Brett's Diet Tips: Why "Fat Free" Foods Make You Fat
69"It's Fat Free, so I can eat all I want, right?"
Um, that would be: No. It seems logical--if you want to loose weight, knock out the fat. If you want to knock out the fat, eat low-fat or fat free foods. If you only eat fat free foods, you'll loose weight. But, if that were true, why would America have such a weight problem? The fact of the matter is, fat isn't the problem. Sugar is the problem. Let me explain why.
When they take fat out, they usually put sugar in.
The problem with fat free foods, and I'm specifically referring to manufactured foods, especially fat free snack foods; the problem with fat free foods is that fats taste good. Food without fats taste bad. Or at least, they taste worse than normal. Food manufacturers know that people don't usually buy food that tastes bad. To compensate, they add taste back into the product with high calorie ingredients such as flour or sugar—usually sugar. It may be in the form of corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, crystalline fructose, sucrose or glucose, it doesn't really matter, it's all sugar.
If the manufacturer is really trying to make it sound healthy, they will call it 'evaporated cane juice,' which is... sugar. Of course, not all sugar is bad for you. In general, the closer something is to the way God made it, the better. So evaporated cane juice, if it really hasn't had any other processing, should be much better for you than refined white sugar, or the crack of sugars: high fructose corn syrup.
"Doesn't my body need sugar?"
Yes. Your body does need sugar. Your body uses it for fuel. But your body is an extremely efficient machine. It takes only a small amount of sugar to provide the fuel you body needs—especially for today's desk bound office worker or couch potato. Once your body has used the fuel it needs, it stores the left over sugar for future use. You see, we've been designed to survive hardships and the occasional famine. Food wasn't always available down the street at the local supermarket. So, when the body finds itself with extra fuel left over it stores it as fat. That way, when hard times come you'll have the fuel you need to carry you through.
"So you're saying I can eat as much fat as I want?"
No, I'm not saying that.Some fats are good for you, like extra virgin olive oil, or cold pressed flax seed oil. Your body needs these omega-3, -6 & -9 essential oils to function well.
Fats that are solid at room temperature, like butter, lard, visible fat on meat, are not as good for you.They add a lot of calories, 100 per tablespoon, on average, and don't offer much in the way of other nutrients. However, they do taste really good, and used in moderation can usually be added to a diet plan without harming your weight loss. In fact, because fats add taste and act to suppress your appetite, using essential oils and a little butter or sour cream will actually help you lose weight. The key here is moderation. Use half & half in your coffee instead of non-dairy creamer (which is mostly corn solids and corn syrup).
Some fats are downright bad for you.These are usually fats and oils that have been radically altered in a manufacturing process to extend shelf life. These include oils that can sit on a shelf in a clear bottle for months or even years without going rancid. These oils are no longer in a form that the body recognizes, like trans-fatty acids. The body literally doesn't know what to do with them.
It matters what kind of fats you eat. You need some, you don't need others. Now, if you are eating naturally fat free foods that have no added sugar or white flour, now you're on the right track. Eat foods that are as close to nature as possible, and you'll do fine.
That's if for now...
God Bless,
Brett
