Do you still believe that low-fat diet is the best way of staying slim and healthy? Then here are some facts you need to know.
As a matter of fact, you tend to lose more weight and perform better physically and mentally on a high-fat diet, rather than on a low-fat one. Counterintuitive? It might seem so at first glance, but it is simple physiology.
- Fat in your diet does not automatically equal fat in your blood. In fact, blood lipids are mainly driven by the consumption of sugar, starch and alcohols, which turn on the fat production system in your liver.
- Carbs and (to a degree) protein raise blood glucose levels after a meal, triggering insulin release. Insulin is known is a “fat storage” hormone, as it promotes fat deposition, particularly around the waist. Fat, on the other hand, is the most insulin neutral nutrient of all.
- Fat affects the level of appetite-regulating hormones and helps keeping hunger and cravings at bay.
- High-fat diet helps the brain to work better. In fact, high-fat diets are being successfully used to relief epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. The reason for that, is that fat metabolites (ketones) are excellent biochemical fuel sources for the brain. Moreover, ketones are also involved in regulation of several neurotransmitters responsible for mood, memory and concentration.
- Every single body cell needs fat. It makes the cell walls sufficiently fluid for the required nutrients to come in and for the waste to come out.
The decades of low-fat advice, have created a massive fat phobia. However, the new science consistently indicates that fat is a highly valuable nutrient, that can do you a lot of good.
If you do decide to increase fat in your diet, there’re 2 important things to consider:
- Firstly, fat MUST be increased at the account of simple carbohydrate (e.g. sugar, pasta, bread, etc.). Maintaining high intake of carbs and adding more fat, is the worst thing you can do for your weight, cardiovascular and mental health.
- Secondly, the type and quality of fat matter. I am certainly not advocating a diet full of deep-fried foods or trans fats (aka margarines). But having more oily fish, coconut butter, avocados, meat and full-fat dairy coming from grass-fed organically raised cattle, can help you to stay leaner, sharper and overall healthier.
