It’s so hard to know what to eat these days, and which research to believe. And to be honest, if you try pretty much any diet around, you’ll initially get results, but can you stick with it? More importantly, are you healthy on the inside because of what you are eating? In my experience low fat diets leave me feeling hungry and dissatisfied. But did you know that eating a low fat/high carb diet may actually increase your risk for diabetes, which is one of the leading causes of heart disease?

Low Fat & High Carbohydrate Diets

There are 3 nutrient types that provide calories: carbohydrates, fats & proteins. Our protein consumption should be pretty constant regardless of which diet we follow, so if you are eating low fat, your carbs go up. If you are eating low carbohydrate, you will need to eat more fat. Think of these two like a see-saw. Of course you should be eating plenty of veggies, greens and some fruit, but for the purpose of this post I’m focusing more on the fat and carbohydrate topic.

Back in the 70’s, low fat diets were all the craze. Unfortunately though, in the following decades we’ve seen obesity rates skyrocket. In addition, scientists have found a correlation with those who eat low fat diets and increased mental illness, depression, anxiety, etc.

Our bodies need fat for many reasons: hormone production, satiety, brain chemistry etc. Its the nutrient that really satiates us, which is to say that we feel satisfied and full when we eat meals composed with fats.

Isn’t Saturated Fat Bad & Doesn’t It Cause Heart Attacks?

I’ve always been a proponent of eating a wide variety of fats and not excluding certain ones. But the big heart associations say to avoid saturated fats. Now though, scientists are discovering that there doesn’t’ seem to be much truth to those recommendations anymore.

Plus, when you avoid saturated fats, we end up eating too many polyunsaturated fats (vegetable oils). These are pro-inflammatory fats, and when out of balance can lead to many types of inflammation, arthritis, heart disease and more of the “itis” diseases.

If you are interested in the science piece, go ahead and check out this link to read Barbara Roberts talk more about saturated fat. She has been involved in researching and treating cholesterol disorders since a stint at the National Institutes of Health in the nineteen-seventies. She’s a board certified cardiologist and Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/05/22/the-heart-association-s-junk-science-diet.html

Plus, if you’re curious to learn more about the American Heart Association and it’s financial motivations, read this follow up piece by Barbara Roberts:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/03/the-aha-s-absurd-saturated-fat-obsession.html

Sweet Sugar!

Have you ever noticed that “reduced fat” products, for example cream cheese, has more sugar in it than the full fat option. NOT GOOD. Most manufactured foods that are low in fat are higher in sugar. Thats to make it taste yummy because foods with less fat don’t taste very good. If you don’t believe me, start comparing labels at your grocery store. Sugar is PRO-inflammatory. If we could reduce the amount of sugar we eat, we’d be a lot healthier and leaner.

Not sure how to add fat to your diet? Here are some ideas to get you started… remember to eat a variety of: grass-fed meats, dairy products (organic if possible), avocado, fish, coconut oil, butter, olives, nuts and seeds.

Beware! If your goal is fat loss or weight loss, remember that fat has more calories per gram than carbohydrate and protein, so keep your portions in mind. This isn’t a license to eat all the fat you can stuff into your mouth. But, you will find that a little fat goes a long way to satisfy you! Mmmm….

Barbara Roberts has been involved in researching and treating cholesterol disorders since a stint at the National Institutes of Health in the nineteen-seventies. A board certified cardiologist and Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University, she is the author of How To Keep From Breaking Your Heart: What Every Woman Needs to Know about Cardiovascular Disease and The Truth About Statins: Risks and Alternatives to Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs.

Check out her books here on amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Barbara-H-Roberts/e/B008B6H32I/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_1