Wait, what? First Fats Do Not Make You Fat and now this. Take it easy, I’ll explain.
Over the past 5 years I have made an honest effort to integrate more exercise and healthy eating habits into my health regime. Lean meats, lots of veggies, healthy fats. The transition didn’t happen over night but I can now proudly say that I lead a pretty healthy lifestyle. The benefits of this lifestyle are totally worth the added efforts…lots of energy, a stronger immune system and of course, a maintainable healthy weight where I both look AND feel good. So I’m healthy now, the work is done and I can eat bacon cheese burgers again, right? Wrong. Well, mostly wrong. The truth is that regardless of weight, and how healthy a diet is, and all that exercise, saturated fats like those in a bacon cheese burger are no body’s friend, and they WILL have a negative effect on the body, regardless of how fit I think I am. Sure a dietary splurge every once in a while isn’t going to set me back months, but believing that’s it’s okay to eat unhealthy because I am overall healthy is in itself, well…unhealthy, and could lead me down a dangerous path.
Have you ever met a thin person with high cholesterol, or diabetes? You think, this person looks healthy, why are they struggling with this problem? For many, adopting an “everything in moderation” or “I’m skinny so I can eat anything attitude” is more dangerous than you think. It’s like my guys with the high metabolisms who figure they can eat all the fast-food they want because they aren’t “fat” yet. Well, just because your body isn’t storing the fat visibly doesn’t mean your arteries are in the clear as well. No pun intended. And even though counting calories and watching carbs may keep you thin, it’s still more about the quality of the food that you put into your body that determines your health destiny. I’m not saying one cheese burger now and again is going to send you to the ER, but you better be aware that just because you look healthy, doesn’t mean you are. So the dangers I speak of are really the reasoning and bargaining that often go on before we eat something less than optimal. Those who are dieting may be less likely to have this conversation with themselves. They may come to the conclusion that a high-fat meal will negatively effect their weight goals and opt for a salad instead. My concern is that those of us who are not as worried about our weight may not think to be as mindful of our health as well.
Eating foods high in saturated fats raise cholesterol levels and clog arteries. Bottom line. Studies are continuously being conducted to determine whether or not exercise can reverse the immediate effects but the results are still questionable. Your best bet is to stay away from the bad-for-you-foods and save them for a very rainy day.
For more information about saturated fats and your daily limit, visit the American Heart Associate website.
