C h ew i n g

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t h e F a t

Can fat make actually you thin? Crave explores its role in modern diets, and busts a few myths.

Words Rebecca Cairns

Like most of us, I know a lot of people on a lot of different diets. Heck, I’ve tried some (many) of them. The Atkins diet re-exploded when I was

in my teens, and still enjoying buttered-to-the-edges, processed ham on white bread sandwiches. If only I knew then what I know now. My relationship with carbs has always been as complex as, well, carbs. But I’m not the only one, particularly in Western society where the evils of refined breads and fried potatoes have been perpetuated by fad diets such as Atkins and Barry Sears’ The Zone. It’s often said that ditching the dough can help shed extra pounds, but what replaces carbs in your diet? Certain fitness gurus and nutritionists have promoted high-fat diets as an easier way to keep trim, suggesting fat is easier to burn off, easier to digest, or even stores differently. But is that a big fat lie? ENERGY CRISISAnything you consume is energy, better known as calories. This energy is broken into three groups: fat, carbohydrates and protein. You’ll notice there isn’t a category for “fruit” or “vegetables”, because they fall into one of the three above, typically carbohydrates. That’s right, a juice detox is an all-carb diet.

Each gram of fat contains nine calories, compared with four in a gram of protein or carbohydrate. In layman’s terms, that doesn’t mean more fat – it means more energy. Fat is more energy-dense than other food types, so the body takes longer to convert it into useful energy. Carbohydrates are typically the most readily available source of energy, which is why runners eat bowls of pasta, rice, or even a banana before a race, and why a chocolate bar or fizzy drink makes us feel a little giddy: the energy transformation from carbs is much quicker. When it comes to fat, it’s important to recognise that not all fats were created equal. While they all contain the same amount of calories per gram, some are better for your health than others. This is where concepts of “good fat” and “bad fat” come from, although, calorie-wise, foods such as cheese and avocado are no worse than each other. BURN, BABY, BURNYour body is always burning calories. When activity levels are low, fat calories are preferable to carb calories.

But during high-intensity exercise – football, swimming, running – carbs provide more readily available fuel.

Hong Kong-based nutritionist Gabrielle Tuscher explains: “Low-intensity workouts burn more fat molecules, and the longer you’re exercising, the more you will use fat energy rather than carb energy. Someone doing a triathlon, for instance, will be fuelled more on fat than carbs, because the exercise is sustained for a long period of time.”

The fat that took a little extra time to convert into energy becomes particularly useful once the carbs are burned off, making fat reserves vital for anyone engaging in lots of sport, regardless of intensity. So fats are important for sustenance, but are they doing anything else? Tuscher says another merit of a high-fat diet is its ability to fill you up faster. “It’s easier to eat more carbs – fats, like proteins, satiate your appetite more. Especially with healthy fats, you may be less inclined to eat as many calories as you would with carbs.” The US government suggests the average adult’s diet should be made up of 30 per cent fats, with no more than 10 per cent of your daily calorie intake coming from saturated fats supported by claims that fat improves brain function and reduces insulin resistance.

From a weight-loss perspective, nutritionist Monica Proctor, founder of Central Nutrition, says eating more fat actually increases fat burning, as well as building endurance in sports performance. But she warns its effect varies between individuals.

“Genetically, you may metabolise fats or carbs differently, which is why a low-fat diet may be more suited to you. Not all calories have the same impact on your weight, metabolism and gene expression. In a controlled feeding study, the group on a higher-fat diet did better,” she says. When it comes to working off fats, nutritionist Steven Hightower, a bodyweight expert with Coastal Fitness Hong Kong, suggests strength training is the optimum way to use fat calories. “Scientific literature suggests your body tends to be more efficient at burning fat during moderately intense activities. Building muscle tissue ignites the metabolism, and the maintenance of that tissue requires more calories. Strength training is actually more effective in burning calories than running on a treadmill,” he says.

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UNSAVOURY TRUTHSSo it seems that we can have our cheese and eat it too. However, while the idea of consuming fat to burn it off makes sense on a calorie level, this is not exclusive to the consumption of fats. Hong Kong dietician and nutritional expert Sally Poon Shi-po explains that dieting and weight loss is about balancing the numbers. “Consuming high levels of calories, regardless of the source, can lead to weight gain. One pound of fat contains 3,500 calories. So to lose one pound a week, you need a deficit of 500 calories a day.” Poon stresses that it’s not the diet, but sticking to it that makes the most difference. “Comparing The [low-carbohydrate] Zone, [very low-fat] Ornish and [very low-carbohydrate] Atkins diets to each other and to a typical balanced, calorie-restricted diet, Dansinger et al found them all to have a similar impact on weight. The Ornish diet and the Atkins diet had the poorest compliance rates,” she says. However, it is problematic to entirely eliminate one food group from the diet, whether it’s fats or carbs, and the popularity of extreme programmes such as Atkins and Ornish has suffered because they lack nutritional balance.

“High-fat diets will not suit everyone’s specific needs,” Proctor says. “Individuals with genetic and cardiovascular disease concerns are not suited to high-fat diet plans. It’s a restrictive diet that can cause nutritional deficiencies in the long term.” However, fat is far from being the biggest food offender, with sugar increasingly regarded as the real dietary evil. According to Tuscher, “High levels of sugars can be really dangerous. Juicing

can be one of the worst things for hidden sugars – anyone who is ill, suffers from cancer, or has a weakened immune system should categorically avoid it as sugar can aggravate all of these things. I think juicing perhaps works on a psychological level, to give you a kick-start mentally, but if you’re looking to lose weight or cleanse your system, you’re wasting your time.”

Bad news for those with a sweet tooth: if you’re looking to cut back, leave the carbs and fats alone, and ditch refined, processed sugars.

THE MIDDLE WAYSo where does that leave us? Eating fats to burn fats is an oxymoron, because you burn fats without trying; your body can’t run without them. Like pretty much everything else, fat is good in moderation, which is so painfully boring that it is tempting to go to extremes with binges and cleanses.

What has become increasingly clear, as the dieting industry flip-flops on the latest trends and contradicts itself every few years, is that everyone is different, and hard and fast rules aren’t useful. Factors such as an individual’s metabolic rate, exercise regime and even heritage will affect their reactions to food. With more and more research coming out against extremes, the future of fad diets looks shaky. So it’s important to stop demonising foods, to stop telling people what not to eat. Instead, each of us should listen to our bodies and eat what makes us feel good – we all know the difference between the sugar high of chocolate and the genuine energy buzz of a banana. Fat has lived to fight another day, so go ahead and embrace that avocado latte – made with skimmed milk, of course – with open arms.

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Fat U n packed While the idea of good foods and bad foods can be incredibly harmful, it’s

important to understand the effects certain foods have on our health.

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POLYUNSATURATED fAT High in omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for the heart and help to lower blood pressure.

Found in: salmon, mackerel, lake trout, sardines, tuna, walnuts, canola oil, flaxseed oil and chia seeds.

MONOUNSATURATED fATReduces bad (LDL) cholesterol levels in the blood, which can lower the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Found in: olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, avocados and peanut butter.

SATURATED fAT Raises the level of bad (LDL) cholesterol in the blood, which can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Found in: beef, lamb, pork, poultry with skin, butter, cream, cheese, dairy products made from whole milk, coconut, coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil (often called tropical oils) and cocoa butter.

TRANS fAT Raises bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and lowers good (HDL) cholesterol levels, which can cause heart disease.

Found in: hydrogenated oils, stick margarine, shortening,many fried and baked foods, including pastries, pizza dough, pie crust, cookies and crackers.

e ati n g cleanThe key to keeping trim is knowing where to make cuts. Whether you’re

eating out, or cooking up a feast, here’s our clean-eating cheat sheet.

GO LEANIf you can’t say goodbye to steak, select the leanest cuts, such as loin or round cuts of beef and pork, to avoid unnecessary saturated fats.

BUTTER ME NOTDitch the butter, and use olive or canola oil instead.

VEGGIE MARGIEChoose margarines with liquid vegetable oil, such as olive oil, as the first ingredient.

CLEVER COOKINGLean meats can be baked, grilled, roasted or stir-fried for a lighter option.

DITCH THE DAIRYAvoid dairy products, or choose skimmed, low-fat options.

UNDER THE SKINGo skinless on chicken and turkey – it may be tasty, but this is where the worst fats lie.

With special thanks to Steven Hightower, nutritionist and personal trainer, coastalfitnesshk.com; Sally Shi-po Poon, dietician, personaldietitian.com.hk; Monica Proctor, dietician, monica-proctor.com; and Gabrielle K. Tuscher, nutritionist, nutrituscher.com