Last blog, I talked about how following popular diet advice keeps us from obtaining and keeping our ideal weight. All of us make either all or some of the most common “diet” mistakes. We covered # 1 last week which is not eating enough protein.
On to mistake # 2 of these 5 common eating mistakes:
Mistake #2: We are Afraid of Fat
While the ’80s brought so many great things (Madonna!) — much from the ’80s is best left behind — especially low-fat diets. Today, we know that low fat foods contain a lot of bad stuff AND by following low fat diets, we don’t get enough of the healthy fats which are essential for our overall and brain health. These healthy fats also can reduce inflammation, which is crucial for weight loss, overall health (and brain health) plus our longevity.
Instead of consuming cheep vegetable oils like canola, corn and safflower oils, which are often rancid and high inflammatory and give us too much omega-6 fatty acids — include whole fats from wild-caught fish, nuts, seeds, avocados, and olives.
Omega-3 fatty acids, found in wild-caught fish, flax and chia seeds, and walnuts, are particularly beneficial for various aspects of health, including mood, metabolism, and inflammation.
A good guideline is to include in every meal one to three servings of healthy fats. (One serving is about 100 calories). This can include plant oils, such as olive, canola, corn, peanut and other nut oils; nuts, such as almonds, peanuts, walnuts, and pistachios; avocados; and fish, especially oily fish such as salmon and canned tuna, are excellent sources of unsaturated fat.
Personally, I like to add avocado to my eggs, salads, burgers or chopped up for a yummy guacamole, which you can find on my recipe page. I also love a good avocado toast! And, for a snack –I love a serving of mixed nuts; almonds, walnuts, cashews, etc and/or nut-butter with apple slices.
Talk to your doctor about an omega-3 fatty acid supplement if you don’t feel you get enough of it in your meals and snacks.
Like most foods and drinks –everything in moderation! Restricting nutrients like healthy fats is harmful to our body and mind.
It’s time to bring love back to our healthy fats! Just say no to those low to no fat fad diets! Your body and mind will thank you.
Here’s to your intentional living and longevity!
xo,
Christine
nourish. move. meditate.
🥕💪🧘♀️