Why is it that fat gets such a bad rap? The whole notion that “fat makes you fat” so eat less of it has been proven otherwise, thanks to the wrongly advised “fat-free, low-fat” era, where no one actually lost weight or lowered cholesterol – quite the opposite happened actually. Through extensive research and studies there have been many findings indicating that fat is not what increases cholesterol levels, affects weight gain or causes chronic disease. The real culprit here are sugars, trans fats, and processed foods – basically anything white.  ”The whiter the bread the faster you’re dead.”

What happens when you are told to eat less fat? Naturally, you need to replace fat with another macro-nutrient such as carbohydrates. When you turn to fat-free, low-fat or even sugar-free products, something has been added/replaced in order to make up for the missing nutrient – otherwise understood as highly processed. Sadly, most Americans (not my readers, of course) weren’t taught to make the connection. They just see fat-free on the box and assume it has to be good for you – or because “my doctor told me to cut my fat intake.” Unfortunately, we were not taught to understand that what matters are the types of fats (saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, trans.) and what foods have those types of fats. For example, an avocado doesn’t have a nutrition label on it, so unless you are interested in learning about it you wouldn’t know that it’s a “good fat.” Or, that eating pre-packaged low-fat foods are loaded with carbohydrates and sugars, which can cause heart disease and high cholesterol – because it certainly doesn’t advertise that on the box!

Obviously, everything is best in moderation. Too much of anything can never be good for us, however, replacing fats with sugars aka carbohydrates will not make you any less fatter – on the contrary, it might do the exact opposite. A good rule of thumb when it comes to general nutrition, and I’ve mentioned this before, is – eat real foods. I haven’t heard or seen anyone die from broccoli overdose! I’m not saying carbohydrates should never be consumed because vegetables actually fall into the carbohydrate category. Breads, pasta, potatoes and cereals aren’t the only carbohydrates that exist – they differ, though, because they are processed. No one said to never eat a piece of bread for the rest of your life either (again, extremes don’t last) but just take note on whether it’s white bread vs. whole grain, white rice vs. brown rice, or white pasta vs. whole wheat pasta. White generally means it has been stripped of its outer layer, which carries all the fiber, vitamins, and minerals. After all, we eat to survive – so why eat foods that increase our chances of disease or death?

Related articles:

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fats-full-story/

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/carbohydrates/index.html

Cheers! It’s FI-NA-LLY Friday!! Seriously, this was a long week and it didn’t go as well as expected or planned! Remember when I posted that I was planning to run 3 miles on Wednesday? Yeah, that didn’t happen! Thursday didn’t happen either. I’m going to put the blame on that special time of the month that we all eagerly anticipate, but enough is enough. I cannot use this as an excuse anymore even though it’s so incredibly easy to do, especially when all you want to do is sit on the couch and cure your savory cravings with chocolate and popcorn!

I know i’m not the only one on this boat, so I’m going to provide you (and myself) with some healthy tips on how to maintain a positive attitude when you’re always bloated!

Vicky’s 5 tips on how to help prevent bloat during this wonderful-wonderful time:

1. Reduce caffeine or at least try to limit to 1 cup a day. Replace this with tons of water.

2. Increase your vitamin B12 if you don’t take a multi-vitamin already. (Vitamin B12 helps with energy and metabolism, so if you’re feeling tired this should help boost your energy)

3. Try and stay away from starchy carbs – like breads, pastas, crackers anything processed that comes in a bag or a box (so hard, I know, but carbs tend to make you retain water and that’s exactly what you don’t want. Also, the preservatives in processed food cause bloating – and are not good for you in general.)

4. Absolutely positively stay away from sugar. Yes, chocolate is sugar. If you MUST, stick to Dark Chocolate – the darker the better.

5. Exercise every day. Sweat-it-out. (Exercise releases endorphins- the feel good hormone and actually helps fight depression, lower stress and maintain a positive attitude – and of course helps with bloating.)

I know what you’re thinking. How do I cut caffeine when I always feel tired, how will I exercise when I have no energy and how will I stay away from carbs and sugar when that’s all I crave?!? Brilliant questions- all of them. I’ll have to get back to you on that one… Stay tuned!

Just kidding. Honestly, it’s definitely much easier said than done – believe me, but the hardest part are the first few days. I like to follow these rules a week before it actually strikes because that’s usually when your symptoms arrive and the whole point is to prevent them from coming. Once you get into the groove you’ll actually find it quite surprising how quickly your cravings go away, but once you give in to those temptations – it’s over. Kinda like what happened to me these past few days. I got lazy, but that shouldn’t be in my/our vocabulary. Sometimes you just can’t control it and I have been there, but get back up and pick up where you left off.  Mind-over-matter. 

On a lighter note; this weekend looks promising. Birthday celebrations with great friends and family – there’s nothing better! I’ll keep you posted on my weekend workouts (that I will complete this time) and any new recipes!

*Vicky