Does fat make us fat?

Apr 4, 2011 | The Fat Revolution

Fat is not what has been making us fat.

Our bodies are designed to eat saturated fat, and we have been doing so for thousands of years. Guess what farmers feed livestock to fatten them up? Low-fat grain. While humans have different systems to livestock, most mammals will get fat eating too many carbohydrates, including domesticated animals consuming commercial dog/cat food full of carbohydrate fillers.

Animals are never overweight in the wild. But what happens when we start feeding them?

And if we think about it, our ancestors could not have eaten the diet advocated in the widely-accepted food pyramid. Some mainstream doctors and other health professionals are starting to advocate fat as an essential nutrient, but they are often very conservative with their recommendations and encourage us to stick with nuts, avocado, olive oil, etc., for small quotas of fat. Fat is an essential nutrient and it needs to be a regular part of our diet, rather than being eaten in minimal doses only.

The real foods accessible by our ancestors were meat, vegetables, eggs, butter, and unpasteurised milk products (mostly cultured).  Our ancestors had access to some fruits and a few grains, but grains generally weren’t the staple of their diet. Any grains or nuts they used would have been soaked and fermented.

I have been eating plenty of fat for the last 10 years. In case you think that I flog myself in the gym, and that I must burn it all off, that isn’t the case either. My weight doesn’t change when I am unable to exercise. Actually I tend to lose a few kilos because I lose a little muscle 🙂

Food without fat is like life without love.  Modern Proverb

The secret to weight loss is in the fridge—not the gym

Mar 20, 2011 | The Fat Revolution

Have you ever worked out week after week, without your weight ever changing? I certainly have, and it is so frustrating. But what I didn’t know at the time was that if we are continually consuming food that prompts fat storage, it is very difficult for all your efforts to show up. The problem is, the foods we are told are healthy are normally the culprits!

Once when I was at the gym, I saw them put on a spread for some sort of celebration. The table was full of food that would have been considered “healthy” but it was all carb! Everything likely to cause fat storage!

We are told to avoid fat because it is twice the calories of carbohydrate. Fat has twice the calories of sugar! And that is all true. But the problem with that concept is that different foods act very differently in the body, regardless of their calories. For example, even though sugar and other carbohydrates have half the calories of fat, they are the most likely to prompt fat storage. And while fat has twice the calories, it is the least likely food to cause fat storage! And if you have ever accidentally taken too much coconut oil, you will know what I mean—it generally comes out the other end!

Not only that, fats stimulate production of a hormone called Cholecystokinin (CCK), which is what makes us feel satisfied (full) when we eat. This is why we can eat an entire packet of cookies (pure carbohydrate) and still not feel satisfied. It is very difficult to over-eat fat. It is no wonder that low-fat diets never worked.

The true key to weight loss is definitely in the fridge, not the gym. In fact, studies consistently show that while exercise is very healthy, when it comes to weight loss, it has little to no benefit.

Greatest gift for our children

Mar 20, 2011 | The Fat Revolution

As a tae kwon do instructor, I am amazed at the inability of this generation of children to stand still and focus. Most just can’t do it. My heart goes out to these children, because it isn’t their fault. But, what a handicap for life. Imagine continually fidgeting, unable to be still, and wanting to jump out of your skin. And, children are normally continually reprimanded for it. I worry about their future as adults.

I also feel for the parents because it isn’t their fault either. We have been fed so many lies by the food industry and health authorities. Also, one would assume you could go to the supermarket and buy “food” and that it should be okay for your family. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case, and the “food” in the supermarkets and food outlets is destroying our children’s lives. As Jamie Oliver says, “This is the first generation of children that is expected to die before their parents.”

Healthy children are full of energy, mentally and physically, and can focus for long periods of time. They are happy, and have good dispositions. They don’t have blue under their eyes (you will be hard-pressed to find one or two children in each classroom these days without blue under their eyes). They have clear fingernails (without white marks on them). They eat well and eliminate well.

People often comment about my children; they find them amazing. As I am writing this section, my daughter is playing a tune on the guitar; she only started learning guitar a month ago, and she is playing not chords, but a full tune. She is multi-talented; she sings, dances, and is one rank from being a black belt in Rhee Tae Kwon Do. She is 10, but her reading level was just tested at school, and she reads at a 14 year old level. She is as smart as a whip. When she was very little, she could sit for very long periods of time focused on something. When she was one year old, she was doing complex puzzles. She is also well-rounded and spends most of her time playing, twirling, painting, drawing, and being a child.

My son is 15, and he has in-depth conversations with adults about serious topics. He is a very deep thinker, and I can tell he will do something very important in his adult life. He is highly intelligent and self-driven. I never ask him to complete his homework; he does that on his own. He is currently working on a project with a friend so that they can become financially free by the time they are 18 and do what they choose as adults, rather than working for a living. My son is also happy and spends a lot of time doing teenage things; staying at friends’ houses, playing the Magic trading card game, and other hobbies.

Some people probably think they are just lucky, or have good genes; that maybe they are in the genius category. No, they aren’t. They just have the advantages that most children don’t have these days. They have been fed real food. Children are generally naturally amazing if we don’t give them a handicap.

Children are also designed to be beautiful. We all are. Inadequate nutrition has caused our faces and bodies to form differently than intended. Without adequate nutrition during pregnancy, breast feeding, and childhood, children’s features form differently than they would otherwise. Faces become narrow, teeth crowd, eyes form too close together, foreheads protrude, jaws jut out, and the general balance of the face that forms the foundation for beauty isn’t there. Adelle Davis was a pioneer of this kind of thinking in the 1950s, and she documented these phenomena back then. Imagine what she would say now.

There is global concern for the malnutrition being suffered in developing world because of poverty. What people don’t realise is that children are suffering from malnutrition in our “developed” countries, even though they have enough to eat. They may look well-fed, or over-fed, but they are malnourished.

Changing a child’s diet back to real food will likely give them such an advantage in life. They often initially resist, but they will eventually get over it if there aren’t other choices.

Some parents cook multiple meals for their children, because their children refuse to eat certain things; but according to the literature, being finicky about food can be a symptom of under-nutrition.

One of the reasons I wrote The Fat Revolution Cookbook was so that I could offer children healthy alternatives so they don’t feel like they are missing out. My children often come home and have a chocolate milk, a muffin, or chips.

Note: The Fat Revolution Cookbook is a LCHF (low carb, high fat) cookbook, perfect for families and for those who don’t need to be super low in carbs. If you would like to be strict keto (no root vegetables, fruit, nuts), use the Easy Keto Cookbook.

Healthy Breakfast Recipes

Mar 17, 2011 | The Fat Revolution

Not much in the house? Stuck for meal ideas?

Mar 10, 2011 | The Fat Revolution

Are you stuck for what to make for dinner you don’t have much in the house?  If you have eggs, onions and potatoes or sweet potatoes, then this is a great quick dinner that is also tasty.

8 eggs, lightly beaten
2 small potatoes or sweet potatoes, sliced
1 onion, chopped
3 tbsp butter

1. Melt a tbsp of the butter in a skillet, and sauté the onions.
2. Add the onions to the eggs, mix, and set aside.
3. Melt a tbsp of butter in the skillet, cover the bottom of the pan with half the potato slices, and cook on low heat for 5 minutes.
4. Turn the potato over, and cook for another 5 minutes (or until soft).
5. Add half the egg mixture, gently spreading it over the potato (try to leave the slices sticking to the bottom of the pan).
6. Cook until the egg on the edge of the pan has cooked a little.
7. Place under the grill on medium heat until the top of the omelette is cooked.
8. Cook a second omelette with the remaining potato and egg mixture.
9. Use a spatula to loosen the omelette from the pan, flip in half, cut into slices, and serve.

Note: This recipe is from the Fat Revolution Cookbook, which is a LCHF (low carb, high fat) cookbook, perfect for families and for those who don’t need to be super low in carbs. If you would like to be strict keto (no root vegetables, fruit, nuts), use the Easy Keto Cookbook.

Incontinent? Or, just drinking too much water?

Mar 5, 2011 | The Fat Revolution

The mainstream health industry tells us to drink eight glasses of water a day, and more if you exercise.  This is a very new idea, recently introduced into western society.  Ancient traditions and eastern medicine have never advocated the 8 by 8 theory.

Some people sip water all day long to try and reach their quota, but this can cause stress on the kidneys and dilute the level of salt in the blood, which affects the brain, muscle, and heart tissue.  It is important to be hydrated, but it is better to listen to your body.

The theory that once you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated doesn’t make sense.  Our body gives us signals about what we need, and those signals are there for a reason; just as the hunger signal tells us when we need to eat.  It is better to drink when you first rise (to rehydrate after sleep) and then drink when you are thirsty (away from meals).  It will naturally be less in winter, more in summer, less when sedentary, and more when exercising.

Many women think they are incontinent, when in fact, they are just drinking too much water.  As soon as they tone it down, and drink only when they need to, they can miraculously go hours without needing to ‘go’.  And, no longer need to know where every bathroom on the planet is located.

When you are drinking, avoid using plastic water bottles, including the polycarbonate bottles that are advertised as a healthier option.  Even polycarbonate can release chemicals into your water.  Try to use glass or stainless steel.