Fat: What's the Right Amount for Me?

So, what’s the perfect balance between just enough fat, and not too much? We don’t want all that fat to sit in the storehouse making us flabby, we want it to be used up and then replenished—a perfect balance. But how? Three steps. 

First, we must do everything to keep our blood sugar in check. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, fat and


protein, and reduce the carbohydrates—actually eliminating the processed ones that turn right into sugar.

When our insulin levels are high, which results from eating processed carbohydrates and sugar, our body must hold onto fat to store all the excess sugar in order to keep it out of our blood stream. I have personally witnessed clients going off of diabetes medication in ten days or less simply by eating properly.

When this step is followed, I have seen the body come into balance within a few months: a speedy metabolism, hormonal harmony and fat burning efficiency. If we are willing to eat the foods in the form created by the Creator of our bodies, meaning, eating REAL food in its original form, we can experience harmony in a body shape we’re comfortable in. To do this, we MUST eat enough of that hero called fat. One study found that when we eat enough healthy fat we release abdominal fat. Alternatively, when we over-consume carbohydrates, we gain abdominal fat. (NIH)

Second, make sure we’re eating enough of our hero. If we have too much fat, we grow sluggish, maybe nauseated. We become sleepy and dull. We gain a heavy gut and possibly feel full, but hungry. We may crave sweets or caffeine. If we take in just enough fat, we feel energized, awake, satiated. We’re able to go four or so hours between meals and even if we get hungry, it won’t feel like an emergency because our blood sugar will be balanced. 

Are you the type that needs more protein and fat (say 20-30% of each meal)? You’ll know if:

• You sleep better when you eat a high-protein snack one to two hours before you go to sleep. 
• You sleep best when you’ve eaten a dinner composed mainly of meat or other protein and some vegetables or carbohydrate. 
• You best maintain mental clarity and a sense of well-being for up to four hours after a meal when it is made up of darker meats and a smaller portion of carbs.
• You live to eat and gets ravenously hungry at meal-time.
  

Do you require less fat (say 10% of each meal)? You’ll know if:  

• You sleep better when you eat a snack higher in carbohydrates, such as low-fat yogurt with berries, three to four hours before bed.
• You sleep best after having eaten a dinner of mostly vegetables and other carbs. 
• Your meals keep you awake and clear when they are carb-based such as veggies, bread, grains and a  smaller portion of animal or other protein.
• You tend not to care much about food, and you eat to live.

We are all biochemically unique, so no one amount of fat works for every person. The key is learning to listen to our own inner wisdom, to the cues of our body. It will tell us how, when, and how much to eat.

When we eat the right amount of healthy fat, and our hormones are regulated because we are getting enough sleep; when we go to bed a little on the hungry side, enjoy life, hydrate our bodies, relax, fulfill our life purpose, breathe, move, and generally live a balanced lifestyle, then our body begins to trust that our hero, Fat, is good to go. So it will USE the fat we eat as an ENERGY SOURCE. Our body will begin to release excess fat on its own, while keeping our hero healthy and happy. 

All this without ever counting a fat gram or stepping on the scale! Maybe the idea of our getting rid of our little-known hero was a very bad idea indeed!

Stay tuned for my next article on what kinds of fats are heroes and which types are foes. There is a big difference, and lack of understanding can cost you your health.

You might also like to read:

Fatman: the Forgotten Hero in the Battle of the Bulge

Fat is Not the F-Word and it Just Might Be What you Need to Stay Slim & Trim

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