Why you should avoid processed "fat free" foods

Why you should avoid "Fat Free" / "Low fat" Diet Foods like the Plague!

I am of the belief that the less food has been tampered with the better it is for you, sounds simple right? Then why do so many of us focus our diets around foods that are processed and have been manipulated to make them seem healthier?

Diet foods could be sabotaging your weight loss without you even knowing it. I am not talking about foods that are naturally fat free but rather the marketed foods such as diet yoghurts and fizzy drinks that many of us rely on!


Here are some of the main reasons why you should avoid "fat free" foods.

Despite your good intentions you are actually eating crap

Fat is what naturally gives flavour and texture to food, when you remove it from food you are left well with pretty flavourless food. So what do the food companies do to make you want to eat it? They add lots of additional chemicals such as flavourings and artificial sweeteners.

You might say oh well my yoghurt only has 100 calories in it, how can that be bad? Well the sugars and artificial sweeteners in these foods cause the blood sugar/insulin cycle ( your blood sugar soars so your body produces lots of insulin to counteract it,  which then makes you feel tired and your reaching for something sweet/carby again!)

Watch out for:

• low/no fat yoghurts - full of hidden sugar/sweeteners (Fage is a good brand of yoghurt)
• Ready made microwaveable dinners/meals - usually packed with salt and flavourings
• Diet fizzy drinks - you can guess this one I'm sure

You are less aware of how much you eat

Another problem with low/no fat "diet" foods is that we think we are being healthy and as such don't think twice about tucking into these foods. Even the way items are packaged can make us think that we are choosing a healthy option where as we may be choosing a product that is worse than a non-diet alternative! 

Watch out for:

Clever marketing and packaging for example for a food to be a Low-Fat alternative it only has to have 30% less fat. An easy way to do this is make it less fat but more sugar and artificial flavourings that are more damaging to your body!

Diets which allow you to have unlimited amounts of these and list them as "free food" - dont get me started I am proof that it doesn't work - been there!

Non-fat foods wont make you lose fat!

It would make sense that to lose body fat that we eat less fat, however this is not necessarily the case!

Fat is a Macro-nutrient which means that your body needs it! (as are Carbohydrates and Protein). A healthy diet consists of all three - your body uses fats, carbs and protein for different things in the body.

Your body needs fat for healthy functioning of hormones (absolutely vital for anyone who is looking to keep a lean figure). Fat is also used to make the "androgen hormones" which are vital in the fat burning and muscle building process and also the mobilization of energy stores.

Sugar is addictive!

Researchers have discovered that foods low in fat but high in sugar activate the "Pleasure and reward" section of the brain - this is the same part of the brain that activates when cocaine is ingested!

A diet that is made up of balance whole/clean sources of protein, fat, fruits and vegetables is far more likely to end up in fat loss. Carbohydrates unfortunately also cause a blood sugar spike, this is why I minimise my consumption 

(Fruits and vegetables are also carbs which i eat a lot of, i am talking about carbs such as bread, pasta, rice and potatoes. I only eat clean starchy carbs such as oats, sweet potatoes and brown rice as they have a low Glycemic Index and I only eat them post workout to refuel my muscles glycogen stores)



Some reading:
http://www.poliquingroup.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/1207/Top_Five_Reasons_Non-Fat_Is_The_Biggest_Scam_Ever.aspx
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-health/10563265/Theres-HOW-MUCH-sugar-in-a-low-fat-yoghurt-Skirting-the-Issue.html
http://www.allthingsgym.com/blood-sugar-insulin-cycle-graphic/
http://www.atkins.com/Science/Articles---Library/Carbohydrates/The-Blood-Sugar-Roller-Coaster--Excess-Carbs,-Exce.aspx
http://medheadlines.com/2008/12/sugar-cocaine-heroin-equally-strong-addictions-study-suggests-2/