Lower Carbs with More Healthy Fats is Good for You

A Healthy Kind of Fat

After nine years of research into what a healthy diet looks like, author and investigative journalist Nina Teicholz built up a body of evidence that cutting out fats from our diet wasn’t the answer. Her book, The Big Fat Surprise, calls into question many assumptions and ‘accepted facts’ that as it happens, aren’t as true as we’d like them to be.

Butter vs Margarine

We’re usually advised to stick to margarine on our bread roll or croissant in the morning. The delicious taste of melted butter on a warm roll just isn’t good for you, they say. Full-fat butter isn’t what the body requires because it has too much saturated fat.

The research reported by Teicholz indicated that it’s not the type of fat that’s bad for you – with the notable exception of trans fat – but more the quantity of it each day that makes the difference.

Healthy Desserts vs Banned Treats

If you have treats that you cannot even go near because their smell in the bakery is too overwhelming to avoid picking up that cupcake or slice of chocolate gateau, you’re not alone. Like most people, these types of treats sit on the bad side of the column on your food rating list.

However, just like with healthy fats, butter and cheese, it’s a little surprising to learn that as long as you don’t eat the whole cake but only have your slice, you’ll be just fine. The low-fat desserts aren’t necessary to suffer through because they neither deliver the taste or bad fats.

The Body Knows What It Needs, Sometimes

While our bodies sometimes give out mixed signals, it does suggest when we’re not eating well. Eating fewer carbs is okay as long as there’s still some protein coming in to deliver the energy that’s needed through the day.

Trying to restrict fats to lose weight doesn’t work because below a certain threshold, the body gets starved of it and holds onto what it has. This is why shifting the last few pounds off your frame to be perfectly slim doesn’t work when you’re still on a low-fat diet. You cannot remove fat while giving the body less than it requires each day. It goes into protection mode and holds back the fat because the daily supply has declined below what’s necessary.

Your body does communicate with you, but it’s difficult to be attentive to the message it’s trying to convey. Thankfully, with books like The Big Fat Surprise, we can do away with outdated concepts around what foods are good for you. As long as you don’t consume too much, you’ll still be eating healthfully. Surprise!