TJ, this is just my
TJ, this is just my experience, but I've heard similar things from other people.
Fat is a flavor carrier which means anything that is higher in fat will taste much better even if all the other ingredients are the same. There are also lots of fat-soluble vitamins which we miss when we eat low-fat and our body will signal hunger when some of our nutrional needs are not met. In addition our body signals emotional hunger if our eating experience is not very pleasant because either the food does not taste very good or it is eaten without paying attention to it (in front of TV, computer or in the car) rather than enjoying it in good company or at least with full attention to every bite.
The worst part about eating low-fat is that in the case of processed foods fat is almost always replaced with some kind of sugar or sometimes starch and artificial flavoring.
A good example is fat-free fruit yoghurt. While plain full-fat yoghurt has fairly little sugar, about 12 grams in one cup, so-called fruit yoghurt has between 25 and 30 grams per cup, in one very popular brand, NO FRUIT AT ALL.
The same is true for many low-fat frozen dinners, the fat is replaced with sugar.
Most people end up eating a lot of sugar in boxed cereals. The reason is that most of them don't taste like much without the sugar.
Try instead some steel-cut oats with apples, cinnamon, walnuts and some cream or half-and half on top and you won't miss the sugar.
Using artificial sugar substiutes like splenda or aspartame, also common in low-fat and diet foods, only make things worse. Because they taste like sugar but the body does not recognize them as food (that's why they are calorie-free) they cause an insulin spike but then there is no sugar coming, leading to a serious crash in blood sugar levels and a craving for carbs and continuing the whole viscious cycle of carb addiction. Combining sugar or white carbs with a lot of fiber and some protein and fat will slow down the whole cycle so there is another benefit of fat if you do have a craving for sweets.
I want to add one more thing: For me I have found that drinking coffee has a similar effect (energy-boosting) as sugar and white carbs and it is just as short-lived. Maffetone talks about this in his book about adrenal gland function a bit. Getting away from most coffee and most sugar at the same time makes it easier in the long run.
TJ, this is just my experience, but I've heard similar things from other people.
Fat is a flavor carrier which means anything that is higher in fat will taste much better even if all the other ingredients are the same. There are also lots of fat-soluble vitamins which we miss when we eat low-fat and our body will signal hunger when some of our nutrional needs are not met. In addition our body signals emotional hunger if our eating experience is not very pleasant because either the food does not taste very good or it is eaten without paying attention to it (in front of TV, computer or in the car) rather than enjoying it in good company or at least with full attention to every bite.
The worst part about eating low-fat is that in the case of processed foods fat is almost always replaced with some kind of sugar or sometimes starch and artificial flavoring.
A good example is fat-free fruit yoghurt. While plain full-fat yoghurt has fairly little sugar, about 12 grams in one cup, so-called fruit yoghurt has between 25 and 30 grams per cup, in one very popular brand, NO FRUIT AT ALL.
The same is true for many low-fat frozen dinners, the fat is replaced with sugar.
Most people end up eating a lot of sugar in boxed cereals. The reason is that most of them don't taste like much without the sugar.
Try instead some steel-cut oats with apples, cinnamon, walnuts and some cream or half-and half on top and you won't miss the sugar.
Using artificial sugar substiutes like splenda or aspartame, also common in low-fat and diet foods, only make things worse. Because they taste like sugar but the body does not recognize them as food (that's why they are calorie-free) they cause an insulin spike but then there is no sugar coming, leading to a serious crash in blood sugar levels and a craving for carbs and continuing the whole viscious cycle of carb addiction. Combining sugar or white carbs with a lot of fiber and some protein and fat will slow down the whole cycle so there is another benefit of fat if you do have a craving for sweets.
I want to add one more thing: For me I have found that drinking coffee has a similar effect (energy-boosting) as sugar and white carbs and it is just as short-lived. Maffetone talks about this in his book about adrenal gland function a bit. Getting away from most coffee and most sugar at the same time makes it easier in the long run.