Do you have a love/hate relationship with FATS?

For decades, Americans have been bombarded with conflicting arguments both for AND against this essential macronutrient. Should we eat them? Should we not? What kind of fat should we eat?

But the confusion stops here. My no-nonsense, easy to understand guide to all things fat will show you why breaking-up with your beloved fat is not the way to go.

Why do we need fat?
-Critical for the production of cells and hormones in our bodies
-Important for proper brain functioning
-Provides energy
-Regulates the nervous system
-Controls blood pressure, heart rate and blood clotting
-Essential for the absorption of vitamins (particularly A, D, E, K)

How much do we need?
The daily recommended consumption of total fat in our diet should fall between 20-35%, with 10% or less saturated fats and 1% or less trans fats.

So, if you eat 2,000 calories a day, and 30% of that is fat, you are consuming 600 calories of total fat in your diet.

A common misperception about fats is that the good-for-you fats are also lower in calories. While some fats are healthier than others, they all share the same caloric density (~9 calories per gram). But don’t let that scare you.

Who are the key players? (from worst to best)

Trans Fat
Why it’s the worst:
-Raises LDL (bad guy) cholesterol
-Lowers HDL (good guy) cholesterol
Found in: Stick Margarine; Baked goods; Fried foods; Any foods with “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” in the ingredient list

Saturated Fat
Why it’s bad:
-Raises LDL (bad guy) cholesterol
Found in: Animal fats (meat, whole milk, ice cream, cheese, butter); Certain plant oils (coconut oil, palm oil, cocoa butter)

Polyunsaturated Fat
Why it’s good:
-Lowers total cholesterol
Found in: Vegetable oils (safflower, corn, sunflower, soy oils)

Omega 3 Fatty Acids (type of polyunsaturated fatty acid)
Why it’s better:
-Lowers total cholesterol
-Lowers triglycerides
-Decreases blood clotting
-Decreases inflammation
Found in: Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, herring), Walnuts, Flaxseeds (and flaxseed oil)

Monounsaturated Fat (MUFA)
Why it’s the best:
-Protects against heart disease (lowers LDL cholesterol, raises HDL cholesterol)
-Prevents obesity related diseases such as diabetes and metabolic syndrome
-Maintains brain function
-Decreases inflammation
-Reduces risk of prostate cancer
-Targets stubborn belly fat
Found in: Oils (Canola, safflower, sesame, soybean, walnut, flaxseed, sunflower, olive and peanut oils); Olives; Nuts and Seeds; Avocados; Dark chocolate

Here’s a simple mantra to follow:

Instead of LOW/NO fat, think GOOD fat…and in moderation.

For an even more in-depth look at how fats can affect your health, check out my New York Times bestselling book, Flat Belly Diet! For Men.

Affectionately called the “alligator pear” for its unique shape and scaly skin, the avocado is celebrated worldwide for its pitted perfection.  This colorful fruit (yes fruit, not vegetable!) is a descendant from the berry family, and is most plentiful in the Spring/Summer seasons.  Avocados are plucked at the height of their maturity from a special evergreen tree.  And did I mention they’re also a powerful aphrodisiac?  

The rich, buttery taste of avocados can be attributed to their high content of oleic acid, a beneficial monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA).  In fact, two-thirds of the fat found in these fruits are MUFAs! 

While some consumers have chosen to avoid this superfood due to its fatty flesh, I’m here to tell you why the benefits of avocados far outweigh the common misperceptions:

Health Benefits:

-Improves cholesterol levels and heart health

One study found that after 7 days  participants with moderately high cholesterol levels who supplemented their diets with avocados had a significant decrease in LDL (bad) and total cholesterol levels, and increased HDL (good) cholesterol.

-Maintains eye health (due to high content of lutein)

-Aids in the absorption of antioxidants (particularly carotenoids)

-Good source of key vitamins and minerals: Vitamin E, K, B6, C, Folate, Copper, and Potassium (more than in a medium-sized banana!)

-High in fiber (~3g per serving)

-Targets belly fat

-Promotes satiety           

Avocados can be a delicious addition to salads and sandwiches…even smoothies!  And if you’re looking for a party-pleasing appetizer, then you’ll love my special homemade guacamole recipe!

In the past we thought drinking water before meals helped reduce dietary intake, and as a positive consequence, lose weight.  A good thing.  But then science suggested it wasn’t so.  Well, here’s the flip flop: now researchers from Virginia Tech performed a study of 48 adults, and those who drank 2 cups of water before meals lost 4.5 pounds of weight more than the group who didn’t.  While the sample size was small, it is suggestive that pre-meal water consumption might reduce caloric intake.  Give it about 15 or so minutes to kick in.  

Top Diet Tips from Top Dietitians

Ten of the best weight loss strategies—ever!

-Jackie Newgent, RD

Doing hundreds of crunches a day but not seeing results? I’ll let you in on a little secret:  The key to getting flat abs is only 20% exercise.  The other 80 percent? …Eating right.   

And when it comes to getting those coveted six-pack abs just in time for beach body season, there’s no better belly fat blaster than monounsaturated fatty acids (aka MUFAs). 

MUFAs are plant-based, healthy fats found in a variety of foods we eat.  Research shows that these fats in our diet are not only an effective weight loss tool, but they specifically target those trouble spots in our midsections to help break down stubborn belly fat. 

In my New York Times bestselling book, Flat Belly Diet! For Men, I’ve designed a proven program that shows eating 5 meals a day rich in monounsaturated fats can bring results in just four weeks.  And that’s without performing a single crunch or giving up your favorite steak.

Here are my Top 4 MUFAs for 6-Pack Abs: 

Avocado

Tip: Throw some in your omelets, sandwiches, salads, or whip up some homemade guacamole! 

Nuts & Seeds:

Tip: Create a tasty trail mix combo and add 2 Tbsp. to your morning bowl of oatmeal or yogurt. 

Oils:

Tip: Swap margarine for MUFA-rich olive or canola oils.   

Chocolate

Tip: Some science suggests 70% cacao or higher is best for more antioxidants. 

Clients have asked for information on intuitive eating, or mindful eating. I enjoy referring people to Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD.  View her work and let me know what you think.

A pendulum moves deliberately.  Thoughtfully.  Mindfully. 

A yo-yo?  Not so much.  It’s either all the way up or all the way down.  (Unless you are a master at manipulating a yo-yo.)

Take this example and apply it to the food you eat.  Try to view eating more like a smooth pendulum.  Pendulum eaters, or mindful eaters, are in charge–not just in control–and they are fully aware of the eating event.

Another component of eating mindfully: withhold judgment.  No need to grade something as “good” or “bad.”  Eat what you want when you want it.  Focus on true physical hunger, and honor that hunger with real food.  You’ll eat less and feel better.

Learn more at The Center for Mindful Eating and at eMindful.

When it’s cold outside and not much going on, some of my clients tell me how bored they feel–or lonely, anxious, depressed–and the one thing that comforts, the one constant, is food.  Especially sweets.  I usually explain that turning to food must serve some purpose, and I ask about the perceived purpose and the resulting impact.  How do you feel during the eating episode?  Then what about after?  Always the sequence of responses:  great/dizzy/occupied then guilty/stressed/anxious. 

The cure? Eat, and repeat. 

But we know this doesn’t work because it leads to binge eating (either a subjective or an objective binge), and when the episode is over the client feels worse–not better.  The very thing/feeling that made her or him eat in the first place is still there.  The boredom or the anxiety or the loneliness or the depression never went anywhere.  It was masked for a moment.  I encourage clients to explore this with me and/or with a psychotherapist, if appropriate.

Geneen Roth wrote recently (Good Houkeeping magazine, July 2009): “After having devoted a lot of my life to being anxious about things that never came to pass, I’ve finally realized that worrying is like sitting in a rocking chair all day and thinking you’re actually going somewhere.”  Geneen’s solution, which I adore: “[Notice], on a daily basis, everything that you don’t have to worry about. Everything that is already fine, vibrant, thriving.”

To close, as I tell my clients, when thinking of reaching for food, first identify if it’s from physiological hunger or from emotional hunger.  Then proceed accordingly. 

Flat Belly Diet! for Men is going to be on the New York Times bestseller list next week and has made Amazon’s top 100 for “nutrition”, “weight loss”, & “weight maintenance.”

Sharing an article from Science Daily, which I tend to do frequently. Curious about your thoughts? Do you want to restrict calories?

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ScienceDaily (2009-12-29) — Scientists searching for the secrets of how calorie-restricted diets increase longevity are reporting discovery of proteins in the fat cells of human volunteers that change as pounds drop off. The proteins could become markers for monitoring or boosting the effectiveness of calorie-restricted diets — the only scientifically proven way of extending life span in animals.