Avoid These Unhealthy Sources Of Fat
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Trans fats vs Saturated fats
On today’s episode of Live Lean TV, I’m sharing my favorite healthy sources of fat and why you need to avoid these unhealthy sources of fat.
But first.
In my last video post, I talked about my favorite healthy sources of protein and why protein is important for losing weight and building muscle.
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So today is all about dietary fat.
Let’s start with a question
Do you avoid or limit dietary fat because you don’t want to gain more weight or increase your risk of heart disease?
If you said yes.
Are you still living in 1984?
One of the biggest misconceptions in the health and fitness industry is that you should follow a low fat diet to lose fat and reduce your risk of disease.
What do I say about that?
When it comes to dietary fat, the most important thing is deciphering between healthy sources vs unhealthy sources of fat.
So lets first talk about the most demonized type of dietary fat, saturated fat.
Saturated fat is evil right?
Wrong.
Is saturated fat bad for you?
There has never been any credible, direct correlation that natural forms of saturated fat from animals causes heart disease.
The highly flawed study, led by Ancel Keys, that created all the negativity around saturated fat, was called the Seven Countries Study.
Here’s more detail on how the Seven Countries Study influenced the demonization of saturated fat.
The health benefits of saturated fat
Saturated fat:
- is an excellent source of energy
- provides the body with nutrients that are critical to your health
- helps prevent oxidative damage to your cells
- is an integral part of your cells membrane
- helps increase natural testosterone production
Stop hating on saturated fat!
The toxic and evil types of dietary fat that we should be demonizing are the chemically altered, man made fats called trans fat.
Avoid evil toxic trans fats like the plague
Trans fats are often listed in the ingredients label as:
- Partially hydrogenated fats
- Hydrogenated fats
These are the most dangerous ingredients in today’s diet.
Here’s something even more scary.
These types of unhealthy trans fats are found in a lot of processed foods at the supermarket.
Up to 40% of all food in the supermarket may contain these evil and toxic unhealthy trans fats.
Avoid foods containing trans fats
If you see partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated fats listed in the ingredients label, put it back.
The most common processed foods containing trans fat include:
- Frozen dinners
- Cookies
- Chips
- Baked goods
- Cereals
- Breads
- Margarine
- Vegetable shortening
- …and the list goes on
These man made trans fats are foreign to the body, wreak havoc on your cells, increase inflammation in the body, and causes aging and cancer.
But when it comes to unhealthy fat, trans fats aren’t the only bad guys.
Limit foods containing unstable polyunsaturated fats
A high intake of unstable polyunsaturated fats can also wreck havoc on your body.
Reduce consumption of foods containing vegetable oils such as:
- Canola oil
- Corn oil
- Safflower oil
- Sunflower oil
- Cottonseed oil
- Soybean oil
Heavy consumption of these unstable, polyunsaturated fats can also contribute to:
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- Increased oxidation in the body, especially when heated
- Cause hormonal issues with your thyroid, thus slowing your metabolism
- Lower energy levels
- Lower HDL, the healthy cholesterol, and increase LDL, the bad cholesterol
- Rise in insulin resistance
- Cause obesity
- Increase risk of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer
- Cause immune problems
- Increase inflammation problems including arthritis
Based on all of this, it’s best to reduce your consumption of these unstable, polyunsaturated fats.
So now lets talk about healthy sources of fat.
Eat these healthy sources of fat
In addition to saturated fats, other healthy forms of fat include:
- omega 3 fatty acids
- monounsaturated fats
These healthy sources of fat have little to no negative impact on your blood sugar and insulin levels, and actually encourage your body to use stored fat as fuel for energy.
Plus consuming healthy fats can reduce your hunger and keep you satiated longer.
Omega 3 fatty acids are beneficial for supporting:
- heart health
- brain health
- skin health
- a healthy immune system
- improved blood circulation
- reduced inflammation
- reduced blood pressure
- healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels
Today’s omega 3 to omega 6 ratios are way out of whack
Unfortunately the western diet is very low in the consumption of omega 3s and monounsaturated fas, and very high in the consumption of unstable polyunsaturated fats.
These polyunsaturated fats are high in omega 6 fats which causes a huge imbalance in our bodies omega 6 to omega 3 ratio.
Ideally you want a 2:1 ratio of omega 6s to 3s. The modern diet is now closer to 20:1.
This higher ratio hormonally promotes more fat storage and an increase in inflammation throughout the body.
Here’s how to get your omega 6 to omega 3 ratio back inline.
Consume more healthy sources of omega 3 fats:
Focus on consuming healthy sources of fats high in omega 3s such as:
- oily cold water fish:
- wild salmon
- mackerel
- sardines
- anchovies
- herring
- grass fed beef
- free range whole eggs
- omega 3 supplements:
Other healthy sources of fats include:
- Nuts:
- macadamia (optimal due to their omega 3 to omega 6 ratio)
- almonds
- hazelnuts
- pecans
- pine nuts
- pistachios
- walnuts
- Raw nut butters (containing only nuts and possibly salt)
- Seeds:
- pumpkin seeds (optimal due to their omega 3 to omega 6 ratio)
- flax seeds
- chia seeds
- sunflower seeds
- Raw seed butter (containing only seeds and possibly salt)
- Avocado
- Avocado oil
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Olives
- Coconut oil, butter, milk, and meat
Bottom line: avoid these unhealthy sources of fat
I know this is a controversial topic, and some of you may disagree with me.
Please do the research for yourself, and learn which fats are in fact healthy and which fats you should avoid.
Do this rather than just following the conventional hype that scares you from consuming the staples that has been in the human diet for centuries.
I’ll leave you with this.
By avoiding healthy sources of fat, you’ll be increasing your risk of cancer, heart disease, and obesity.
By eating healthy sources of fat, you’ll be helping prevent heart disease and cancer.
That’s it.
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Now it’s time to go check out this video post on the best sources of carbohydrates.
I’ll talk to you soon.
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Question For You:
- What are your favorite fat sources?
- Does saturated fat scare you?
Be sure to share your answers in the comment section below.
Check out our free workout videos here.
Check out my free recipe cooking videos here.
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Brad Gouthro is the founder of Live Lean TV, a media company focused on helping men and women “Live Lean” 365 days a year. Brad’s programs and content have helped millions of people all over the world learn how to get in shape, and more importantly, sustain it for life.
where is the video you referred about carbs?
Where is the link you referred to?
Damn peanut butter??? I have a peanut butter addiction! Guess I need to work on that!
Hey thanks … it’s my goal to have the health, success, and longevity of Mr. Lalanne!
Great vids with great info man. Like a Jack Lalanne for the internet haha
when are u going to put out a workout video 8)
Hi Brad, i am starting my weight lost journey. I am very happy to have found your personalized 6 weeks program. And all of your youtube tutorials they have helped a lot. I am a working Wife with a 3 year old. So i have to do my work outs at home so that i can at least spend time with my family. I recently started my WOD 30 day begginer challenge and i try to do Tabata everyday or every other day. So my questions are can you build me a program that will work in my situation a program that reall
Thanks brad
yes, losing weight but maintaining strength is a good thing
just take a multi vitamin specifically for your gender. yes you should still drink protein shakes. and unfortunately i don’t have time to design meal plans anymore. sorry.
Hey brad is it good tht I keep on losing wait the funny thing is im not losing my strength so is tht a good thing
Omg I love your Chanel I have lost 3 pounds in like 4 days. I have 3 questions please answer me I need help is what vitamins should I be taking a day? I want to lose a lot of weight should I still take protein shakes? Can you please design an easy cheap 2 week meal plan it would like really help me!!!!!
not all. just the ones i talked about and listed on my blog
So polyunsaturated fats are bads?
check out my Food Wars: Fast Food Edition playlist
Heyy Bradf I Eat Healthy and fo what you say but when I get off is when im on a road trip what foods shouldb eat on a road trip that are good?
I’ve been trying to tell my wife this for awhile now and she still insist on a high carb no fat diet. I’ve followed the Primal Blueprint and feel great while losing 13 lbs in the last 2 1/2 weeks. Keep rocking Brad and look forward to a video on how to stay motivated in an exercise program.
Thanks for the kind words. Glad you’re enjoying all the content and applying it in real life. Live lean my friend.
I also just have to say that you are a huge inspiration to me. You channel is probably the best I’ve come across on YouTube regarding exercise and nutrition
Wow Brad great job on this video! This has to be by far my favorite video yet, because you jammed so many facts in a short amount of time, about healthy fats which so many people are ignorant about. I especially enjoyed this video because I’m hardcore Paleo and I feel like you took a page out of one of the Paleo books I’ve read 😀 keep up the great work!
yes, eat right after your workout
If I’m trying to lose weight should I eat straight away after working out or wait an hour or two.
I love your videos. Thanks. By the way you’re hot. 😉
thanks. I’m not against people that are vegetarians but it’s not something that I would do myself.
I love your videos! what do you think about Veganism?!
hi brad how is it going ? iam so sad now because ive hurted my knees while i was running ,no its the day 18 without cardio, these days i sit on a chair and lift weights or do some ab workouts but i dont sweat at all, i wish to loose weight without hurting my knees , how ??
grass fed butter and animal fat is all good
grass fed butter and animal fat is all good
i’m not in any position to question or give you advice other than what your doctor gave your mom. You’ll have to come up with your own conclusions and/or seek a second doctor’s opinion
i’m not in any position to question or give you advice other than what your doctor gave your mom. You’ll have to come up with your own conclusions and/or seek a second doctor’s opinion
I almost didn’t click here because I was expecting saturated fats to be demonized, luckily I was mistaken!
Can you also add Avocado to the list of good fats? My fats come from Eggs, Meat/Fish, Almonds and Avocado.
ok i have a question… my moms doctor told her to use safflower oil for all cooking to reduce her swelling from RA and lupus… she has done this for 3 months now, and i see more pain and swelling and now they are wanting to put her a a 3 rx drug regimen to control the RA, that have side affects out of this world… i think the oil switch caused the mass flare and that changing that could keep her off the extreme drugs… am i nuts or am i on the right track?
What about butter and other animal fat? That’s not hydrogenated or poly un saturated …just curious what your thoughts are on whether eating those fats is okay
I’m 5’11”
I have friends who tell me I shouldn’t eat natural almonds because theyre high in fats, then they go and eat..oreos, for example.
If you’d be kind to answer. Out of curiosity, how old and tall are you? I ask because I heard you mention that you weigh around 170 lbs or so. I’m around that weight and 5 foot 8 but no where near those guns you’re packing 😀
great way of explaining it.
Nice 🙂
first time i hear peanut butter being unhealthy?