The Low Fat Lie
Written by Wendy Corr on October 4, 2017
Fats are an essential nutrient and one of the primary energy sources for the body – but we’ve been told low-fat is best. Turns out it’s the KIND of fats that we consume that make a difference in our health! I’m Wendy Corr, and in today’s Wellness Tip, I’ll give you important information that will help you make healthy decisions when it comes to dietary fat!
Healthy fats play a big role in weight management, absorbing nutrients, maintaining healthy skin and hair, regulating body temperature, supporting immune function and hormonal balance. But for decades, we’ve been told to put fatty foods like coconuts, eggs, and fatty cuts of meat in the “foods to avoid” category. When we miss out on fats in our diets, we can quickly find ourselves feeling tired, moody, constantly hungry, unable to kick cravings and resentful over our restrictive diets.
But in place of fat, most people eat more carbohydrates. This also includes high-carb foods with plenty of sugar. Lower-fat versions of packaged foods are the worst – in order to make these things still taste good, they remove most of the fat and instead replace it with sugar, salt, bulking agents, flavor enhancers, and artificial flavors by the bucket-full.
And we also tend to over-eat foods that are labeled “low-fat.” Three recent studies found that putting low–fat labels on snack foods encouraged people to eat up to 50% more than those who saw labels without the low fat claim.
When you eat a higher-fat diet, you’re most likely to feel fuller between meals, have less carbohydrate and sugar cravings, think more clearly, and experience more energy. But remember that the quality of fat you eat is just as important as the quantity when it comes to your health!
So how do we know which fats are the healthiest? High quality olive oils, avocados, raw nuts and seeds, and full fat coconut milk are great additions to your diet that will help feed your body AND your brain!
Thanks for tuning in to Wellness with Wendy! I love sharing tips and tricks to help you live your best life – so for more health and wellness news and advice, follow my blog on mybighornbasin.com.
