Lately fat is making a comeback in the form of the Keto or ketogenic diet. Unless you are a nutritionist, even health professionals like me can get very confused with all the data out there. I can only imagine how difficult it is for the patients trying to lose weight.
As an overweight person, the attraction of the keto diet is big. Lose weight fast by eating more fat. However, know more about fat and types of fats. While true that we need a small amount of fat in our diets to make hormones, the key word is small amount.
Is fat good or bad for us?
There is ongoing debate regarding the relative benefits of restricting total fat as compared to a liberal fat intake rich in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. Studies by Ornish et al. provide support for the extremely low-fat diet, at least for the prevention of cardiovascular events. Another study comparing a low-fat versus high-fat diet in obese people who had reduced calorie intake by 25% showed that only the low-fat diet resulted in decreased waist circumference and fat loss, increased flow dilation of arteries and veins.
In healthy individuals, evidence now makes it clear that in the absence of refined sugars and processed carbohydrates and starches, healthy fats shut down cravings, accelerate weight loss and can help prevent and reverse disease.
The paleo diet is based on what we believed our ancestors eat but just remember that this is only a theory with some very small evidence. Estimates of the paleo diet intake suggest that we are adapted to a fat intake of as much as 30% to 40% of total calories, which is near the typical level in the United States today and below the liberal fat intake of some Mediterranean countries. The benefits of a Paleo diet may include reductions in weight and cardiovascular risk factors. As reviewed by Kuipers et al., Osterdahl et al. showed that 3 weeks of a Paleolithic-like diet resulted in significant decreases in weight, body mass index, and waist circumference. Just keep in mind the small-time frame for the study, there is no long-term evidence.
Unless consumption of wild fish or game is very consistent, fatty acid intake is sure to be lower than recommended. Consumption of nuts and seeds, particularly flaxseed, as a means of raising fatty acid intake is recommended. A health-promoting diet may be as little as 10% and as much as 45% of calories from fat, provided is good fat. While many people report that high fat diet lead to feeling fuller, large amounts of non-starchy foods can do the same with less calories.
Here are some important points
- Saturated Fat: Saturated fat is not linked to heart disease in the absence of refined (starchy) carbs and sugar, and in the presence of omega 3 fats. And review after review after independent review of the research shows that there seems to be no link between saturated fats and heart disease. In fact, a recent large review of the research found that the higher the saturated fat intake, the lower the risk of stroke.
- Butter: Is butter a health food? Probably not. Should it be shunned? For sure not. The review of the literature . My opinion would be not to use or if eaten in very small amounts, there are better sources of fats.
- Low-Fat Diets: Some believe that low-fat diets are the only way to prevent or reverse heart disease or lose weight. However, the overwhelming scientific consensus does not support the conclusion that total fat or even dietary cholesterol are linked to heart disease. This is exactly why the Dietary Guidelines removed any limits on total fat, and dietary cholesterol calling it “no longer a nutrient of concern”. The expert panel that advises government on dietary policy after reviewing the evidence concluded that, “Reducing total fat (replacing total fat with overall carbohydrates) does not lower CVD [cardiovascular disease] risk.… Dietary advice should put the emphasis on optimizing types of dietary fat and not reducing total fat.”
- A Good Diet: should takes the best qualities from a vegan diet and combines them with the best qualities from a paleo diet. It focuses on fresh, ideally organic, low-glycemic, mostly plant-based foods. If animal products are consumed, they should be sustainably raised, grass-fed and treated as a condiment.
In weight loss, lower fat intake is not better.
In summary for weight loss, for those with cardiovascular disease (heart and arteries, veins) and heart disease; a diet low in fat is better. For patients with heart disease the evidence for higher fat diets tends to be smaller and in shorter period of time than the lower fat and more vegan/vegetarian diets.
Red meat is very high in cholesterol and fat but even chicken and fish have 30-45% fat content. Fish is the better protein having the leanest amount of fat and the fat is good. Reduce your intake of lean meat to 1-2 times per week and make it fish preferably. If you can stop red meat all together, make sure to eat small amounts of healthy fats, preferably from wild caught fish or wild game.
Here’s what I recommend:
- Focus on eating a very low-glycemic diet (low sugar, no refined carbs, little to no starchy foods). Focus on more protein and fats. Nuts (not peanuts), seeds (flax, chia, hemp, sesame, pumpkin), avocados, sardines, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil.
- Eat the right fats. Stay away from most vegetable oils such as canola, sunflower, corn, and especially soybean oil, which now comprises about 10 percent of our calories because it’s an additive in many packaged and processed foods. Focus instead on omega-3 fats, extra virgin olive oil, nuts, coconut, avocados and yes, even saturated fat from grass-fed or sustainably raised animals.
- Eat mostly plants; lots of low-glycemic vegetables and fruits. This should be 75 percent of your diet and your plate. I usually make 2 to 3 vegetable dishes per meal.
- Focus on nuts and seeds. They are full of protein, minerals and good fats and they lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
- Avoid dairy. It’s mainly for growing calves into cows, not for humans.
- Avoid gluten. Most is Franken Wheat. Look for heirloom wheat (Einkorn); if you are not gluten sensitive, then consider it an occasional treat. It has been linked to weight gain independent of calories.
- Eat gluten-free whole grains sparingly. They still raise blood sugar and can trigger inflammation.
- Eat beans sparingly. Lentils are best. Stay away from big starchy beans.
- Eat meat or animal products as a condiment, not a main course. Read The Third Plate by Dan Barber to understand how shifts in our eating habits could save the environment and ourselves. Vegetables should take center stage and meat should be a side dish.
- Think of sugar as an occasional treat in all its various forms (i.e., use occasionally and sparingly).
- Avoid processed foods. This includes anything with artificial ingredients, artificial sweeteners, MSG, chemicals, dyes, additives.A good bet is to follow Michael Pollan’s advice. If it was grown on a plant eat it, if it was made in a plant (factory), leave it. An avocado doesn’t have an ingredient list, an egg doesn’t have a nutrition facts label and an almond doesn’t have a bar code. Eat food, not food like substances.
There are significant genetic differences in how people handle fats and carbs, and there may be some who do better on lower-fat diets, while others do better on higher-fat diets; however, all do better on a whole-foods diet that is the opposite of the Standard American Diet, the worst diet on the planet.
