Getting Fat

This entry is dedicated to Sarah whose comments on my last post prompted me to write this.

Sarah wanted to know two things: Can the fat contained in avocado and egg yolks be considered healthy and what my opinion is regarding keeping food in the house you are likely to over-eat.

Yes, the fat in avocados and egg yolks can be considered healthy. The fat contained in avocados and egg yolks is mostly the healthy fat, monounsaturated fat. This monounsaturated fat, Oleic Acid, has been proven to raise levels of HDL ("good"cholesterol) which protect the arteries, while lowering levels of LDL ("bad" cholesterol). Cholesterol forms naturally in the body and is essential in regulating hormones, forming new cells, utilizing Vitamin D and aiding food digestion. All of the fat soluble vitamins, (A, D, E and K) are found in the egg yolk and the egg is known to be one of the only foods naturally containing vitamin D. The reason people tend to stay away from these two foods despite their beneficial properties is that they are calorie-dense. The yolk of an egg has three times as many calories (60kcal) as the egg white (17kcal). Sixty calories is not at all significant in proportion to your daily caloric intake. Since there is a great deal of nutrition found in both the yolk and avocado, I suggest they should be included, in moderation, as part of a healthy diet.

As for whether to keep certain foods in your house which you are likely to over-eat, DON'T DO IT! Why volunteer for that torture? Yes, in an ideal world you'd have the strength and willpower to eat only one cookie or one tsp of peanut butter. If your diet is on point, you biochemically shouldn't be craving these things or over-eating. But here's the thing ... eating is not just biomechanical, it's physiological and emotional. We use food to soothe, to celebrate, to punish to reward. You might be diligent in eating well most of the time, but if you let your guard down (maybe you're tired, sad, happy, etc.) the psychological reasons for eating may take over and you will find yourself back on the couch eating the Nutella and McVitties.

Hope this helps! Please keep your questions coming by e-mailing me at: heather@hautefitness.com