Did you believe the low fat lie too?
I am 52 years old and for the most of the 80’s and 90’s followed the “Low Fat “diet as prescribed by all the diet clubs and NHS guidance.
I recently started following Dr Zoe Harcombe, listening to her podcasts on YouTube where she often compares the “low fat, high fibre” diet trend to the spike in obesity cases rising, a coincidence? Zoe doesn’t think so!
As an example, my hometown Swindon in Wiltshire currently has an obesity rate of 67% and that is way above the national average, yet every other shop here in Swindon is a fast food take away or a coffee shop selling sugar laden treats.
Since introducing healthy fats into my diet, I have found that the fat in foods add taste, flavour and thickness to our foods, however the food industry took the fat out of foods and replaced it with sugars and chemical thickening agents. The chemicals and extra sugar cause harmful inflammation in our bodies.
With the sugar replacing the fat, everyone’s glucose levels have risen, and cases of diabetes have hugely increased.
It was only when I started my own research, I realised that not all fat is bad for you, could the advice I had followed for all those years be wrong?
I spent so many years not eating avocados and olives as they contained far too many “syns”, yet I loved the taste of both and denied myself from having them for many years. Since increasing healthy fats in my diet my body has become my own science experiment, it is like I am testing the theories out on myself!
For many years I had always suffered from dry hair, eczema, dry skin and brittle nails and since eating more fats in my diet my skin and hair is noticeably far healthier, shiny, soft, supple and smooth.
That was the beginning of my research and since then I have stopped eating “low-fat” yoghurts, cottage cheese and have banned margarine from the house!
I cook with coconut oil, eat nuts, seeds, I use olive oil as dressing for my salads and instead of being constantly hungry I have found my appetite is satiated with far less volume of food than the low-fat versions of things.
My favourite yoghurt is Greek Yoghurt, and the consistency is far thicker and denser than the low fat version, I eat around half the quantity per serving of the full fat version vs the low fat. I just add blueberries or raspberries for taste.
I eat eggs every day and oily fish such as sardines, mackerel and salmon several times a week. If I need a quick snack, I eat mixed nuts and seeds and they are surprisingly filling.
Another positive fact I have learnt is as I always work out early in the morning before I start work (and do not eat before I exercise) I have found that by consuming more healthy fats on a regular basis that my energy levels have increased, and my body feels stronger as a result.
It is also a scientific fact that fat is necessary for our bodies to absorb fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K and it makes me sad that for years we were sold a lie.
I have added a photograph from a beach in the 1970’s before the “low fat diet” craze was being sold to us all, take a look for yourself at the picture closely, do you notice anything?
There are no overweight people on the beach, and this was at a time when we were still cooking with animal fats, and eating butter, eggs and cheese, way before fat was being demonised, a coincidence? What do you think? I would love to know your thoughts.
Please leave a comment.
Amazing article really resonated with me, wonderful words and so true.
Thank you Paul. I think we all believed what we were told as we were bombarded by the media with the “low fat, high fibre” diet was the healthiest way to eat!!
This is a really interesting read. The only reason I’ve followed a low fat diet in the past is because we are told to and that it’s better for us but what you say makes total sense and interesting to look more deeper into.
Thank you Helen, I think the diet industry gives us a very distorted view of what healthy food is. I think by educating ourselves we will naturally make healthier choices as foods that are being sold to us as “healthy ” are not!!