Low Fat Foods Are Not Healthy Foods

When you shop at the grocery store, do you find yourself religiously reading the nutrition facts to see how much fat each product contains? Do you often opt for foods that are labeled low fat, reduced fat or fat free?

It turns out that this probably isn’t the best approach to a healthy lifestyle. According to content from the Harvard Health Letters published in The Chicago Tribune, just because a food has less fat doesn’t mean it’s healthier. In fact, many of these products dubbed low in fat are actually high in salt, sugar and refined carbohydrates. There is no research that proves a reduced fat diet by itself will lower the risk of heart disease, cancer, or diabetes.

Not only that, but not all fats are bad. Unsaturated fats – like those found in nuts, fish, avocados and olive oil – are actually good for you.

“A common mistake is to avoid and replace foods that have healthy fats and that are good for you with low-fat processed and packaged foods that are high in refined carbohydrates and sodium,” says Dr. DariushMozaffarian, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Instead of focusing on how much fat a food contains, look at the overall food. You want to avoid processed foods and foods high in refined grains, starches, sugars and salt. Increase the amount of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and fish and see what a difference it makes.

Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/sns-201310150000–tms–premhnstr–k-c20131016-20131016,0,689238.story

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.