Now this article by Mike Geary is great in informing people about the misinformation spread by the food industry about what fats should be avoided and which fats are important to eat every day. However the big issue I feel has been ignored for too long is what actually makes people put weight on and put their lives in danger. It’s not fat, animal or vegetable, no it’s sugar. Sugar especially refined, processed sugar is the worst natural food you can put into your body…period.
For decades now, people have falsely feared dietary fats. But in recent years, there’s finally a shift where most people are starting to understand that eating dietary fat doesn’t make you fat. And in fact, eating more good fats (yes, including some animal fats!) is actually a more stable energy source that doesn’t cause the wild blood sugar swings, insulin resistance, and hormone imbalances that fueling your body with too much carbs causes.
So let’s look at THREE powerful fatty foods that can actually HELP you to flatten your stomach:
Fatty flat-belly food #1. Avocados — Even though avocados are typically thought of as a “fatty food”, they are chock full of healthy fats! Not only is this fruit (yes, surprisingly, avocados are actually a fruit) super-high in monounsaturated fat, but also chock full of vitamins, minerals, micro-nutrients, and antioxidants
Avocados have even been shown in studies to improve your good HDL cholesterol levels. Not only that, but including avocados on a salad increases your absorption of certain vitamins and antioxidants in the other veggies in the salad by as much as 5x or more… this is due to the healthy fats in the avocado that are necessary for the proper digestion and absorption of some vitamins and antioxidants in veggies. So don’t have a “fat-free” salad… include healthy fats like avocado and olive oil with your salad and you’ll absorb MUCH more nutrients from the veggies.
Also, in my opinion, guacamole (mashed avocados with garlic, onion, tomato, pepper, etc) is one of the most delicious food toppings ever created, and you can be happy to know that it’s also one of the healthiest toppings you can use on your foods. Try sliced avocados or guacamole on burgers, eggs or omelets, on salads or with fish, or as a delicious side to just about any meal.
The quality dose of healthy fats, fiber, and micronutrients that you get from avocados helps your body to maintain proper levels of hormones that help with fat loss and muscle building. Also, since avocados are an extremely satiating food, eating them helps to reduce your appetite in the hours after your meal. Say goodbye to junk food cravings and bring on that fat burning! I personally eat anywhere from a half to a full avocado DAILY and it only helps to keep me lean.
Fatty flat-belly food #2. Nuts: Walnuts, Almonds, Pistachios, Pecans, Brazil Nuts, Macadamias, etc — Yes, this is yet another “fatty food” that can actually help you burn belly fat! Although nuts are generally between 75-90% fat in terms of a ratio of fat calories to total calories, this is another type of food that is all healthy fats, along with high levels of micronutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Nuts are also a good source of fiber and protein, which of course, you know helps to control blood sugar and can aid in fat loss.
Nuts also help to maintain good levels of fat burning hormones in your body (adequate healthy fat intake is vitally important to hormone balance) as well as helping to control appetite and cravings so that you essentially eat less calories overall, even though you’re consuming a high-fat food. My favorite healthy nuts are pecans, pistachios, almonds, macadamias, and walnuts, and by eating them in variety, you help to broaden the types of vitamins and minerals and also the balance of polyunsaturated to monounsaturated fats you obtain.
Try to find raw nuts instead of roasted nuts if you can, as it helps to maintain the quality and nutritional content of the healthy fats that you will eat.
Also, try to broaden your horizons beyond the typical peanut butter that most people eat, and try almond butter, cashew butter, pecan butter, or macadamia butter to add variety to your diet.
One of the little “tricks” that I’ve used with clients when trying to cut down body fat is to have them eat a handful of nuts such as almonds or pecans about 20 minutes before lunch and dinner. This ends up being a perfect time to control your appetite before lunch or dinner and helps you to eat less overall calories on that meal instead of going into your meal famished and overeating.
Fatty flat-belly food #3:
This one could possibly be the MOST powerful “fatty” food that helps to boost your metabolism and flatten your stomach… It contains some VERY unique nutrients that cause a shift in your fat-burning metabolism. My friend and Nutritionist Josh explains all about this powerful food here:
The #1 MOST powerful belly-flattening food? (plus a unique 21-day rapid fat loss trick)
Enjoy! I’ll be back soon with more Lean-Body Secrets.
Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer