Recent studies found that more and more of us are choosing whole-fat foods over skim, lite or fat-free products. According to the studies, people who eat a lot of high-fat dairy products actually have the lowest incidence of diabetes. While calcium, protein, vitamin D and other nutrients in yogurt are indeed good for us, we need the fat that goes along with them in order to get their protective effects. Below is a list of best full-fat foods some of the top nutrition experts are consuming.
1. Grass-Fed Butter
It’s an excellent source of vitamins, minerals and fatty acids, and it helps slow down the absorption of sugar and carbohydrates, leading to consistent energy levels and improved brain function. Not to mention it taste great! You can consume butter daily with confidence because studies have shown the saturated fat in it is not linked to heart disease.
2. Heavy Cream in Coffee
Heavy cream is a healthy fat that helps keep your blood sugar stable between meals and snacks, which means consistent energy and brain power, not to mention it makes your coffee taste decadent! Heavy cream also helps negate any potentially negative side effects of caffeine, like the jitters. The other creamer options, like whole, skim and even their new coconut milk, which is basically sugar water. Sugar water stimulates the production of your hormone insulin, which promotes weight gain and a host of inflammatory reactions.
3. Bacon
Bacon offers more protein and heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids than its poultry-based counterpart. Bear in mind that no matter which option you add to your breakfast plate, serving size matters, so don’t pig out. A few slices is all you need.
4. Whole Milk
Full-fat dairy packs more calories so it’s also more filling. People who eat the fatty stuff are less likely to suffer from obesity than those who try and skip the calories with low-fat dairy. Studies also found no ties between full-fat dairy and heart disease or diabetes.
PS. Milk isn’t for everyone, especially if you feel bloated after a glass.
5. Salad Dressing
Studies show that pairing a little bit of fat with your veggies helps the body absorb cancer-fighting and heart-healthy nutrients like lycopene and beta-carotene. Fat-free dressings often have added sugars or fillers, so even though you’re getting less fat, you’re not always saving calories. However, that doesn’t give you an excuse to load up your salad with globs of dressing. Keep calories in check by sticking to two tablespoons of an olive-oil based dressing. Be sure to steer clear of dressings that use soybean or vegetable oils because they don’t serve up the same health benefits.
6. 4% Yogurt
Packed with protein, crammed with calcium, and popping with probiotics, yogurt has all the makings of one of the best foods you can eat for weight loss and general health. Whole-milk yogurts tend to have more protein and less sugar than their nonfat or low-fat versions.
7. Grass-Fed Beef
Grass-fed meat contains higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to reduce the risk of heart disease. They are also naturally leaner and has fewer calories than conventional meat.
8. Natural Peanut Butter
While the reduced-fat peanut butter has less fat, it also has more sugar and salt. The fat in peanut butter is the healthful, monounsaturated kind that research shows lowers your sensitivity to insulin. Non-natural nut butters usually contain partially hydrogenated oils, which is a type of trans-fat. Opt in for a natural or organic nut butter; the ingredient list should just be the nuts and maybe a little salt.
9. Coconut Oil
Coconut is high in saturated fat, but more than half of that comes from lauric acid, a unique lipid that battles bacteria and improves cholesterol scores.
10. Olive Oil
Olive oil is rich in cancer-fighting polyphenols and heart-strengthening monounsaturated fat. Studies found that an olive-oil-rich diet resulted in higher levels of adiponectin than did a high-carb or high-protein diet. Adiponectin is a hormone responsible for breaking down fats in the body, and the more you have of it, the lower your BMI tends to be.
11. Whole Eggs
Egg is the number-one dietary source of a nutrient called choline. Choline, which is found also in lean meats, seafood and collard greens, attacks the gene mechanism that triggers your body to store fat around your liver. The more eggs you eat, the less egg-shaped you get. But don’t buy into unregulated supermarket-egg claims like “omega-3 enriched” or “free-range.” If you’re looking for the most natural eggs, hit up a local farmer.
12. Avocado & Avocado Oil
Avocados pack in healthy monounsaturated fats that contain oleic acid, which can actually help quiet feelings of hunger. They also give you two things butter doesn’t: protein and fiber. Avocado oil is also rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats that may help improve cholesterol.
13. Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate can help you flatten your belly. It contains pure cocoa butter, a source of digestion-slowing stearic acid. A few ounces of dark chocolate a day is all you need to reap the benefits, so no need to overdo it.
14. Walnuts & Walnut Oils
Polyunsaturated fats, found i walnuts, activate genes that reduce fat storage and improve insulin metabolism. Study found that a diet rich in walnuts and walnut oil may help the body respond better to stress and can also help keep diastolic blood pressure levels down.
15. Wild Salmon
Adding a filet of this fish into your diet just twice a week to get the amount of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids recommended by the American Heart Association. Omega-3s reduce the risk of arrhythmia, decrease triglyceride levels, and can actually slightly lower blood pressure.
16. Tuna
Canned light tuna is one of the best and most affordable fish for weight loss and is also the best source of DFA. Mercury levels in tuna vary by species; generally speaking, the larger and leaner the fish, the higher the mercury level. Canned chunk light tuna, harvested from the smallest fish, is considered a “low mercury fish”.
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