Don’t Fear Dietary Fat

Despite what we’ve been told by doctors, nutritionists, and the media, dietary fat is not fattening. On the contrary, fats are essential for weight loss, weight maintenance, and overall health because they:

• Taste great and enhance mouth feel and flavor profile
• Curb hunger and cravings and promote satiety
• Encourage your body to transition into a fat-burning state
• Help stabilize and control blood sugar levels to optimize weight loss
• May improve cholesterol levels and reduce your risk for heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and other associated diseases
• Help brain cells communicate and maintain optimal cognitive function
• Are an essential component in cell membranes

• Temper fat phobia. Embrace healthy natural dietary fat
• Eat healthy fat until the point of satisfaction
• Choose full-fat foods over low-fat or non-fat foods

Eat healthy fats until satiety, including saturated fats, such as those found in coconut oil, dairy products (e.g. whole cream, butter and cheese), and protein sources like meats, eggs, and fish. Contrary to popular belief, these saturated fats have not been proven to raise your risk of heart disease. Olive oil and avocado oil are also healthy fats (monounsaturated). Nuts, seeds, and avocados contain this healthy fat as well.

Because of the carb content, limit nuts and seeds to a handful per day as a condiment. Limit avocado to ½ per day. Nuts and seed butter (no added sugars).

AVOID THESE INFLAMMATORY FATS

Polyunsaturated vegetable oils (aka “partially hydrogenated”): corn, soybean, sunflower, cottonseed, safflower (non-high-oleic); margarine, butter substitutes and other trans-fats.