Losing My fear of Fat

My fear of fat was huge because low-fat eating had been drummed into my brain. I was addicted to the carbs. Nevertheless, I decided to conduct a science experiment on myself, after immersing myself in all of the science I had heard at Dr Stephen Phinney’s talk about the low-carb, healthy fat lifestyle.

A few days before Christmas 2014, I dropped all of the carbs I loved so much and focussed on real foods and healthy fats. I had my blood lipid tests done to see what would change after the six-month experiment.

The advice I received from my GP was not to do it because according to him my cholesterol was too high. When I told him I was following Professor Noakes’ eating approach, he became even more dismissive. His reaction just made me more determined to give it a shot. I sacked him and found a new GP.

Because fat is very energy-dense (i.e. a lot of energy in a small spoonful), it helps to keep us fuller for longer periods; manages our leptin and ghrelin, which are the gatekeepers of our appetite; and keep our cravings at bay by helping to balance our blood sugar.

By adding more fat to your diet, you are also able to go longer periods between meals which further supports burning fat/weight loss since you force your body to use fat for fuel during these periods.

By eating meals that are high in fat, and moderate in carbohydrates, you can “flip the switch” from using carbs for fuel to fat for fuel more quickly, which keeps you in a fat-burning state for longer periods.

It’s not calories that satiate your hunger, it’s nutrients: fibre, protein and healthy fats. Unfortunately, simple refined carbs are lacking in all three, even as they fill your body with fast, cheap calories. So no matter how much you eat, your body will go in search of more food. The result: a sluggish, hungrier you—one who’s more likely to dive into the snack drawer.

Simple carbs are made of simple sugars and eating too many can wreak havoc in your body in both the short and long term. The more of these quickly digested carbs you consume, the more insulin your pancreas produces, which can eventually lead to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Carbohydrates in their natural, whole, unprocessed form, contain fibre. But dietary proteins and fats contain little to no fibre because our bodies have evolved to digest these foods without the need for fibre.

The Okinawans base their diet on sweet potatoes and consume an estimated 80% of their calories as carbohydrates. The fibre content in the sweet potato protects against obesity. Until recently, they were one of the longest-living peoples on earth.

The Kitavans of New Guinea followed a diet estimated to be close to 70% carbohydrate with no evidence of ill health. Traditional Italians make their own pasta from flour that they grind themselves. However, it is the introduction of the Western diet that has caused chaos. This chaos started in the 1970s and when the Standard American Diet was introduced, we stopped eating FAT and started to fill ourselves full of low-fat, processed foods that have made us sick.

Some of the problems of the Western diet include:

●Due to high processing, the protective mechanisms of fibre and fat are removed from the products.

● Fibre is removed to change the texture and make food taste ‘better. Natural fats are removed to extend shelf life since fats tend to go rancid with time.

● Removing fibre, fat and protein leads to overconsumption. We can consume 4 to 5 oranges easily in a glass of orange juice, whereas eating four to five oranges in their whole form won’t be as easy.

● We have satiety hormones for fat and protein, but not for carbs, so we don’t know when we have eaten enough if we are just eating refined carbs.

● Refined carbohydrates are digested faster than they would be if they contain fibre. This leads to a rapid rise in insulin. Wheat plant in its natural state (compared to its refined powdered form) is removed from fat, protein and fibre.

● Refined wheat flour is so bad for us because it is converted to glucose more efficiently than virtually any other starch.

● Wheat is one of the main grains that is sprayed with chemicals to make it ripen faster. These chemicals cause massive problems in our bodies.

● The processing of foods and the addition of chemicals changes the food into a form that our bodies are not evolved to handle. That is exactly why they are toxic.

Each individual is unique and although one individual may be able to utilise carbohydrates effectively, another may not. Listen to your body, think about how your body reacts to what you feed it. Choose your carbohydrates wisely – select whole, unprocessed carbs with fibre instead of refined carbs.

You can’t outrun your insulin or a bad approach to nutrition

Exercising more, especially at excessive heart rates, and eating less, is just going to make you hungry. In the long run, this is an unsustainable approach because eventually you’ll revert to your previous way of eating and put all of the weight back on, and possibly more. This happens because the body reacts to weight loss by trying to return to its original body set weight.

Once you stop being hungry all the time, you will easily lose weight

The first step to getting lean is to get the appestat working again. You’ll know that it is working correctly because you won’t be hungry. If you’re lean, it means that your appestat is functioning perfectly. If you are overweight, it’s because your appestat is not working. Eating processed carbs distorts the appestat, and tells you to eat more than you should, which makes you put on weight, and keeps you hungry.

Feeling sluggish or fatigued

If you've ever eaten food and then felt like taking a nap right after, it?could be because of your carbohydrate intake. Eating too many carbs elevates your blood sugar, causing your body to have short bursts of energy and eventually leading to a “crash” or feeling of exhaustion and tiredness.

Always feeling thirsty

Do you sometimes feel thirsty even after chugging a whole bottle of water? That isn't always one of the signs you're not drinking enough water. It could be because of your diet. If you ate a high-carb meal, your blood sugar level elevates, making you feel thirstier and causing more frequent urination. The water helps rehydrate your bloodstream and removes the excess sugar through your urine.

Headaches

Headaches and migraines are among the health symptoms you should never ignore. They can be a sign that your body is being thrown off by excessive carbohydrate intake. Eating foods that are high in carbs, like white bread or pasta, can spike your sugar levels, which sometimes cause headaches.

Poor digestion

If you’ve had difficulty using the bathroom or fewer than three bowel movements in a week, carbs may be causing issues for your digestive tract. You may feel bloated after eating due to certain foods having trouble breaking down in your intestines. If you’re eating a lot of refined carbohydrates like white rice, they may not contain enough dietary fibre to help prevent digestion issues such as constipation.

Mood swings

Carbs aren't just one of the surprising reasons you always feel tired. For some people, diet affects mood. You could be happy and feel energetic after eating a pint of ice cream given all carbohydrates turn into sugar, giving the body energy for a short period of time. However, a few hours after eating, you may experience an emotional crash from the sugar rush, leading you to feel cranky.

Sugar cravings

One of the surprising reasons you always crave sugar is that, well, you're eating sugar. Eating cookies, chocolates, doughnuts and cupcakes make you crave more than just that one treat. Dopamine, also known as the happy hormone, gets released into your body as you consume sugar. This chemical triggers your brain and body to react to this action as a reward and seeks more.

Feeling hungry again

Foods that are rich in protein and healthy fats take longer to digest and help you feel full for a longer period of time. But if your diet consists of mostly carbohydrates and lacks in fats or protein, you might feel unsatisfied after eating or feel the need to snack afterwards.

Most refined carbs, such as white bread, have their nutrients and fibers stripped away, turning them into empty calories. These foods metabolize faster into glucose and promote a faster digestion process, which doesn’t allow your body to feel full.

Trouble losing weight

If you’re realising no matter how much you exercise, the weight just won’t come off, then you may need to look deeper into your diet. Carb-rich diets can make you feel hungry and lead you to eat more calories than you need.

This is because foods with low fibre content metabolize into glucose faster and the sudden spike in blood sugar levels promotes the production of insulin. When insulin absorbs too much glucose, it is converted into fat and stored in your body.

The Future

My results after the six months had even surprised me. Not only had I finally lost that stubborn tummy roll, but I could go for a 15km run and not feel hungry for two or three hours afterwards! I had so much energy and my mental state was stable during the day.

I effortlessly dropped down to eating two meals a day without ever thinking about food, even though I exercised 20 hours a week. I had a new lease on life, and I found the inner wisdom to know what to eat and what my body needed. My blood results had changed significantly, my HDL almost doubled and my Triglycerides down to a much better level.

Many years on and this approach has been sustainable for me and our family. It has changed our health, the way our kids eat, the way we think about life and my body composition is better - the best it has been in my life. I am stronger, faster, fitter and importantly healthier.