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The real truth about fats in your diet

April 10, 2018 by 121dietitian

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The research on fats has been turned on its head and the advice now is to embrace fats, rather than fear them. Here, we get clear on the role of fats and introduce you to the ‘best’ fats to incorporate into your diet.

“NEW RESEARCH FINDS CURE”… “EXCITING WEIGHT LOSS PILL”… Who else is tired of reading sensational tabloid headline like these? I know we at 121 Dietitian love to read the latest news but are often left confused, annoyed or fed up after reading a rehash of facts that are no longer scientifically balanced.

In this article I hope to provide you with some interesting observations of past and recent research that will actually be of relevance to your future health.

One to begin is regarding fats within the body and not just the fats you eat, but both important none the less.

fat

The role of brown fat

A study released in Diabetes Journal July 2014 suggested people with higher levels of brown fat have a reduced risk for obesity and diabetes. Unlike white fat, which lowers insulin sensitivity, researchers found that brown fat actually improves insulin sensitivity, blood sugar control and fat-burning metabolism.

This was good news for overweight and obese people and those with insulin resistance and diabetes, and suggested that brown fat may prove to be an important anti-diabetic tissue.

What did they find? The study found when the body was exposed to slightly cold temperatures, brown fat can boost energy expenditure and burn calories. But what is brown fat? It is fat we are born with and is stored around our neck and upper abdomen to keep us warm in infancy. It was thought only until a few years ago that this disappeared into adulthood but now it has been found that thin people have more of this than those who are overweight.

So how was this put into practice? Unfortunately this study did not provide answers to this, however in other papers it was suggested shivering for 10-15 minutes at 14-16 degree celcius could be beneficial.

The hype for this was big and so I thought I would reinvestigate this four years on to see the outcome. Sadly, the benefits for you; ie shivering at low temperatures to get brown fat activated was not as successful as suggested. Brown fat is there to keep you alive, not thin and so shivering all day may possibly see some brown fat activity but did nothing to warrant any weight loss or health benefits. It seems as usual, further investigation is required.

Fats

Getting clear on fats

Moving on, let’s look at the national guideline on the subject of fats and health. I am sure for the past 30 years, you have been dutifully following the national dietary guidelines to cut out fats and eat high carbohydrate, low fat food choices.

Yep, we know all about how fat has been demonised for decades, and that every product under the sun was turned into being fat free. We were not so sure this was a good thing and we rethought our practice here at 121 Dietitian as we realised the health of our patients was not improving but worsening due to “low fat everything”. The key here? Don’t be fooled into believing that foods labelled as ‘low fat’ are actually better for your health.

Fats

Embrace fat, rather than fear it

So we are proud to say that for over 12 years, we at 121 Dietitian have been seeing amazing results by ensuring: good healthy fats, sufficient lean proteins, specified volumes of fruit and vegetables and lower levels of specific carbohydrates. We embrace fat not fear it and it is clear we are not the only ones! For the past 2 to 3 years, voices are being heard and with the assistance of the media there has been a turning of the tide on fat shaming and putting the correct spotlight on sugars.

Fats

Eating the ‘best’ fats

Fats are no longer the demon but you do have to be aware that convenience foods, processed foods and take-away meals are meals that you should hold back on as they are fats created from hydrogenation and artificial saturation, interestification and are pro-inflammatory to the body. The fats you can seek to eat in a balanced programme are what you great grandparents ate and are as tasty as: avocados, lean meat, poultry, eggs, fish, cheese, butter, semi-skimmed milk, nuts and seeds.

The role of 121 Dietitian

As Dietitians, we see hundreds of male and female patients for a plethora of medical related nutritional concerns. If not in clinic, we are working with sports people for endurance and performance enhancing bespoke nutrition, or we are out on the road regularly visiting businesses to optimise staff health and work performance. You may also see us in the media answering national queries.

Nutrition is a vital piece of the jigsaw to feel alive, focused and ready for the day ahead. If you are not feeling this then you should question your overall health and lifestyle choices and really try to make some changes.

Gillian Killiner – Lead Dietitian and Director at 121 Dietitian. 121 Dietitian is an award winning nutritional consultancy company based in Belfast. Clinics are available in Belfast and worldwide via Zoom, Google, Skype…

If you are unsure of how to change your eating habits, or need help optimising the foods you eat please do contact us. We would love to help you or your family and friends with any nutrition related queries big or small.

In the meantime do please check out our 121Dietitian Shop

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Kristen McBurney
Kristen McBurney
2023-03-21
I cannot recommend Gillian enough. I got in touch after struggling to lose weight due to PCOS and suffering from IBS. Thanks to Gillian, my IBS symptoms have massively reduced, and I have been able to lose a significant amount of weight. Her warmth makes you feel instantly comfortable and at ease. Gillian’s help and expertise is second to none, and she is always on hand to answer any questions. I am throughly enjoying the plan Gillian created for me and have found it easy to integrate into my everyday life. I am so grateful for the positive impact her plan has had on me.
Hannah Crothers
Hannah Crothers
2023-02-10
Gillian is the greatest. She is compassionate and professional, really helped me to understand my body’s function and how to best support it. Her advice has changed my life.
Jay Rafferty
Jay Rafferty
2023-02-09
I would highly recommend Gillian. Her advice and guidance has been a game changer for me. With so much conflicting and confusing advice on healthy eating, using a professional nutritionalist is a must.
Emma Lavery
Emma Lavery
2022-12-29
I could not recommend Gillian enough over the last 3 months - she has turned my life around! I was referred to Gillian by my gastro consultant due to suffering from ibs, gastritis and hormonal issues for nearly 10 years. Gillian was very understanding and approachable throughout my time spent with her. Gillian discussed my health, lifestyle and eating habits thoroughly. She advised an individualised blood check for underlying issues, educated me on supplements and provided numerous information to help aid my recovery. The low foodmap programme I have been following is achievable and can be adapted to anyones lifestyle. As I am a vegetarian I thought this process may be difficult however Gillian reassured me that this would be no issue. She supplied personalised shopping lists, recipes and alternative foods to help heal my gut and overall health. Continual support from Gillian was on hand via email when required.I seen improvements in my symptoms within only weeks of starting the programme and was overwhelmed by the success due to suffering for years! I have been spreading the word about Gillian's brilliant work and will continue to do so! Thank you again for all your help!
mick lorkins
mick lorkins
2022-12-18
Strongly recommended. There are not many professionals that can totally change you life for the better but this one one if you follow the advice given.
Bobby D
Bobby D
2022-09-07
For 30 years I have suffered with IBS D and have been unable to find the right specific help. I was introduced to 121 Dietician about 6 weeks ago and like all other services out there I was sceptical. First up was a consultation online which was great considering the many issues I was having going to places. Gillian listened very attentively and understood the many problems I was having.Gillian decided to introduce me to the Low FODMAP diet. Starting out she provided everything (information, shopping lists, recipes etc) to get started. Through the course of the first 6 weeks Gillian was available to answer any questions or concerns.Following the first 6 weeks I'm very happy to say that all the many problems associated with IBS have gone and I'm starting to live a normal life without any stage fright when out and about.The next 8 weeks will be the reintroduction stage but based on the knowledge from Gillian in the initial stage I'm very confident that at the end I will have full understanding of all my triggers.I can't recommend this service enough as most importantly after 30 years of severe symptoms I once again feel healthy and happy. This is a must if you suffer continually from this horrendous condition. I would be confident that this will help anyone who has IBS.For me this was the best money ever spent and I can't thank Gillian enough for the difference she has made.Roy Dornan
Jack Kennedy
Jack Kennedy
2022-09-04
Helped solve stomach issues, had previous been to several people but this was the first dietary intervention that worked
Laura Campbell
Laura Campbell
2022-04-29
After over 10 years of eating quite poorly, Gillian has completely changed my approach to food. After a consultation and review of my diet, she provided me with a list of easy and quick recipes that are packed full of nutrition. She takes into consideration your lifestyle as well which I really appreciated too. I now have much more energy and actually enjoy preparing meals now, something I never did before. I honestly cannot recommend her enough. Thankyou! 🙂
Chris Arnold
Chris Arnold
2022-04-24
The overall experience was a very positive one. Gillian certainly had the expertise and people skills to help evaluate and treat my daughters gut issues. The progress was quite instantaneous and over time has made a huge difference to her everyday life. Thanks to Gillian for her work which came at the end of many doctor consultations. In hindsight Gillian should have been the first port of call.
Amelia Tyler
Amelia Tyler
2022-03-30
Gillian is great and her program was just perfect. All the meals were delicious and I always felt satisfied which made it very easy to follow. I would highly recommend, especially the 121 sports program.
Google rating score: 4.9 of 5, based on 46 reviews

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Information checked & correct on 16th May 2018 and Jan 2021.

Links included in this description might be Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. 


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Filed Under: Blog, News Tagged With: diabetes, dietitan, dietitian belfast, dietitian northern ireland, fats, health, heart disease, hydrogenated, lipids, metabolism

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