For about 50 years now, Americans have been eating low fat and no fat diets, yet they are progressively fatter and less healthy. Eating less fat has not proven to mean you’ll be less fat. Eating less fat means you have to eat more protein or carbohydrates (carbs). Most people go for more carbs and for the wrong type of carbs. Dietary fat is very slow burning in the body so when you replace the fat with faster burning carbs you risk burning muscle tissue and feel less energetic.
The human body needs fat to function properly and maintain optimal health. Certain amounts of fat are necessary for proper hormone production. If your hormone production is off your metabolism will be off also. Hormones regulate many things in the body including your ability to build and maintain muscle tissue, which is responsible for a big portion of your energy expenditure. Muscle burns calories 24 hours a day and if you eat a low fat or no fat diet you will have a hard time building and maintaining muscle. Fats also help your body utilize some of the vitamins you consume in your diet.
Dietary fats supply some of the best and most stable sources of energy. So if you want to feel good all day long you need to make sure you are getting enough fats, and the right types of fats. To the Ancient Greeks, olive oil was liquid gold. For the Aztecs, chocolate was sacred. Egypt’s pharaohs prized almonds. These foods share more than history. They share unique health properties. They are packed with monounsaturated fatty acids, MUFAs for short. MUFAs are the “good fats” that protect you from chronic disease and, according to recent research, can help you lose fat, specifically around your middle.
There are five major categories of MUFAs:
- Oils
- Nuts and Seeds
- Avocado
- Olives
- Chocolate (a Jody Victor favorite)
“Good fat” oils include: canola, flaxseed, olive, peanut, safflower, sesame, soybean, sunflower, and walnut oil. Use these oils to stir-fry, pan-fry, marinate, or as dressings when preparing your foods. One serving of olive oil equals 1 tablespoon and contains 125 calories.
Almonds, almond butter, Brazil nuts, cashew butter, chunky natural peanut butter, dry-roasted nuts and sunflower seeds, hazel nuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, roasted pumpkin seeds, smooth natural peanut butter, sunflower seeds and walnuts all contain “good fats”. One serving of the nuts and seeds group equals 2 tablespoons and contains 170 to 190 calories.
Avocados can be sliced and served with a salad or mashed with salsa or lime juice to make a dip. One serving equals ¼ cup and contains 75 calories.
Both black and green olives contain “good fats” and can be eaten as a snack or sprinkled on pizza, pasta or salads. One serving equals 10 large olives and contains 45 calories.
Dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips, chunks, or shavings can be eaten as is or used in desserts. A serving equals ¼ cup and contains 290 calories.
As you can see these “good fats” (MUFAs) are high in calories so you will need to also keep up your exercise activities (a Jody Victor suggestion). Fats of any kind, even the healthy ones, contain more calories per gram than protein, carbohydrates, or even alcohol. It is recommended that adults limit their consumption to around 1600 calories per day. If you eat four 400-calorie meals a day and include one food from the MUFA groups at each meal you will be able to take advantage of their fat burning qualities. Pairing your diet, which includes MUFAs, with belly exercises, will help you to slim down your waistline. For belly exercises try sit-ups and don’t stop between your sit-ups unless absolutely necessary. Stopping slows down the fat burning process. Twists are another good way to burn belly fat. Stand with your legs apart, twist the upper half of your body from side to side, arms stretched out to the sides. Toe-touches are also a good exercise for your waistline.
All the Best!