Sweat365 » Eat More Fat - Get a Flat Belly!

Post by:Brad Hefta-Gaub

Thursday, August 28th, 2008 at 12:22 pm  |  9 Comments

Who doesn’t wish they had a flatter, tighter, mid section? Even after losing 60lbs and transforming myself from a Fat Kid to two time Ironman, I wish I had those 6-pack abs… but I’m still soft around the middle. Counting calories, cutting out fat, that’s the approach I should take to get a skinny belly right? Apparently not! New research indicates that actually eating foods with more fats, including dark chocolate, guacamole, and olive oil, could be the key to a slimmer mid section. The trick: it has to be the right kind of fat!Olives

Research indicates that they key to a flatter midsection may be the kind of fats you consume, and not the amount. A recent study from Harvard, took more than a hundred men and women and divided them into two groups. One group ate a low fat diet. The other group at a “moderate-fat” diet, where 20% of their daily calories came from a special kind of fat called Monounsaturated Fat (or MUFA). The results might surprise you:

  • The low fat group gained an average of 6lbs over 18 months, and added nearly an inch to their waistline.
  • The group that ate more fats, actually lost 9lbs and trimmed off 3 inches from their waistlines.

How can this be? Aren’t we taught that low fat diets are the keys to losing weight? Isn’t that why all those products are sold with “Low Fat” labels? Well, the truth is that a healthy balanced diet should always include some fat in it. But there are so many choices of foods out there, and some have different effects beyond the well understood effects from the macro-nutrient groups of fats, carbs, and protein.In the case of monounsaturated fats, a mainstay in the Mediterranean diet for centuries, these nutrients appear to have the effect of increasing your metabolism. A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine showed improvement in blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar levels for patients eating a Mediterranean diet.

Nuts One benefit of MUFAs is that they tend to be fluid fats and therefore have the effect of lubricating arteries as opposed to building up and blocking your arteries like other fats. Another great side effect of foods rich in MUFAs is that they tend to fill you up, take longer to digest, and are a great source of longer lasting energy.Cynthia Saas, M.P.H., R.D., C.S.S.D., and author of the new book “Flat Belly Diet“, points out that Monounsturated fats “…are particularly good for athletic people…” because, “Your arteries are like tunnels that carry oxygen and nutrients to your cells, including your muscles, nervous system, and brain, which are all essential for optimum athletic performance.”

Foods high in Monounsaturated Fats Include:

  • Avocado - Yum! Who doesn’t love fresh avocados or guacamole? Avocados are loaded with flavor, and their loaded with MUFAs. You might enjoy them freshly sliced, added to a salad, or on a sandwich, or make them into a healthy guacamole by simply adding lime juice, garlic, and salt to taste. No need to add sour cream or other less healthy fats, just enjoy them as is. Recommended serving: 1/4 cup.
  • Seeds and Nuts - Almonds, pecans, pine nuts, sesame seeds, spreads made from these nuts like Tahini or almond butter. We know these foods are packed with energy, but they’re also loaded with healthy fats! Perfect for a quick burst of energy while out on a long bike ride or run. Recommended serving: about a handful.
  • Dark ChocolateOlives - There are so many wonderful choices of different colors, shapes, sizes and best of all flavors of olives. These make for a great snack or appetizer. You can eat them whole or make them into a tapenade or spread, just chop them up, add garlic, some spices to taste and a little bit of olive oil. Recommended serving: 1 table spoon of tapenade or a dozen olives.
  • Dark Chocolate - Oh yeah! That’s what I’m talking about. It turns out the bitter and semi sweet chocolate with high cocoa percentage and no milk added is a great source of healthy fats. Recommended serving: 1 oz.
  • Oils - Several oils are high in monounsaturated fats. Those include: canola, flaxseed, peanut, safflower, walnut, sunflower, sesame, and olive. Recommended serving: 1 tablespoon.


Filed under: Avocado, Dark Chocolate, Flat Belly, Food, MUFAs, Monounsaturated Fats, Nutrition, Nuts, Oils, Olives, Uncategorized, diet  |  Digg! this story.  |  Leave a Comment

9 Comments: :

Eat More Fat - Get a Flat Belly!

August 28th, 2008 2:18 pm

Karl On Sea says:

That chocolate serving - how many times an hour do I have to eat the 1oz dose?

August 28th, 2008 7:04 pm

shebaduhkitty says:

how do you eat just ONE ounce of chocolate???

August 28th, 2008 10:53 pm

kfedale says:

Great stuff, I can’t tell you how many non-fat folks I have tried to describe the good fats to.
Thank you for posting this.

September 2nd, 2008 5:19 am

Kate says:

I’ve never been one to eat a low-fat diet and I sure love dark chocolate and nuts! That must be why occasionally I see my 4-pack starting to look like a 6-pack… Thanks Brad, great info!

September 2nd, 2008 4:20 pm

hardly says:

“Research indicates that they key to a flatter midsection may be the kind of fats you consume, and not the amount.”

Had me right up to the ‘not the amount’ bit.

Actually, the amount of fat you consume is important. And, according to other research, it needs to be in balance w/the proteins and carbs you consume along with the total number of calories per day.

Yup, I’m a proponent of the Zone diet. Balanced meals, and many of them throughout the day are key to helping your body keep things on an even keel.

Now, how about some articles on the body’s need for animal protein… just to whip up some more controversy ;-)

September 4th, 2008 12:50 pm

kimo says:

Awesome! I love those Dove Dark Chocolate Promises.

September 6th, 2008 2:30 pm

corriegirl23 says:

BEWARE! Dark chocolate is not all the same! I used to be a vegan and I would have thought that dark chocolate wouldn’t have any milk or animal products in it, but all of the leading brads do! Hershey’s, Dove (sorry kimo), etc. These companies add milk and animal fat for smoothness, so it melts in your mouth, and to cut the edge on bitterness. Read your labels people! Your best bet to find dark chocolate without milk is at a health food store or a chocolate specialty store like Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. I really love the Rose City Chocolates web site! It’s has an amazing and oh so tasty selection of vegan chocolates, which will definitely be safe from any milk or animal products! I still order vegan chocolates from them and I’m not even vegan anymore! http://www.rosecitychocolates.com

October 1st, 2008 11:12 am

Bill Anders says:

Don’t know how I’ve missed this one, Brad. What a great topic.

For the past 5 months, I’ve gone almost completely Paleo/Primal. What a huge difference it’s made for me. I’ve certainly not been out of shape, but always had a floor of about 190, but a consistent weight of about 200. My Tanita bodyfat scale at home told me before I left the states that I was at about 23.3% body fat. And I was eating healthy.

In the past 5 months, I’ve broke through that 190lb “floor”, now sitting at about 185. But more significant has been the complete change in body composition. I look forward to stepping on the Tanita in mid-November. I can now see definition in muscles that I didn’t know I had (hidden under a layer of fat). The pants that I deployed here with are falling off of me.

So I would highly recommend that folks take a look at both Joe Friel’s “Paleo Diet for Athletes” as well as Mark Sisson’s “Mark’s Daily Apple” blog. Both advocate similar diet plans, which aren’t diets, but changes in how and what you eat. I’m now eating more fat and protein than carbs, which are limited to quality carbs like fruits and vegetables. No manufactrured carbs. And it works! Living on that diet still got me through my 40 mile run the weekend before last.