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Call or Text (561) 775-9111Contrary to popular belief, fats don’t make you fat or unhealthy. Believe it or not, fake foods, a lack of physical activity and stress can all lead to an unhealthy lifestyle.
There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t educate a patient, friend or acquaintance on the fallacy that fatty foods are bad for them. Usually, the conversation is spawned by them saying how they try to avoid eggs, bacon or steak. I quickly ask them “why,” and their answer typically entails a blurb about cholesterol. Truthfully, they don’t know “why,”—they just repeat the false information that is slowly killing American’s every day.
When I see a patient concerned about their cholesterol, I ask them to describe their eating habits throughout the day. I’m met with many different answers, most of which include oatmeal, fruit, fish, steamed veggies and other ‘healthy’ alternatives to fat. Most of my patients don’t really enjoy the diet they describe to me, and they’re often lacking energy. To their surprise, I then turn the conversation to what types of food they like to eat, and their answers to this question are much more delicious—pizza, bacon, baked potato’s and steak!
All About Cholesterol
As human beings, we’re programmed to crave fat. Why? Because it’s our essential energy source! As your sitting at work avoiding doing anything productive, you are burning fat. Whenever you are not breathing heavy, your primary energy source is fat. Now, if you’re sitting at your desk burning fat and decide to drink a soda, sugary coffee or eat a donut, your body responds to the influx of sugar by putting a stop to fat burning and turns the focus to burning sugar instead, storing the unburned sugar as fat.
Did you know that there has never, ever been a study completed that has concluded fatty foods elevate cholesterol? There have, however, been studies that show an increase of fat into the diet lowers triglycerides, LDL Cholesterol, total cholesterol and increases your HDL Cholesterol. For those non-believers, I’ve gone ahead and added a link to the bottom of the page that shows a meta analysis, the “cream of the crop” when it comes to research, that states that high saturated fat intake has no correlation with a higher risk of coronary artery disease.
Choose Healthy Fats
I know what you’re probably thinking now—and the answer is no! It’s not time to order a large pizza, 24-oz steak or three pounds of bacon. This blog was designed to educate you on the best practices when it comes to battling high cholesterol or a growing waistline. If this sounds like you, consider adding fats back into your diet in moderation and sacrificing the fake or artificial foods with labels and ingredient lists longer than the Bible!
Instead, choose quality foods like organic eggs, organic beef and cooking vegetables in grass-fed butter—my fats of choice include olive oil and coconut oil, organic meats and dark chicken. Eating the foods you enjoy won’t just make you healthier, but happier, all while satisfying your blood tests and waistline!
I hope you found this blog helpful. If you have any questions, concerns or would like to set up a consultation about your diet, contact my practice today.