Fat to lower obesity

On the 14th April 2016 I wrote a post called "Don't Fear the Fat" which if you read it, you'll know is all about how fat isn't as dangerous as we have been told it is for the past few decades.

Today (23rd May 2016 at the time of writing), the National Obesity Forum and the Public Health Collaboration in the UK, have released a report which pretty much shows that most of what we have been told about how to eat a healthy balanced diet is basically... wrong.

The authors of the report say that the obesity epidemic is not only very real, but that it's roots lie in the belief that low fat diets are good for us.  The report states that:

"Eating a diet rich in full-fat dairy - such as cheese, milk and yoghurt - can actually lower the chance of obesity."

It goes on to say:

"The most natural and nutritious foods available - meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, nuts, seeds, olives, avocados - all contain saturated fat."

Ok, now I am NOT an advocate of dairy produce.  No other mammals need milk or milk products after weaning, so why do we?  Or the link dairy produce has with cáncer and osteoporosis... but don't get me started on this one, otherwise this post will go on for way too long.

However, low fat or even no fat products, to me are deceiving.  When you remove fat from a food, it becomes tasteless and therefore unappetizing.  So manufacturers replace the fat with sugar, salt or both.  We now know that what makes us gain the most weight is sugar and other forms of carbohydrates, so which would you prefer a yummy something with its natural fat, or a processed salt
and/or sugar ridden substance?

Anyway, getting back to the point at hand.  A summary of this (in my point of view - wonderful report) is:

1.  Processed foods labelled "low fat", "lite", "low cholesterol" or "proven to lower cholesterol" should be avoided at all costs.

2.  People with type 2 diabetes should eat a fat-rich diet rather than a carbohydrate based diet.

3.  Everyone should avoid sugar and we should stop counting calories and focus on fresh, whole foods.

4.  Exercise does not reverse the negative effects of a bad diet.  You need to change your diet and do the exercise to improve health.

5.  "An effective and safe approach for preventing weight gain and aiding weight loss" is a diet low in refined carbohydrates but high in healthy fats.

6.  "The continued demonization of omnipresent natural fat drives people away from highly nourishing, wholesome and health promoting foods."

The amount of times I have to convince my clients that it's OK to eat avocados is unbelievable.  Avocados have had such bad press for so long that most people believe they are extremely fattening, when in fact, they aren't.  They are packed full of healthy fats that our bodies need.  The same goes for nuts.  People gasp in horror when they are told to eat nuts, this is mainly because everyone thinks of nuts are the salted, roasted variety.

Raw almonds are packed full of amazingly nutritious properties, and clinical studies have proven that people who eat a handful of nuts 3-5 times a week live longer than those who don't.

Professor David Haslam, chairman of the National Obesity Forum said,

"As a clinician, treating patients all day every day, I quickly realized guidelines from on high, suggesting high carbohydrate, low fat diets were the universal panacea, were deeply flawed.

"Current efforts have failed - the proof being that obesity levels are higher than they have ever been, and show no chance of reducing despite the best efforts of the Government and scientists."

Other people such as Tim Noakes, a marathon runner, author, scientist and emeritus professor in the Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine at the University of Cape Town,  says that low carb, high fat diets are much better for us and for professional athletes than high carb diets.

One of the main problems I feel that exists when contemplating a low carb, high fat diet is that when you say the word "fat" to people, they instantly think of fry-ups; processed bacon, fried eggs, fish and chips, greasy burgers... and that isn't what a high fat diet consists of.

The real deal on fats:

Omega-3 fatty acids are basically super fats for the heart and brain.  Omega-3s are a type of polyunsaturated fat which play a vital role in cognitive function (memory, problem-solving, etc.) as well as emotional wellbeing.  Omega-3s have been shown to prevent and reduce the symptoms of depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder.  They can protect against memory loss and dementia, reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer.  They can erase arthritis, joint pain and inflammatory skin conditions.

Good fats include: Avocados, olives, nuts (almonds, peanuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, cashews), natural peanut butter with no added oils or sugars, just some salt.  This is actually really easy to make, you just need organic peanuts some salt and a high powered blender.  Just blend away.  Walnuts, sunflower, sesame and pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, trout and
sardines, Brussels Sprouts, kale, spinach, parsley and olive oil.

If you feel you would benefit from and Omega-3 supplement then I prefer krill oil as it is a fish oil that is soluble in water so better assimilated by the human body.

Fats gone bad:

A good fat can become damaged by light, heat or oxygen.  Oils that are high in polyunsaturated fats (such as flaxseed oil) must be refrigerated and kept in an opaque container.  Throw out all oils, seeds or nuts once they begin to smell or taste rancid or bitter.  Heating oil to high temperatures damages their quality and beneficial properties.  Coconut oil is a great oil to cook with as it can withstand high temperatures.  Olive oil becomes damaged quickly at cooking temperatures, so be careful and never reuse oil.

So, what we are really looking at is a healthy diet of whole, natural and unprocessed foods - just like our parents or grandparents used to make for us.  A source of protein, with lots of vegetables - this is what the human body needs.  Carbohydrates?  Few and whole, no refined carbs.

For example, my lunch today was a large salad made from one whole avocado, 1 diced tomato, a large chunk of cucumber and some red onion, dressed with olive oil and lime juice.  I also had a handful of raw almonds that I heated first to release their natural oils.


I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com