The Fat-Free Epidemic.
In the 1980s the food industry started to cram the idea that “fat was bad”, down everyone’s throats. Of course they had something in mind to save us all from the “evil” know as fat – it was called “fat-free” food. Cheese, yogurt, and salad dressings – practically everything had FAT FREE written across it. People were convinced they should be terrified of fat.
North America happily subscribed to the fat-free diet fad in a big way and over the next three decades, North Americans progressively got fatter and fatter. The obesity epidemic was born. We gave up fat, so why were we getting fatter?
When they remove the fat from food, it leaves that food with very little taste and can change the texture, so food companies have to add things like sugar, salt, thickening agents and other additives to make the food tasty and help maintain its structure.
The sugar and additive content in many fat-free foods is pretty atrocious and it’s no secret in 2014, that these ingredients play a major role in the obesity epidemic. The moral of the story? The ingredients in fat-free foods made us fat, not fat.
Chew On Plant-Based Fat.
I’m not suggesting you eat cheeseburgers everyday but I do recommend adding some plant-based foods that can give your body the essential fats that it needs. Eating foods that contain essential fats (Omega-3 & Omega-6) are important because our bodies don’t produce them.
Some of my favourite plant-based foods to get fat from are:
- Hemp Seeds
- Avocado
- Walnuts
- Coconut Oil
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Cacao Nibs
So the next time you see a fat-free label just remember that fat didn’t make us fat, sugar and additives did.
I want to share my recipe for High-Energy Trail Mix because it includes some of the plant-based fats I have mentioned and is the perfect snack to bring with you wherever you go. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (125mL) almonds
- 1/2 cup (125mL) walnuts
- 1/2 cup (125mL) sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup (125mL) pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup (125mL) dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup (125mL) cacao nibs
Directions: Place all ingredients into an airtight container and mix. Store in the refrigerator between snacking sessions to the preserve the freshness of this mix as long as possible. Now all you need to do is grab a handful to help control your blood sugar when you get your next food craving.
Adam Hart
