Low Fat Diets Unhealthy?
There are a lot of misconceptions in the health and fitness world, and one of the biggest misconceptions out there is the low fat diet.
Whenever I start working with client, it always takes some time to get them to understand the drawbacks of focusing on the fat content of foods rather than the overall nutritional value. When it comes down to it, you need to really think about what’s in your food, and focus on a Clean Eating Diet that’s full of healthy whole foods.
Unfortunately, low fat diets turn out to be pretty unhealthy in the end, and there are many reasons why. Today, I’m reviewing 5 of those reasons to help get your eating habits in the healthiest zone possible.
5 Reasons Focusing on Fat is a Bad Idea
1. Low Fat Diets Encourage Eating Bad Foods
The biggest problem with low fat diets is that they encourage buying foods that are either low fat or fat free. But it’s important to keep in mind that such products are manufactured that way, as they have to have the fat removed or replaced with another ingredient.
Most foods taste like crap when they have the fat removed, so manufacturers end up replacing the fat with sugar. And sugar is only going to get converted into fat when it’s not all used up, contributing to a number of health problems in addition to obesity.
Conventional low fat diets also push ingredients like vegetable oil and foods with whole wheat. But in large consumption, both of these ingredients can also contribute to weight gain and obesity. Plain and simple, these other ingredients are not the answer, and they don’t support a healthy lifestyle.
2. Low Fat Diets Discourage Many Healthy Foods
The second big problem with low fat diets is that they end up leaving out a lot of really healthy foods, especially foods that contain healthy fats. This is why saying “low fat” isn’t enough. People need to read their labels, and know where the fat is coming from and whether it’s good or bad.
For example, many meats and animal products are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids that actually support a healthy heart and boost your ability to burn fat. The same goes for fats found in nuts, avocados, and many oils like Nutiva Organic Extra-Virgin Coconut Oil.
Grass-fed meats are the best, and are particularly high in omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon is another great choice, but if you want to reap the most benefits from omega-3s, I recommend a daily supplement like Optimum Flaxseed Oil Softgels. And remember, not all fats are created equal!
3. Low Fat Diets Can Lower Good Cholesterol
HDL is the good kind of cholesterol, and it plays an important role in keeping you healthy and reducing the risk of heart disease. You don’t want to compromise your HDL levels.
But you actually need to eat some fat in order to maintain a healthy level of good cholesterol, which a low fat diet can totally interfere with. On top of that, a high intake of carbs can also reduce your good cholesterol.
4. Low Fat Diets Can Lower Testosterone
One of the most important factors in maintaining healthy testosterone levels in men is to consume a healthy amount of fat. It doesn’t have to be the unhealthy kinds of fat like trans fats, but a decent fat intake is needed for men to stay healthy and energized.
5. Low Fat Diets Don’t Teach Healthy Eating Habits
As I’ve already suggested, the expression “low fat” is just too simple, and it doesn’t teach healthy eating habits. Think about it – knowing you have to avoid fat is one thing, but do you know what healthy ingredients to look for?
Knowing which fats to avoid and which fats to eat is a start. But you also want to be eating more fruits and vegetables, reducing your carbohydrate intake and considering healthier alternatives like quinoa and barley, and cutting down on processed and fried foods. These strategies will have a much bigger impact on your overall health than cutting out fat, and they’ll even boost your weight loss efforts in a major way.
Make sure you check out my Clean Eating Diet, and you can also try my Healthy Eating Challenge to really start eating right.
Have any questions or feedback about these 5 Reasons Low Fat Diets Are Unhealthy? Please leave a comment below…
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Thank you for visiting! Weight Loss and Training is a health blog which features all the best weight loss tips that I have learned over my 20 years of training. My background includes a degree in Kinesiology from the world renown Simon Fraser University, certification in nutritional sciences from UBC, and Personal Trainer Specialist certification from Can Fit Pro.