Avoiding fat but can’t lose weight?
One of my clients who was struggling to lose weight told me she's been very careful with her diet and exercising regularly...
...but her weight never changes. And it was depressing.
I asked her how exactly she was "being careful" with her diet.
She said, "I try to avoid fat, especially saturated fat. I eat non-fat yogurt and use non-fat milk. I don’t eat fried food. I only eat egg white.”
When I hear this, it always breaks my heart.
This trend of choosing low-fat food is VERY common.
When I moved to the US from Japan (after living in France for 2 years) I honestly was very confused. It was 1996 and it felt like everyone was going for low-fat diet.
In Japan, they LOVE beef that have a lot of fat (marbled). In fact, they are considered delicacy and are the most expensive 🥩
In France, butter, cream and rich cheeses are staples in their diet (and they definitely make food taste delicious) 🧀
After studying nutrition and epidemiology, I learned that the low-fat guideline that was implemented in the US was directly correlated with the obesity epidemic
Why?
Americans started to eat more sugar 🍯, less fat, and the prevalence of obesity went up by a lot ⤴️.
Although the underlying assumption of the low-fat guideline was that if people reduced meat and dairy to avoid fat, they would automatically turn to healthier substitutes such as fruit and vegetables and would eat fewer calories overall.
Instead, the food industry substituted sugars for fats in processed foods, and consumers LOVED it because it tasted good!
Lo and behold, sugar consumption went up by 30% between 1980 and 1999, and total caloric intake went up by 25%.
So it is clear that low-fat food doesn’t help you lose weight.
On the contrary, we should increase the consumption of good fat.
Getting enough fat will make you more satisfied so you won’t have to reach towards sugar and refined carbohydrate as much.
Fat has so many benefits such as improvement in…
*Brain function
*Digestion
*Blood sugar regulation
*Nutrient absorption
*Cholesterol regulation
*Energy
And, most importantly, it makes your food taste delicious!😋
So, try incorporating these foods in your diet
🫒Olive oil
🥜Nuts/Seeds
🥑Avocado
🍣Fish
🥚Whole eggs (make sure to eat the yolk! Your brain will thank you)
🍫Dark chocolate
You will actually feel more energetic and lighter.
Below is the energy ball recipe that is popular among the Mind-Body Reset participants.
Enjoy!
Much love,
Ai
ps. if you want more tips on how to boost energy naturally, click here for a free eBook!
Peanut Butter Energy Balls
Ingredients
1 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup toasted shredded coconuts (unsweetened)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup mixed nuts & seeds of your choice
1/2 cup dates
1/2 cup dried fruits (figs, raisins, cranberry, cherry, etc.)
1 tablespoon chia seed
pinch sea salt
1/3 cup cacao powder (optional)
Directions
Combine everything except for cacao powder
The dough should be sticky enough to make balls. If not, add more peanut butter
Make balls by hand. Coat with cacao powder if you like and cool in fridge overnight. Keep refrigerated.
