For much of my life I followed the commonly held belief that a low fat diet is both good for you and supports a healthy BMI. Regularly consumed 'foods' included diet coke, skim milk, egg white omlette's, low fat dressings, diet yoghurt, cheese, sugar free gum and more. If you are still consuming these less healthy (yes less healthy) staples listen up. Stop right now. I guess you are wondering why?
Despite what we were told, fat is not the enemy. There are bad fats sure (trans fats especially, the kind found in fast food). But the kind of fats I was cutting out of my diet above, not so much in the bad category. In fact, research now supports that not only do we need fat in the diet but that good fats in particular eaten as part of a balanced diet do not cause weight gain. Huh?!
Another reason the diet foods in the supermarket should be avoided is the amount of processing that goes into stripping out the fat. Your priority should be on eating whole foods in their natural state as much as possible. Say goodbye to processed foods. Know you are looking after your self when you pick the full fat milk and eating your yolks. As for the link to cholesterol regarding eggs, it's now been proven that while there is cholestral in eggs, they don't actually cause higher cholesterol in our blood when we eat them. So eat them!
Saturated fats - the kinds in red meat, milk and coconut oil do not need to be avoided either, but are best in moderation. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are the healthiest choices. To be specific, the best types of fat are natural, whole and let's face it delicious. Think Extra Virgin Olive Oil, avocado's, nuts and seeds. Some fish too like salmon and mackeral - which also contain Omega 3's which are excellent for heart health.
I stopped eating diet versions altogether more than a year ago. It felt liberating. Now that I'm on the Whole30 my fat intake is higher again. Guess what. I am not gaining weight. If anything I am losing weight. Proof much? The picture above is an example of the type of food I am consuming in abundance. Low fat? No. Healthy? Yes.
Now go and get liberated! For more scientific information, here is a link to a Harvard Medical study. If you don't believe me, surely you will believe them.
