Fat Loss Nutrition: What The Food Industry Is Hiding From You
By Natalie Beech
As obesity in the US becomes an epidemic, more and more people are going on a diet. Is there a connection? The fact that diet foods such as low-fat and low-carb products are a $7.6 billion-a-year business might have something to do with it. Is the food industry keeping you fat with processed foods, so it can sell you more diet products? And is avoidance of both processed and diet foods the only solution for weight loss?

Getting the basics of fat loss nutrition right, along with the right kind of exercise, will lead to weight loss. The problem with many diets is that they are not balanced. They cannot be maintained long-term. And when you stop dieting, the weight piles back on. Focus on fat loss nutrition, rather than actual weight loss. An approximate guide is that for every 3 grams of protein at a meal you need to have 4 grams of carbohydrate and 1.5 grams of fat. More important still is the type of fat, carbohydrate and protein you eat.

The Good Fats, Bad and The Ugly in Fat Loss Nutrition

Low-fat is the myth that has fuelled the diet industry, with complete disregard to the quality of fat you consume. The 'ugly fats' are the 'trans' fats or hydrogenated fats in fried and processed foods which are the toxic fats that are dumped in the body's fat tissues. These fats are difficult to shift, so fat loss nutrition has to increase the balance of good fats. Although omega-6 fat is a 'good fat', our diet contains too much of it in relation to the other 'good fat' omega-3. This imbalance contributes to insulin resistance (see Carbohydrates below for more information). So, not only do you need to reduce your omega-6 fat intake (vegetable oils, grain-fed beef and many processed foods), you need to increase your omega-3 fats (in fish, fish-oil capsules, or flaxseed oil). This will bring your essential fat intake (and yes, they are essential to health) to a more balanced one-to-one ratio.

Saturated fat is not the enemy it once was - a myth perpetuated by the polyunsaturated vegetable oil industry. Coconut oil, which is a good saturated fat, has been shown to increase weight loss as it helps to stimulate metabolism, and regulate blood sugar, so even helps in burning fat for energy. You might be surprised to know that it is also good for your heart, as well as being a weapon in the fat loss nutrition arsenal.

Fat loss Nutrition Tip: Use coconut oil for cooking, and extra-virgin olive oil for salad dressings.

Carbohydrate Quality and Fat Loss Nutrition

Insulin resistance is the key to weight loss.

Reverse it to burn the fat off. It is not so much the fat in the foods we eat but the excess carbohydrates from our starchy and sugary diet that is making us fat and unhealthy.

Our diet of bread, cereal, pasta, corn, rice and potatoes, mostly as processed food is primarily responsible for our bulging stomachs and rolls of fat. These processed carbohydrates lead to too much insulin being produced, which leads to insulin-resistance. Your body has no choice but to turn the sugar into fat. Good for the diet food industry, but not for you.

Good old fiber is your fat loss nutrition weapon in the battle of the bulge. Good sources of fiber are brown rice, vegetables and whole grains.

Fat Loss Nutrition: Protein

Eating a little protein at each meal will help to slow down the digestion of carbohydrate, so you don't get that sugar surge. Of course this does not mean the high-fat burger and fries meal. Fat loss nutrition means the low-fat protein of lean white meat, fish, beans and lentils. Beware the low-fat processed foods like low-fat yogurts which are high in sugar.

The fat loss nutrition approach means that even snacking on a handful of pumpkin seeds with an apple can help to slow down the sugar release.

Is Fat Loss Nutrition Really This Simple?

Willpower is not really an issue with the fat loss nutrition approach, when you learn to balance your blood sugar. It is really all about the right balance and quality of foods, and the right exercise. You don't have to rely on the the low-fat, low-carb, high-protein, high-fat diet fads. Just avoid processed foods where you can and concentrate on the healthy foods. You will even find that hunger is not an issue when you practice fat loss nutrition.

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Health writer and nutritionist Natalie Beech writes informatively about a variety of health topics, including fat loss nutrition and healthy weight loss. If you want to find out more about the surprising facts about fat loss nutrition and healthy weight loss, go to the Fatloss-Fitness Website
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