Eat Fat, Get Thin!

The low-fat diet craze of the 1990’s had many of us, women in particular, absolutely fearful of fat. The theory that fat was the nutrition evil (and carbs were king) linked to obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer, and if we removed all fat from the diet, not only would we lose weight, but we would also have better overall health. This theory couldn’t be further from the truth. Instead of fat making us fat, research has proven that good fats such as polyunsaturated fats (omega-3s,) actually help to shrink our waistline, burn body fat, improve insulin resistance, decrease our risk of heart disease, improve our brain and as an added bonus, give us shiny, gorgeous hair, glowing skin and strong nails (beat that carbs!)

Omega-3s are superstar nutrients that are considered to be essential- meaning that our body needs them but can’t make them. Therefore we need to get them from our diet. If our diet doesn’t contain them (which is the case in the majority of Canadian’s diets), then we need to supplement with an omega-3. 

Researchers have confirmed multiple ways in which fish omega-3s help with weight loss: 

  • stimulate the secretion of leptin-a hormone that decreases appetite and promotes the burning of fat.
  • burn dietary fat by helping the body move fats into the cell for energy and fuel
  • encourage the body to store carbohydrates in the form of glycogen, rather than hard-to-lose body fat
  • reduce inflammation, which is known to promote belly fat and weight loss
  • enhance blood sugar control by increasing the insulin-producing cells sensitivity to sugar
  • improve the fluidity of the cell membrane, which helps the body transport sugar from the blood to the cells
  • exhibit anti-obesity effects

Balancing omega-3s in your diet between the plant sources such as dark green leafy vegetables, chia, flax, hemp and other nuts like walnuts and almonds with those from fatty fish such as sardines, anchovies, mackerel and salmon will help meet the daily requirements your body has for these important fats. However, sometimes, diet isn’t enough, and in the case of the omega-3s, the more you eat, the better they work. Therefore, I always advocate a minimum of 1,000 mg EPA and DHA per day. 

And remember, Eat Fat, Get Thin!