Over the past few decades (pretty much since the late 70s), we have been told that fat is bad and we should avoid it as much as possible to stay slim and healthy. The result was of course a whole slew of low fat and fat free products. It became so crazy that even products that naturally didn’t have fat in them got a big “fat” (pun intended) FAT FREE label.

So we started paying a lot of attention to the fat content of our foods and would choose low-fat or fat free options when possible. Unfortunately, what we weren’t educated on is that a lot of the lower fat products actually had more calories than their full-fat counterpart. And then we’d eat more of the food because it was low fat, resulting in even more calories consumed.

But it doesn’t stop there… Fat takes a lot longer to digest and thus keeps us full longer than a meal comprised mostly of carbohydrates. So not only do you eat more food that’s already higher in calories, you also get hungry a lot quicker after you eat it. No wonder we gained weight as a nation during the low fat phase…

Since then we’ve learned a lot more about nutrition and fat, including the fact that not all fats are created equal. There are healthy and unhealthy fats. And those good fats should be part of any healthy weightloss program.

The difference between good fat and bad fat is how it affects our bodies and cholesterol levels. Good fats like Omega 3 Fatty Acids not only keep us full longer, they also have additional health benefits like improving heart health and lowering blood pressure.

In other words, it’s time to rethink the whole “Fat Issue” and include some healthy fats in the form of fish, nuts and other plants high in healthy fats (like avocado or example) back into our diets.