Side Effects From Eating a “Low-Fat” Diet and Why We Need Fat

You may think you are healthy by buying into the “low-fat” eating fad. Fat’s have become “evil” in American culture.  Cut out the fat, and you won’t get fat, right? Not necessarily. We have been grossly misinformed primarily by marketing. According to a Weston A. Price article “Taking The Fear Out of Eating Fat, “Our media-induced fear of fat in this country has created a market for over 15,000 reduced-fat products! These products completely fail to live up to their claims, not to mention that they don’t even taste good. Have you ever had a fat-free product that tasted better than the original? The fact is that when they remove the fat, they have to put something back in and that “something” is usually more sugar, sodium, artificial flavorings, binding agents, and other chemicals.”

Eating fat does not make you fat!

Eating fat with excessive carbohydrates from sugars and refined grains will. Our bodies need fat in so many different ways. In fact, by eating little to no fat, one can expect to feel pretty yucky. You may experience blood sugar fluctuations and weight gain. Remember, when trying to eat “whole foods,” you want to eat the whole food. That means not removing nutrients that have an essential biochemical role in the health of your body. Saturated fats are among these crucial nutrients.

Below is a list of side effects you may experience while being on a “low fat” diet.

So please stop buying that “fat-free” milk, stripped of all it’s essential nutrients! When you see “low-fat” on the label, run the other way. The best way to avoid these items is to stop eating processed foods. Stick to the outside aisle at the grocery store-Stop dieting and eat real whole foods!

Weight Gain:
Expect weight gain on a low fat, high refined grain diet. Saturated fats such as butter, lard, coconut oil have a strong influence on metabolism! These fats help to release insulin. Fat keeps you full longer. Fats are satisfying and satiating.  When you avoid fat, you are hungry more frequently.

Contrary to what you might think, humans are not designed to snack frequently. However, consuming a high fructose/refined grain and low-fat diet makes you more hungry, so you tend to reach for more snacks. You consume more calories to feel satisfied. Any meal or snack high in carbohydrates like fructose and refined grains generates a rapid rise in blood glucose and then insulin to compensate for the increase in blood sugar. The insulin released from eating too many carbohydrates promotes fat storage. Insulin also makes it more difficult for your body to shed excess weight and excess fat, particularly around your belly.

Medium-Chain Fatty acids like those found in coconut oil have also been shown to boost metabolism and aid in weight loss. Medium-Chain Fatty Acids are immediately used for energy (are quickly digested and do not require bile to break them down), which, subsequently, increase metabolism. This is also known as “thermogenesis” or fat burning. The body becomes more efficient.

If you want to feel full longer, and become lean and efficient, fuel up with saturated fats and get your carbohydrates from vegetable sources rather than sugary foods and refined grains.

“Brain-Fog”/Forgetfulness:
When eating low-fat, you may find that you have difficulty processing and remembering things. Memory difficulty referred to as “brain fog.” The brain is compiled mostly of saturated fat and cholesterol. Saturated fat and cholesterol insulate the myelin sheath that surrounds nerve fibers and preserves the proper function of the brain and nervous system. More insulated myelin equals better brain function. Messages/signals in the brain can be more easily transported through nerves. Myelin is a protective layer that helps the brain function properly! Without it, the impulses can be “broken” leading to “brain fog.”

If you want to have better focus, memory, and concentration-eat more saturated fats and cholesterol!

“Unstable” Blood Sugar:
Before eating primal, I was always hungry, and I would get shaky, and hot-sometimes almost pass out if I did not have a snack every hour. I would tell everyone, “I have low blood sugar, so I need to snack frequently.” I just assumed it was a condition that I had. Little did I know it was because I was fueling myself with all carbohydrates from refined grains, and little to no fat. When you eat low fat, you typically consume more sugary foods and carbohydrates. I *thought this was healthy because that is what I learned. Low-fat diets are often laced with extra sugar to make the flavor more palatable. All of these carbohydrates break down as glucose. Eating all these excess carbohydrates makes the pancreas work extra hard, pumping out insulin. Foods high in carbohydrates like fructose and refined grains generate a rapid rise in blood glucose and then insulin to compensate for the increase in blood sugar. These blood sugar spikes and plummets can leave you feeling drained.

If you want to feel more stable and less irritable throughout the day, reach for whole nutrient-dense foods, rather than low-fat sugary snacks. 

Dry Skin/Wrinkles:
Eating a low-fat diet results in dry skin, dry hair, and wrinkles. Many practitioners suggest that the solution is to drink more water—usually eight glasses per day of water is suggested. Unfortunately, this doesn’t help much, as you may already have learned. The reason for drinking a lot of water doesn’t work very well is because the water in our cells is derived from the metabolism of fats. (The water we drink mostly goes into the bloodstream and then out via the kidneys.) It follows, therefore, that when the skin is dry, it means there is a relative imbalance or deficiency of fats, especially compared to the levels of carbohydrates in the diet. By changing the ratio, so that more calories come from fats than carbs, the body produced more water for the cells. Also, the body will now have more fatty acids available for our oil-producing glands, which are our natural moisturizers. Good fats include grass-fed butter, lard, coconut oil, olive oil, and small amounts of flax oil.

We have oil-producing glands all over our body and on the scalp-so if you want soft skin and shiny, healthy hair, no need to buy expensive products, just eat more saturated fats!

 

* Please note: This is a personal blog. I am not a Doctor or a Dietician. All data and information provided on this site are for informational/educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitution for professional medical advice.