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Can good fats make you slim?
Olive oil or butter? Whole or skim milk? ELLE dishes on the latest from the experts.
By Denise Wild
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But another surprising recommendation that falls under this category is coconut oil. "Even though it's a saturated fat, which is traditionally considered a ‘bad' fat, coconut oil has been proven to boost the body's metabolism and aid in weight loss," says Lilian Presti, a Toronto nutritionist. The body converts lauric acid, the medium-chain fatty acid abundant in coconut oil, to energy more rapidly than it converts polyunsaturated fats, says Nina Planck, author of Real Food: What to Eat and Why. "And because of this quick conversion, little strain is put on the body's digestive mechanisms, which speeds up the metabolism." But if you use a saturated fat, like coconut oil, does that mean you have to choose between weight loss and heart health? According to Kendall-Reed, there's a good side and a bad side to all oils: "If you take pure omega-3 or omega-6, for example, and heat it, it turns into a trans fat!"
But not everyone in the scientific community is convinced by the latest claims about fat. Rozwadowski doesn't believe, for example, that changing the type of fat we eat will shrink existing fat cells. "Fat cells only shrink when our fat stores are required to supply energy to the body. In other words, you can only lose body fat by taking in fewer total calories than you expend." Rather, Rozwadowski believes that the most important benefits of good fats lie in the reduction of inflammatory diseases and some cancers.
Where the experts do agree is on the amount of fat that Canadians should have in their diet: 25 percent, says Health Canada, with good fats comprising the bulk of this. These recommendations are now on a par with the Mediterranean diet, which includes 30 millilitres of unsaturated oils a day. If that's not possible, then Kendall-Reed suggests taking a daily fish-oil supplement (2,000 to 3,000 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acid) with your meals. "We need to focus on getting more omega-3 in our diet," says Rozwadowski. "Try to include fresh fish and nuts. Above all, make the enjoyment of eating a priority again."
Read Jann Arden's advice on healthy living.
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