The hysteria about fat is just outrageous – not only in reference to dieting but also for fears over the effect it has on our liver and heart. Have you ever gone for the ‘fat-free’ or ‘low calorie’ option when shopping for food? Been tempted by the word ‘light’ on your favourite product? This article seeks to expose that not only are these foods unhelpful in weight loss, in some cases they badly affect your health.
Now this may cause tuts of outrage from the health-freaks but here goes; some fats are HEALTHY, and not only are they healthy they are ESSENTIAL. They are as vital to a healthy diet as protein and carbohydrate. No jokes. HOWEVER, just because you’ve read that fat is good, do not rush out to the nearest McDonalds (Doh!). Hydrogenated fats, like the ones found in margarine, contain something called ‘trans fatty acids.’ Heated hydrogenated fats used food which is deep fried are associated with cancer and heart disease. That’s certainly enough to put one off their chicken nuggets and large fries.
The ‘healthy’ fats are things that contain essential fatty acids or Omega 6 or Omega 3 – and they help to keep us warm (no jokes – the breakdown of fats creates heat, just think how much you’ll save on central heating…), they aid proper hormone function, ESPECIALLY for women and they keep our cell walls strong. There has even been research that shows saturated fats have a role in our health; suggesting it protects the liver from alcohol ingestion, any help with the hangover is always greatly appreciated!
FAT FREE EATING DOES NOT ENSURE WEIGHT LOSS. Fact. If you take one thing away from reading this please let it be this. Fat in foods delivers a feeling of ‘fullness’, and if there is no fat in a meal we can keep eating. And eating. And eating. Until we are stuffed, having ingested far more calories than ever intended. Often in fat-free foods the fat is replaced by carbohydrates so whatever you eat will be high in carbs (aka sugar). Not ideal at all. There is also the fear of becoming fat deficient – not something I’ve ever felt the need to worry about… The health problems we can incur as a result of lacking fatty acids include dry skin, eczema, low energy, slow healing and even depression.
PLEASE, for goodness sakes, do not go out to Saunders, or the Campus Premier and stock up on chocolate and cheese. You’ll find your jeans getting remarkably tighter. The lesson is – avoid DIET FOODS, as nine times out of ten it is better to go for a smaller amount of the natural product than choose the somewhat chemically engineered diet foods. Sorry girls – but there really is no such thing as a fat free muffin. Have an apple. Cheating by having the foods you want but are ‘fat-free’ are just not going to give you a healthy diet and will probably encourage you to eat more. Fat-free processed foods and snacks will always make you eat too much and encourage sugar cravings; you won’t end up satisfied. On the other hand, good quality fats are good for your skin, hair and nails, your immune system, heart, nerves, liver and your nutritional fulfilment.
So next time, avoid the fat-free. If you really want a biscuit, have a real one. Your find yourself fuller than if you have multiple fat-free ones. There’s a reason your mums have always harked on about a ‘balanced’ diet – your diet should contain a little bit of everything, cutting anything out of your diet is not good for you. Simples.