Why you shouldn’t give up butter and nuts? Healthy fats can also help you lose weight

There is an opinion that in order to lose weight, you need to give up all fatty foods. In fact, fats are not the same as fats: there are also useful fats that are necessary for the body, including in order to normalize weight. Many celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston and Demi Moore use this flyhack.

Why you should not exclude all fatty foods from your diet

Associate Professor, Vice-Rector of the Moscow University of State and Municipal Management

Fat diets, despite the fact that their history dates back to the beginning of the last century and were originally used not for weight loss, but to treat a number of mental illnesses, such as epilepsy, are gaining a second wind. And here’s why.

They started talking about the benefits of fats back in the early ’70s. Nutritionist Robert Atkins was one of the first to draw attention to the fact that the basis of the diet of Greenland Eskimos and many other representatives of indigenous northern peoples were dominated by animal fats.

With a significant caloric content of their diet of 5000 or more calories per day, they not only rarely had an increased body weight, but also were not subject to cardiovascular diseases. And their bodies were almost completely free of age-related signs of atherosclerosis.

There are several dozen variations of fat diets, but their basis is that in the diet it is fat that is used as the main source of energy.

The ratio in the diet of fat to protein and carbohydrates is usually 3:1 to 4:1, based on the fact that it is the excessive intake of carbohydrates, especially fast carbohydrates, that is the main cause of obesity.

When the diet is low in carbohydrates and high in fat, the liver converts fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies. The latter go to the brain and are used as a source of energy instead of glucose.

In this case, the body naturally reduces and normalizes insulin levels, activates lipase and significantly increases lipolysis, which contributes to the breakdown of excess fat in the body.

In addition, with a significant reduction in carbohydrates and an increase in the proportion of fats increases the production of hormones ghrelin and cholecystokinin, which affect the feeling of satiety. Thanks to this, a person consumes fewer calories during the day and feels satiety longer.

What fatty foods help to lose weight

Kandidát lekárskych vied, doktor integratívnej, preventívnej a konvenčnej medicíny, nutricionista

Rational consumption of healthy fats promote brain function, strengthens joints thanks to good cholesterol. And also helps to lose weight, because such food gives a longer feeling of satiety, unlike simple carbohydrates. A person in this case does not need snacks, he is less attracted to sweets, because the diet is full and balanced.

Various types of fats are used for weight loss: vegetable oils, fish oil, lard, lard, nuts, etc. Let’s consider some of them.

Coconut oil. American versions of fat diets often use coconut oil as the main fat product for weight loss.

Due to the significant lauric acid content in coconut oil, metabolism and lipid metabolism (the process of breaking down fat) are activated, which aids in weight loss.

Cold-pressed coconut oil can really successfully fight obesity with its fat-burning properties. The product reduces appetite, quickly quenches hunger, activates metabolism in the body, controls the release of insulin and the production of other hormones that ensure weight loss.

But for all its advantages, coconut oil has many medical contraindications when used regularly in large volumes.

Safflower oil. It is obtained by cold pressing from wild jasmine. The product by almost all parameters is not only the most useful fat, but also, unlike coconut oil, is excellent for frying products even in a deep fryer, practically not oxidizing.

Safflower oil is considered a champion in the content of monounsaturated fatty acids useful for the body: more than 77% of the total amount of fats.

And also contains a huge amount of conjugated linoleic acid – a substance that directly contributes to weight loss and removal of bad cholesterol from the body.

Researchers from the University of Texas found that a daily intake of safflower oil of 3.4 g (about four tablespoons) can reduce the amount of fat deposits in the body, while building muscle mass and reducing the quality of blood glucose.

Cold-pressed safflower oil is the best fat for weight loss, which can be used for health benefits as a dressing for salads, frying, cooking any dishes. It has virtually no medical contraindications, tastes good and yet costs the same as good olive oil.

Nuts. A real treasure trove of vitamins, trace elements and nutrients. They contain calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus and other minerals. The product contains the “right” fats, which help to satiate and satisfy hunger.

But it is not worth abusing nuts. The benefit for the figure will only be if you use them as a snack to satisfy hunger and consume fewer calories during the day.