True.
Fat does not make you fat. Being one of those who demonize fat as the major cause of weight gain, can be stressful and confusing. Luckily, fat is not the cause of gaining weight. Let’s think about it. The human brain is nearly 60 percent fat. We’ve learned in recent years that fatty acids are among the most crucial molecules that determine your brain’s integrity and ability to perform. Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are required for maintenance of optimal health but they can not be synthesized by the body and must be obtained from dietary sources.*(See here).
Food controls everything. And healthy fat does not make you fat. Let’s see why!
Fats are also known as lipids and are essential for maintaining optimal health. Although fat was thought to be the reason for obesity and overweight in the nineties, now we know that healthy fats play a big role in our overall health. Yes, we speak about healthy fats only. Which are they?
A good example is the monounsaturated fats
These are the fats from the all-time favorite Mediterranian diet. Monounsaturated fats are typically liquid at room temperature. They have a beneficial effect on the heart and help to support good (HDL) cholesterol and lower the bad (LDL) cholesterol. They can also help with weight loss, prevent heart disease and may reduce inflammation as well as the cancer risk. Examples of monounsaturated fats are:
- Vegetable oil
- Avocado
- Nuts (one recent study showed a handful of nuts a day reduced death from all causes by 20%)
- Seeds
Monounsaturated fats – like all fats – contain nine calories per gram. From this point of view, it may sound logical that eating less fat makes you eat fewer calories which leads to no weight gain. Wrong. Healthy fats will not make you fat. They come from plants and have by far more benefits than being good fats only. For example, walnuts, chia seeds and flaxseeds are a source of the ALA omega-3 fatty acids, and all nuts, seeds, soy, safflower oil and corn oil provide omega-6 fatty acids. Despite the previous belief that dietary fat causes weight gain, eating quality fat may actually help promote a healthy weight. Why? Because eating a proper amount of healthy fats on a daily basis will actually make you burn more calories! Dietary fat is higher in calories per gram than carbohydrates or protein but it can positively impact the whole calorie-burning process.
Saturated fat is one of the unhealthy fats, together with trans fats. However, when it comes to the saturated fats, there is an exception. Don’t be afraid of having some good saturated fat like extra virgin coconut butter. It is a great plant-based source of saturated fat that has many benefits. It fuels your mitochondria, is anti-inflammatory, and it does not cause problems with your cholesterol.
How do we gain weight?
All begins when sugar spikes your fat-storing hormone insulin. Remember – every processed carbohydrate, including whole-grain wheat bread, turns into sugar in your blood. Then, a vicious cycle that includes hunger, cravings and overeating ensues. Insulin then drives all available fuel in your bloodstream into your fat cells, especially those around the middle of your body that we call belly fat. This stimulates your brain to make you eat more.
Most people who struggle with overweight or obesity tend to restrict calories and focus on more exercise but then, another interesting thing happens – the body becomes alarmed that now you limited your calorie intake, making your body afraid that you are starving. So what the body does? It puts you on starvation mode. It starts saving energy – so you move slower, become tired and look for more food. Usually, the wrong one. Your metabolism slows down until you find food – this is nature – the body should survive. You probably can stay hungry for a while but not for too long, right? Remember, cutting down on fats because you want to eat fewer calories, will inevitably put your body on starvation mode. Here is why most people fail with this strategy.
When people eat less fat, they tend to eat more starch or sugar instead, and this actually increases their levels of dangerous cholesterol which we all know is related to heart attacks. So, let’s recap: Fat doesn’t make you fat. Sugar makes you fat.
Having a diet with good-quality fats is beneficial and healthy for you!
I love avocado and raw nuts. What are your favorite healthy fats?