oil but avoid hydrogenated oils and highly processed vegetable oils.

Eating this way helps me to balance my blood sugar, control my weight, have steady energy and stay in relatively good health with very few colds or other sicknesses.

Back to why fat is my friend, fat provides a nice even energy source that doesn’t spike my blood sugar. Sugary foods or highly processed white flour foods spike my blood sugar leaving me with low-energy, nauseous and/or dizzy feelings, extremely hungry, and sometimes a headache. Fat leaves me feeling satiated, happy and balanced in my energy and my mood.

Fat metabolizes more slowly. Whereas simple sugars can cross the intestinal wall and enter the blood stream directly, fat needs to be broken down into manageable particles called chylomicrons and transported through the lymph system before entering the blood stream by way of the liver. Since it enters the blood stream so slowly, the spikes in blood sugar are avoided and a more even energy flow is achieved.

I don’t buy low-fat anything, full fat all the way for me, except yogurt (I prefer 2%). Salad dressing, cheese, butter, milk, sausage, -and guess what? there is good scientific evidence showing pasture raised animals have as much omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids as cold water fish. You don’t just have to eat fish to get these healthy fats in your diet. Flax seed, chia seeds, and hemp are also good sources. Adding a slice of farm-raised bacon to a vegetable stir fry adds flavor and provides a healthy mixture of fats (saturated and unsaturated) Fat balances the carbohydrate ratio for me and keeps me feeling full, satiated and healthy.

Fat is an important component of our cell walls, hormones, cholesterol in the brain and energy source. Fat is one of the three macronutrients needed by humans to achieve overall good health. Fat should not be avoided nor overly consumed but eaten as part of a healthy balanced diet. Just like with most foods, variety is key to achieve a good mix of all of the fats needed by the body.

Just because fat is my friend does not mean that this holds true for all people. Although I think fat has been overly demonized and people substitute processed carbohydrates for fat (which is equally damaging to health), I know that a higher fat diet is not the right diet for all. That is why it is so important to work with a nutritionist or Metabolic Typing adviser to help figure out the best diet for you. Contact me to set up a FREE initial consultation today.

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