Low Fat vs. Low Carb: The Healthiest and Easiest Way to Lose Weight

People often misinterpret the reasons for the way I eat. I cannot emphasize enough: I choose to eat this way to be healthy, not to lose weight. I absolutely believe in food as medicine. I think the cure to cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc, is prevention (obviously not in all cases). That being said, down the line I do want to help people who are overweight. I find that the most common misconception with people trying to lose weight is that they should eat low-fat. This low-fat trend became popular in the 80's and I don't find it merely coincidental that during this time America's obesity rates began to rise. It is also ironic that the instances of heart disease began to rise right along with the trend of low-fat diets of Americans. The country was consuming less saturated fat, yet becoming fatter and unhealthier than ever. The fact is that this is not a coincidence. Our bodies need fat.  Saturated fats are not to be feared, my friends! Fat consumption does not increase the chances of becoming overweight or contracting heart disease. So what exactly will increase the likelihood? Well, let's look at the facts. When low-fat became popular, so did fake food. Margarine with hydrogenated oils, refined carbs, chemical additives, sugar, these are the culprits. With people so concerned with consuming less fat, they're less concerned with what they're consuming that is making them fat and unhealthy: fake foods, chemicals, toxic additives, carbs and sugar.

By no means am I saying to avoid carbs and sugar at all costs. People should absolutely be consuming as many vegetables (excluding taters and the like) as they want. I would never tell someone they need to portion control all that steamed broccoli they're eating. Nor do I avoid all sugar. Do I eat granulated sugar? No, I don't. It is horrible for candida. Do I eat raw honey? You bet your boots I do. It is essential for our bodies to consume whole foods. Not "low-fat" foods, which have been altered from their natural state. I do not generally eat pasta or bread. If I do, the grains have been soaked, or I consume brown rice pasta/bread, and I only do so sparingly. Grains are not an ideal food to eat regularly. They are not easily absorbed or digested by our bodies. Granted, not all fats are created equal. I do not buy processed cheese from the grocery store. Do I buy raw cheese, from a local grass-fed farm? Do I eat butter, cream and raw milk? Hell. Yes. They are really invaluable sources of fat that are extremely nourishing to our bodies. Yet, these saturated fats are touted as being unhealthy. Too bad they're absolutely essential for our hormone function, serotonin function, nervous system, etc.

If you are trying to lose weight, I will say that the safest and healthiest way to do so is by cutting out carbs and adding in veggies and fats. Your body uses carbs for energy. After that, it uses fat. So wouldn't it make sense to cut out the middleman? If your body doesn't have a ton of carbs to eat up, it will use your fat stores next. Here is an example of an ideal day of eats:

Breakfast: 2-3 eggs topped with salsa, or a breakfast scramble

JUICE

Lunch: grass-fed chili filled with veggies & beans, or a taco salad on romaine (sans tortilla strips)

Snack: cottage cheese caprese

Dinner: salmon and Mexican veggies or filet mignon and veggies or chicken with raw cheese stuffed peppers and a salad

I eat a lot of fat. I have coconut oil in my tea every single morning. I drown everything in butter. I eat as many veggies as possible. I do this to be healthy, and as an added benefit, I maintain my weight. I urge you, if you are trying to lose weight, please do so in the healthiest way possible.

*disclaimer: I am not your doctor, check with a doctor before you start any diet plan and please refrain from suing me.