Is avoiding all fats the most effective way to lose weight?
Sundial’s Nutritionist, Shirley Ward provides some clarification:
The “Right” Fats for Weight Loss:
Believe it or not, certain dietary fats really can help towards weight loss, but only if you make the right choices. We all know eating too much red meat and full-fat dairy is closely linked with weight gain, due to their high saturated fat content. But the good news is you can help achieve weight control by ensuring regular consumption of “essential” fats, so named as the body actively needs and uses these to function efficiently.
“Essential” fats are one of the three key food groups we need to consume daily to attain good health. Our bodies can’t produce these fats, so we need to ensure a regular supply through dietary sources such as oily fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies), flax seeds/oil, avocados, un-salted nuts and seeds. These can help towards achieving blood sugar balance, which is a key factor in weight loss and control. Incorporating oily fish twice a week, ½ an avocado 3 times a week, a small handful of unsalted nuts or seeds every day or a daily tablespoon of flax seed oil (can be drizzled over porridge/salads/soups) are ways of helping achieve this goal.
A final thought for weight control: in excess, saturated fats can actually reduce levels of “essential” fats, so work against your goal of weight loss and control.
A “Natural” Anti-inflammatory: a variety of studies also confirm the anti-inflammatory properties within “essential” fats, which may help towards reducing both back and joint inflammation and pain. Studies confirm supplementing with pure fish oil capsules or flax seed oil capsules may provide some arthritis and back pain sufferers with effective relief from inflammation and pain (though check with your GP first if on medication).
Interested in more weight loss tips? Visit my nutritional therapy page on 19th January to learn about “fat busting” vitamins.
Visit www.downtoearthnutrition.co.uk to find out how nutritional therapy can help you achieve your health goals.
The above is provided as general nutritional advice.