With Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer, happening this weekend, many of us are beginning to think about the pool, the beach, and all of those revealing swimsuits that come with this time of year.
And if you’re not happy with the way you’re looking in a swimsuit, you’re not alone.
That’s why there are more than enough so-called experts all over TV, magazines, and websites right now telling you that in order to get ready for swimsuit season, what you have to do is cut the fat, cut the calories, and cut the carbs!
Well today, I’m going to turn that notion on its head and give you the better and easier way to feel slim in swimwear.
This is often misunderstood and once you get this, I think you’re going to have such an easier time with your weight and I know you’ll be really happy with the results.
So what’s the secret?
EAT MORE FAT!
“Dr. D, have you lost your mind?”
If that’s what you’re thinking, no, I haven’t lost my mind (well, maybe a little with my 1-year old thinking its play time at 1 am 😊).
The only thing I’ve lost is the extra pounds that I used to struggle with losing and regaining.
And yes, more fat in my diet is how I finally kicked that extra weight.
Forget the advice to cut fat.
For a long time in this country, fat was considered to be the culprit behind obesity, heart disease, and a long list of other ailments. Almost all of us feared the fat.
Although more and more people are on to the fact that the low-fat fad did far more harm than good, there are still lots of people on the low-fat bandwagon.
Just look at grocery stores today – there are still low-fat and fat-free foods all over the place!
I can’t tell you how many clients come into my office looking to lose weight, and the first thing they have done is cut ALL fat from their diet!
Well, I’m here to tell you two things about that – not only will that NOT help you lose weight, it is also one of the fastest ways to kill yourself. The reason why I say that is this…
When you are not eating healthy fats, you are most likely getting your energy from CARBS AND SUGAR, and this is the most dangerous and dirtiest form of fuel for the body.
When you eat sugar, your insulin spikes, and then you STORE fat, and inflammation in your body sky-rockets!
Often, this is at the urging of their doctors, who haven’t caught up to the fact that fat doesn’t cause obesity or heart disease.
Let me be clear… When you eat less and less fat, you became more and more overweight and diseased.
Just think of the overall trend here in the US. As low-fat eating became more and more popular, obesity and heart disease grew steadily, right along with diabetes and certain types of cancer.
Coincidence? I don’t think so.
According to a Harvard University study in 2009, a deficiency of fat (especially Omega-3 fats which are anti-inflammatory) can cause or contribute to serious mental and physical health problems, and may be a significant underlying factor of up to 96,000 premature deaths each year in our country, more deadly than excess trans-fat intake.
Not only does a low-fat diet not keep the heart (or anything else) healthy, it includes all kinds of processed foods that replace fat with sugar, salt, and chemicals.
So if cutting fat is not the answer, what is?
Why You Need to Eat Fat to Lose Fat
I want to tell you more about the fat your body absolutely requires to be healthy. Without it, you’re living in deficiency, which means out of balance, out of control, and just plain sick.
That’s why scientific metadata has concluded that people who consume MORE (healthy) saturated fats such as coconut oil have a lower incidence of heart disease and better brain function and concentration than people who eat fewer saturated fats. (Hint: This applies to all of the ADD/ADHD we see in kids and adults today!)
Eating a diet rich in healthy fats has also been linked to better control of insulin and blood sugar, lower rates of depression and anxiety, healthier digestive function, lower inflammation levels, and better hormone and reproductive health, especially in women of child-bearing age.
But back to the issue at hand, slimming down for swimsuit season…
More and more research points to eating a diet rich in healthy fats in order to lose weight. This is because it shifts the fuel your body burns for energy.
For most people in our Standard American Diet (ironically nicknamed the SAD diet), carbohydrates and sugar are the primary fuel source because that’s what those people primarily eat.
As I mentioned earlier, in order for your body to create energy (ATP), sugar and carbohydrates are burned and churned through. This leads you to crave more and more – you guessed it – sugar and carbohydrates!
Meanwhile, sugar and carbs interfere with the normal function of your hunger and starvation signals, so you want to eat even more. Healthy fats, however, help these hormonal signals (ghrelin and leptin) function properly.
So if you want to be truly healthy, lose weight, get rid of chronic inflammation, and have optimal energy, it’s important that you shift your diet to be based around healthy fats.
Now you might be wondering just how much fat you’re supposed to eat per day?
After all, you’re probably a product of the low-fat diet craze just like I am, and I can remember when they used to say, “No more than 60 fat grams per day! And 30 if you’re on a diet!” Yikes – throw all of that advice out the window.
It’s not about an actual number of grams of fat. It’s about eating the right fats, and eating them in the right balance with less healthy fats.
It’s All About Good Fats
Remember this – there are fats that HEAL, and fats that KILL, and when you choose the right fats, you will be healthier and skinnier.
So what are the healing fats we need to consume? First and foremost, Omega-3 fatty acids.
There are several healthy fats that will help you lose weight, like avocado, extra virgin olive oil, and coconut oil, and I encourage you to eat more of those.
But they aren’t going to fix the problem with our modern ACID diet that is leading to obesity and inflammation.
We all consume fatty acids each and every day. They are polyunsaturated fats that come in a few subtypes, namely 3, 6, and 9.
Your body can’t produce the Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids on its own – they must be consumed through food or supplements. The most well known is Omega-3 because it’s the one our diets are the MOST deficient in (what comes from eating fish).
Scientists estimate that our ancestors consumed Omega-6 and Omega-3 fats in a ratio of close to 1:1, which is ideal. Why is this the ideal ratio?
Omega-6 fats are PRO-inflammatory. Omega-3 fats are ANTI-inflammatory. In order for you to be healthy and lose weight, this ratio MUST be balanced.
As vegetable oil and processed grain consumption have risen, so has the amount of Omega-6 in our modern diet. Even if you don’t cook with vegetable oil, you’re consuming it through any non-grass-fed animal protein, lots of processed foods, canola oil, and other vegetable oils.
This is why research shows the average American has 19 times more pro-inflammatory Omega-6 fats than anti-inflammatory Omega-3 fats in their system at any given time.
In many cases, this ratio is 25:1, and I have even seen 50:1!
Again, the ideal ratio should be 1:1, and no more than 4:1.
So how do you consume more Omega-3 fats to lose weight and get healthier?
First, eat foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids:
- Wild-caught Alaskan salmon
- Trout
- Walnuts
- Chia seeds
- Flax seeds
- Herring
- White fish
- Sardines
- Anchovies
Second, eat fewer foods that are high in Omega-6 fatty acids:
- Vegetable oil
- Canola oil
- Soybean oil
- Safflower oil
- Sunflower oil
- Grapeseed oil (the WORST ratio of all foods, in regards to Omega-6 to Omega-3s)
- Animal protein including poultry, unless it’s grass-fed (Did you know that chicken is the MOST inflammatory to your body of ALL meats, as it has the highest levels of arachidonic acid, which are Omega-6 fats…same goes for eggs)
- Eggs
- Bread
- Processed foods like cereal, crackers, and chips
- Margarine
And finally, take a quality fish oil supplement.
It is critical that the average adult take a full 3,000mg of Omega-3 fish oil every single day. That’s far more than you’re likely getting from a standard fish oil supplement.
Our new supplement, Alkamind Daily Omega-3, is the world’s best fish oil (seriously!)
Why can I make such a certain and profund statement? I have good reason…
We are the ONLY Omega-3 fish oil in the world that has these two most important components:
- Our fish oil is formulated to provide the ideal 2:1 ratio of EPA to DHA in a highly-concentrated, purified form. This is the most powerful ratio to not only optimize your brain function, but also to fight inflammation in your body and brain.
- We TRIPLE ORGANICALLY PURIFIED our fish oil, which not only gets rid of every heavy metal and contaminant but concentrates the oil.
That means you can take less, but get more. I can take 1/3 the number of softgels I need with other brands!
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