Eating Healthy Fats – 4 Minutes with Bill – Episode 4

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Hi. Welcome to another episode of 4 Minutes with Bill.  Today we’re going to talk about eating healthy fats as part of your regular diet. We may go a little over 4 minutes today, but I think it will be worth it.

About once a year I use MyFitnessPal to track my macronutrients, that is the mix of carbohydrates, fats and protein in the food and drink I consume. It always comes back pretty much the same, I eat a fairly high amount of dietary fat, typically 50% of my daily calories.  Next is protein at about 30% and carbs at about 20%. Those carbs are mainly fruits and vegetables with some whole grains, and I avoid processed/refined sugar like it’s poison.

I don’t consider myself a low carb eater, and certainly not Keto.  I have a high ‘healthy fat’ diet with lean protein and mostly non-processed carbs and virtually zero added sugar. I do drink alcohol, but only distilled spirits – rarely with any sugary mix.  Eating this way allows me to keep my weight under control at all times, even through the holidays. I eat when I’m hungry, and I can do that because I keep my insulin levels under control. I attribute that to my ‘high healthy fat’ diet and NO added SUGAR.

So what are the healthy fats.   Let’s talk about what I eat;

I regularly eat our homemade mayonnaise made with locally farmed eggs and olive oil, typically 1-2 tablespoons a day mixed in my meals as a dipping sauce or salad dressing.

I have a link to a video/recipe on how we make it, you’ll find it in the comments section below, or you can Google Bill & Staci’s paleo mayonnaise and you’ll find it.

Find the mayonnaise video recipe here Bill & Staci’s Paleo Kitchen – Homemade Paleo Mayonnaise

I love avocados, they’re one of the fattiest fruits around. They are mostly monounsaturated fat and they also contain a decent amount of fiber and vitamins, particularly potassium.
Almonds and macadamia nuts are also regulars. Almonds are close to my ideal macro ratio, 60 fat, 20 carb, 20 protein.  They are great for snacking, I’ll usually add a little added protein like beef jerky or grilled chicken, which we always seem to have around.
I cook primarily with coconut oil. I also put it in my coffee every morning. Odd as it may sound, sometimes I eat it right off a spoon.  It’s a great source of energy. Your body can use it almost as fast as sugar, but without any insulin level spike. Recently I started intermittent fasting, or better labeled ’time-restricted eating”, where I go 12-14+ hours overnight without eating. I don’t consider adding coconut oil to my coffee to be breaking my type of fast, and it makes it much easier to go a couple additional hours before my first meal.

Eggs, fatty fish like salmon, and a little cheese are also on my list of favorites.
We’re careful to buy only locally farmed eggs and traceable sourced salmon, usually from Whole Foods.

I also use olive oil, MCT oil and avocado oil for cooking and salad dressings.  I avoid cheap vegetable oils like the plague.  I never buy soybean oil, corn oil, canola, grapeseed or sunflower oil. I do use a small amount of sesame oil from time to time, even thought it is considered an unhealthy oil. I like it for the taste it gives dipping sauces and salad dressings.

You’ll ask, what makes those oils considered unhealthy.  It’s mainly the content of Omega 6 fatty acids.  Those are the inflammatory fats. Omega 6s are polyunsaturated fats and we should avoid eating too much of them. Omega 3’s are the anti inflammatory fats. Most of the fat I eat is either saturated, medium chain triglycerides or monounsaturated Omega 9s, which are not pro-inflammatory oils.

One thing I’ll caution you on is that if you eat a lot of carbs, especially starchy carbs or sugar or drink a lot of beer, don’t eat too much fat.  You’ll just get fat. I eat fats to replace the carbs I don’t eat, giving me the energy I need throughout the day.  Healthy fats also keep you feeling full. As for protein, I eat a lot of chicken, pork, eggs and some red meat. I try to keep it to 30 grams or less per meal or snack.

So there you have it, I eat a high fat diet and manage my weight easily. I attribute that mostly to not eating processed sugar.  Don’t be afraid to eat healthy fats, just cut the carbs and keep active. I’ve included a link to a good article from Healthline’s website listing their top 10 super healthy fat foods at the bottom of this post. There’s some good information there.

Until next time, thanks for tuning in.

Find the mayonnaise video recipe here Bill & Staci’s Paleo Kitchen – Homemade Paleo Mayonnaise

10 Super Healthy High Fat Foods. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-super-healthy-high-fat-foods

Take your First Step to a healthier life, through proper exercise, nutrition and recovery. Let us help show you the way. Schedule a call or brief meeting to talk about becoming a better you. https://www.crossfitcleveland.com/firststep