First, I’m going to dispel the biggest myth of all about fat..... 

Consuming fat doesn’t make you fat!!

• Your brain needs fat and your body needs fat to survive.
• Your brain is 75-80% fat and the majority of calls and hormones are made from fat.
• You just have to eat the right kind of fat.
• Did you know that if you stop eating fat you might actually gain weight and more importantly your chances of getting cancer and other types of inflammatory diseases?
• Your brain uses fat for fuel, primarily medium chain triglycerides.

Even though there are more than several different types of fat, I’m going to make this very simple for you.

There are basically 2 types of fat

1) Good Fats- Most good fats come from natural sources and mankind hasn’t messed with them.

2) Bad Fats or Trans-Fats-It’s the consumption of these fats that increases your risk of heart disease, cancer, and other inflammatory processes. Good fats don’t do this. Trans fats or bad fats are the man made fats.

Don’t be deceived by labels- Even if the label says, “zero grams of trans-fats” if you look at the label closely it probably has hydrogenated oils or partially hydrogenated oils.

*Guess what?  Those are also trans fats.

Good fats come from raw nuts, fish, extra virgin olive oil, avocados, coconut oil, dark chocolate, whole eggs, flax seed, and even butter. YES butter!

To keep the healthy benefits of these saturated fats you shouldn’t heat them. If you do they convert into unhealthy fats or trans fats. Even extra virgin olive loses many of its healthy benefits if you cook with it.

If we want to use oil at home we usually use coconut oil. It’s loaded with Medium chain triglycerides, which your brain uses for fuel. Virgin Coconut Oil does not readily oxidize like unsaturated oils do when heated, leading to free-radical formation. Coconut oil, unlike other vegetable oils is very stable when heated and does not create toxic byproducts. Using just a couple teaspoons a day can help and in some cases reverse many of the effects of advanced Alzheimer’ disease.

FIVE THINGS TO BATTLE THE HOLIDAY BULGE

1) Swap out bad fats for good fats

2) Keep moving. No time? Do 20-minute interval training. Half a workout is better than none.

3) Hydrate with lots of clean water

4) Make better choices. 80% of the time make the smart choice. Learn how to say “NO”

5) Choose your alcoholic beverages wisely. It can be the difference between a few calories and hundreds.

Hope I made this a simple as possible for you. I am always open to comments.

In The Best of Health Always,

Dr. Kaler