Low-fat foods have become popular. The production of “light” series products today is just as profitable a business as pharmacy. People trained by advertising know that a healthy, beautiful, successful, loved and lucky person is an exceptionally slim person with a sexy figure. The rest, those who are “not in the format”, have nothing to hope for.

To get closer to the visualized standard, you need to expel extra pounds from your body: switch to low-fat foods and drink light Coca-Cola.

It’s sad that not every adult, much less a teenager, can figure out where they went too far and where there is a grain of truth. After all, it is no longer a secret that if fat was removed, then something else was added in its place, and this “other” can turn out to be much more dangerous and insidious.

Without fats in the body, the normal course of most metabolic processes is impossible.. They perform many important functions:

1. They supply a person with the necessary energy - they give the body about 50% of everything it needs.

2. They create a certain reserve of adipose tissue in case of unfavorable living conditions.

3. Protect fragile internal organs from mechanical damage.

4. Provide normal thermal insulation - fats help preserve the natural warmth of the human body and protect it from hypothermia.

5. Responsible for the elasticity of blood vessels and skin.

6. They are a building material for brain cells, which are more than half fat.

7. Helps absorb fat-soluble vitamins (the most common example: carrots contain a lot of vitamin A, but without a fatty dressing it will not be retained in the body, but will pass through in transit and will not be absorbed).

8. Support reproductive function.

9. Ensure proper growth and development of children.

High-quality pure fat must enter the human body, but within acceptable limits. If there is an excess of it, of course, excess weight and other problems will appear, which today have become an excellent tool for influencing the human minds of producers of low-fat products.

Reverse side of the package

Manufacturers use a variety of techniques and chemicals to reduce fat content.

The result of such manipulations are attractive product packaging, decorated with a slender silhouette on the front side and the indication “0% fat.”

If the manufacturer is more or less conscientious, then he will indicate not 0%, but at least 0.5%, which is true, since only water can be completely fat-free.

Often you come across low-fat dairy products, but modern technologies make it possible to remove fat from sausage (!) and bread. There was a mention that fats are replaced with other components.

Yes, that is right. But, unfortunately, not all manufacturers indicate the full composition of the contents of the package.

Natural fat present in food products makes their taste familiar and attractive to humans. Food without fat has inexpressive gastronomic qualities, color, consistency - no one will voluntarily eat it, much less buy it.

Therefore, manufacturers compensate for the lack of taste with sweeteners, emulsifiers, stabilizers, preservatives, enhancers, etc.

The modern food industry is inextricably linked with the chemical industry, which is why low-fat surrogates can compete in taste with natural products and even outperform them.

As for the shelf life, this is real magic: low-fat dairy products, breakfast cereals, sausages, diet bread, etc. – can be stored for months, and all thanks to chemical additives.

Many people are attracted by the perceived low-calorie content of low-fat foods. Looking at the research, you can see that the difference between the energy value of regular and defatted products is quite insignificant.

And the reason is all in the same additives, which are supposed to improve the taste of 0% treats. They have their own, far from low, calorie content. Another disadvantage of the declared fat-free diet is the psychological point: there are no lipids, which means you can eat more.

Overeating low-fat foods is more likely to lead to weight gain than moderate consumption of plain, natural foods. And such food will never satiate you to the required extent; you will have to reinforce yourself more and more often.

Separately about trans fats. These are stabilizers, devoid of all useful substances, the main task of which is to extend the shelf life of food.

Trans fats are an invariable component of margarines, spreads, “light” butter, semi-finished products, confectionery products, mayonnaise, ketchup, and many low-fat products.

This component can be identified on the label by its name: combined / deep frying / cooking / partially hydrogenated / saturated fat, margarine.

What can be said in defense of low-fat foods?

1. They can be consumed periodically by healthy adults, but you cannot deprive yourself of fats completely and for a long time.

2. Water and green tea are completely harmless and very healthy representatives of low-fat foods.

3. In some cases, the “0% fat” icon is a kind of motivation, an impetus to review your menu and correct it in the direction of reducing calorie content. Only it is better to do this through natural food.

4. Low-fat foods are inevitable for those who are contraindicated in consuming fats.

It is clear that one should not delude oneself about the benefits of artificially low-fat products. If you are afraid of the prospect of cardiovascular diseases, high cholesterol, thrombosis, or excess weight, it is better to focus on moderately fatty natural foods.

To maintain a normal weight, a woman needs about 1800 kcal per day, and a man – 2300. To lose weight, you can reduce this figure by 10-20%.

Get a set amount of calories daily, but not from low-fat sausage, but from baked rabbit, beef, and lean poultry.

Take sour cream with 10-15% fat content, not 20%. Whole grain or bran bread is better than diet foam biscuits. Simple cereals - brown rice - are much healthier than ready-made fitness breakfast cereals.

Replace pork with fatty sea fish, and you will get essential omega-6 and omega-3 acids.

As for vegetable oils, opt for olive oil - an excellent, easily digestible, healthy alternative to all existing types of vegetable fats.

Countless articles and even dissertations have been devoted to the benefits of zero-fat foods. Every store has similar dishes - low-fat foods. To see this, just look into the dairy department. There you will find cottage cheese and milk... marked “0% fat.”

Many people see low-fat foods as a way to get rid of excess fat. At the same time, you can eat as many of them as your heart desires. Including them in your diet eliminates the need to eat exclusively tasteless cereals and raw vegetables. Let's try to figure out what is the truth and what is the myth inspired by marketers of food manufacturers.
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Are low-fat foods healthy?

Myths about losing weight

The most common misconception is that low-fat foods are very healthy. In fact, such conventional wisdom is only useful for manufacturers who respond to the needs of customers and offer them something that each person is willing to pay for. According to eminent nutritionists, the benefits of low-fat foods are very doubtful.

Not long ago, experts identified the main myths about losing weight:

• separate meals help you lose weight;
• eating after 6 pm contributes to weight gain;
• fruit juices are very healthy;
• you need to eat less often;
• You should eat only low-fat foods.

Why can’t you trust “zero” products? The fact is that it is impossible to completely isolate fats. The maximum that can be achieved at dairy processing plants is to reduce the fat percentage to 0.5%. Why don't manufacturers write numbers after zero? In this way, they convince the buyer that the product will not cause any damage to the figure. That is, we can conclude that “zero fat” is an advertising tool.

About the benefits of fats

Another misconception is that extra pounds are a consequence of eating fatty foods. At the same time, eat healthy fats. These include polyunsaturated fatty acids. They contain fish, seafood, and vegetable oils. Such compounds are of particular interest to ladies who value beauty and health.

Biological role of beneficial lipids:

• associated with metabolism;
• provide cells with reliable protection against aging;
• essential for healthy skin and hair.

An important point: these substances are not produced by the body on its own and can only enter it with food. By eating only low-fat foods, you are unlikely to be able to replenish this balance.

Scarier than fat

Always check the ingredients of low-fat foods. It is not surprising that technological processes make the curd safe for your figure and at the same time preserve its great taste. Chemicals, starch, and sweeteners are much more dangerous than “killed” fat.

By the way, fats are largely responsible for the taste of food. If you exclude them almost completely, then the food will become tasteless and bland. No one will buy such products, so sugar or tasty “chemicals” are often added to them. Surprisingly, such food may end up being much higher in calories than its “fatty” counterpart.

The presence of a sweetener in low-fat products is also not an advantage. According to nutritionists, the benefits of such a substitution are very doubtful, because the calorie content of a sugar substitute, although lower than sugar itself, is not much. In addition, chronic consumption of foods containing fructose or any other sweeteners may cause an increase in insulin concentrations.

Another harmful companion to zero-fat foods is trans fats, which prolong the shelf life of food and at the same time are harmful to health. These are provocateurs of cardiovascular diseases.

Most often, dairy products are skimmed, but recently you can also hear about low-fat meat. Meat producers in Germany have achieved the most success in this matter: they replaced fat with egg whites. As for our low-fat sausages, looking at their composition, it seems as if everything was placed there except the meat itself. Including powdered milk, which is generally incompatible with meat.

Low-fat foods and calcium

Products with 0% fat content have become popular because they supposedly removed all the “harmfulness” from them, but left a high calcium content. However, few people know that calcium cannot be absorbed without fat.

Cottage cheese is healthy because it contains calcium, phosphorus and protein. The body absorbs calcium in the presence of fats, proteins, and vitamin D. To absorb 10 mg of calcium, 1 g of fat is needed. Half a pack of cottage cheese (100 g) contains about 95 mg of calcium. In order to assimilate it, the body will need approximately 9.5 g of fat, which is exactly what 9% cottage cheese contains.

Calcium is responsible for the formation of the skeleton. This is why children should not be given low-fat foods.

How to be?

You need to learn from other people's mistakes. The fashion for low-fat products appeared in the USA. And what did this lead to? A third of the American population is obese. This is a consequence of products with “magical” properties. A huge part of the population began to switch to them completely, eliminating normal fats from the diet. But the chase led to even bigger problems.

Manufacturers began to replace all animal fats with trans fats, and to improve the taste, they began to flavor food with all sorts of nutritional additives, which make you want to eat even more. As a result, dairy products, cookies, waffle cakes and sweets began to be consumed by people in unlimited quantities. Firstly, flavor enhancers contributed to this, and secondly, the products were positioned as harmless.

In order not to fall into such a trap, you need to understand: the appearance of fat deposits is much more influenced by carbohydrates, not fats. Therefore, it is more logical to refuse not from fatty kefir, but from buns or cookies. It is better to reduce the amount of sweets and sources of simple carbohydrates (white bread, instant cereals) than to give up milk with normal fat content.

On the Internet today you can find many online calculators for calculating the daily calorie intake for women and men. You enter your data (height, weight, age) and indicate the degree of physical activity. Based on this information, the calculator gives you your daily calorie intake. Knowing the calorie content of foods, you can determine suitable portions of milk, cheese, meat or any other food containing a certain amount of natural fats.

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You carefully monitor your diet so as not to gain extra pounds. Buy yogurts, kefir, ice cream, cottage cheese, cookies and other products with a low fat content or no fat at all.

But in fact, its small amount or complete absence in no way indicates a low calorie level. Such food does not help control weight at all; it is just as high in calories as regular food. And the fact that the package says “no fat” is perceived by many as a “green light” and often overeating torments them. Therefore, in order to stay in shape and not gain excess weight, we need to choose the right low-fat foods.

Why are low-fat foods harmful?

Such elements of your diet taste good and give an excellent boost of energy. But low-fat foods lack fiber, proteins, minerals and vitamins. In addition, in order to preserve taste while removing fats, sucrose and starch are added to them. This way the food loses fat and gains more carbohydrates.

What is the right thing to do in this situation? If you are overweight or the amount of fat in your menu should be limited. You can eat foods low in fat or without this harmful substance:

• low-fat cheese,
• skim milk,
• light mayonnaise,
• salad dressing.

But don't get too carried away with such substitutes. Initially, you should eliminate really fatty foods from your diet:

• lamb,
• beef,
• meat snacks,
• cheeses,
• whole milk,
• potato chips,
• ice cream.

Next, you need to start changing the cooking method itself. Replace frying in oil with grilling, boiling in water or steaming. It is also extremely important to eat natural foods. The less processed it is, the healthier, more nutritious it is and contains less sugar and fat.

Learn to read labels correctly! Most often, manufacturers use a trick in which the packaging indicates the amount of fat in one unit of the product (for example, in one cookie). People who want to lose weight or stay in shape, having seen magical numbers, as if under hypnosis, do not see the true indicators and proper nutrition becomes the way of their life.

Therefore, to avoid such a situation, you should know:

• In a low-fat product, fat is no more than half a gram per unit, and a product with a low percentage of fat content or no fat at all - 3 g or less. “Light” products have 25% less fat than regular ones;
• the total carbohydrate content (sucrose, starch) is indicative;
• be able to distinguish between the weight of the package and the weight in relation to which the amount of fat is indicated.

Low-fat fermented milk product in the table.

In the minds of people seeking to lose weight and eat healthier, there are many mythological beliefs that are refuted by modern science. Most of them are harmless and even useful in their own way, because they motivate to move in the right direction, but there are also harmful prejudices. Nutritionists and gastroenterologists include these myths constructed by marketers for advertising and commercial purposes. They not only make it difficult to quickly lose weight and lead a healthy lifestyle, but also “hit” the family budget and undermine faith in the scientific nature of dietetics. Today we are exploring one controversial belief, namely the benefits and harms of low-fat foods. The reason for the article was a recently published authoritative study from American scientists who, with evidence, claim that a diet composed on a “low-fat basis” can not only be useless in terms of weight loss, but can even lead to rapid weight gain.

“Lightweight products”: marketing gimmick or real benefit?

There have been heated discussions among nutritionists about this class of mass-produced products for several years. Most scientists are inclined to believe that incorrect emphasis in diet planning, imposed on us through marketing ploys, can lead to the opposite effect. For example, the widely advertised refusal of sugar, as perhaps the fastest way to losing extra pounds, turned out to be not so clear-cut. A total transition to sugar substitutes does not lead to automatic weight loss for the majority of those observed, because sweets are not the only ones responsible for the calorie content in the diet.

Plus, there is a trickery effect in which the body reacts to a sweetened cup of tea as a source of calories, but receives nothing in return. Instead of the intended reaction “I didn’t get the energy and that’s okay,” the body in the very near future begins to signal a lack of calories with an acute attack of seemingly not entirely motivated hunger. That is, he will most likely still receive his portion of pure energy, but at the same time the person remains in the false confidence that he is following the path of improving nutrition and losing weight. All these factors together create the effect of chronic “eating” after consuming a sweetener, which may well provoke excess weight.

A similar situation in the “mythological sense” has developed with low-fat products. Commercials and posters have led us to believe that such products cannot cause weight gain. Almost no one studies the label of such products, which is completely in vain - after all, they often contain a high sugar content, which is designed to compensate for some loss of taste during the degreasing process. That is, prefixes to the name like “dietary”, “fat-free” and the like only indicate that they want to sell these products to us under the legend of benefits. At the same time, no one seriously bothers with the truly useful qualities of products, with the exception of manufacturers of truly environmentally friendly and expensive products. In other words, the conscious or subconscious desire to lose weight by consuming “light” foods from the supermarket has a very weak logical connection with the actual amount of calories, metabolic rate and other important things in dietetics.

A light diet should be reasonable

Within the framework of the same “dietary legend,” but in a slightly expanded form, most of us firmly believe that we need to avoid pasta and bread, potatoes, high-calorie cereals and the list goes on as much as possible. Of course, there is a certain reason for this belief over a short distance - the weight will begin to gradually fall off. However, your well-being and overall energy balance will be disrupted, because the body receives virtually no energy from complex carbohydrates. This means that the most minimal physical activity leads to the accumulation of fatigue, irritability, or, conversely, lethargy. In a word, all the symptoms of a person who is on an overly strict diet and wants to quickly lose a couple of extra pounds are evident. But in this case we are talking about a regular diet, not about a temporary restriction!

Another myth that exists among those losing weight can be formulated as “you can’t eat after six, but you can eat low-fat food.” Here, a lot depends on the workday schedule, bedtime and other aspects that can be very non-standard for a modern person (for example, a freelancer). But the very principle of not eating before bed is really effective in terms of rapid and harmonious weight loss. The heavier and later the dinner, the higher the chance of adding a couple of millimeters in the problem area, so low-fat foods can be useful in this particular case. But still, they should not be consumed immediately before bed, even if the label says “zero calories” in bold letters.

Nutritionists recommend making an exception only for fermented milk drinks, which can be consumed in limited quantities no later than an hour before going to bed. But here, too, the “low-fat status” is not as important as the absence of sugar and synthetic flavoring additives. Refusal of food in the conditional “after six” mode, adjusted for your regimen, requires a lot of volitional effort. And this often leads to breakdowns, overeating, and it is impossible to constantly exist within these limits without medical supervision, because you can cause problems with the gastrointestinal tract, gall bladder and kidneys. A special “bonus” in this mode can be considered a decrease in libido.

The next myth is that snacking on low-fat yogurt or something similar with the marketing prefix “fitness” between meals is harmless. This is not entirely true, especially taking into account the fact that a person who is losing weight properly should eat smaller meals and breaks are rarely more than three hours. If you really want to use such products, then it is better to replace one of your meals with them. Although yogurt and cottage cheese (substitute as necessary) are low-fat, they contain protein compounds and are involved in energy metabolism.

If you replace all homemade meals with store-bought jars and bottles of lightweight and low-fat food, the weight loss process will be especially rapid. This stereotype is especially popular among very young girls, but the older generation is not alien to such experiments. Nutritionists believe that this approach to nutrition can only be used in the short term, for example, with a strict diet and losing weight by a specific date. But as the basis of the diet, switching to “marketing benefits” will lead to digestive upset and slow metabolism. The body, which does not receive enough conventionally “homemade” food, perceives this fact as stress and goes into an economical-accumulative mode. That is, by consuming products from the shelf labeled “fitness” for several months, you can gain a couple of new extra pounds, let alone lose weight.

Fat is the enemy of all women and girls, no matter what we do to get rid of it forever. There will be no fat - then our body will become ideal, there will be no “sides”, no “ears”, or other “bulges”.

Eliminating fatty foods from your menu is the first priority of a person who wants to lose weight.

But you need to get rid of fat in your diet wisely, otherwise the results will not please you.

A low-fat diet involves eating exclusively low-fat foods - lean meats, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, egg whites, etc. There is a taboo on all dishes prepared using fats; no more than 1 tsp per day. vegetable oil or seeds. All this, according to the inventors of the diet, should lead to a healthier body and weight loss.

If you decide to follow a low-fat diet, be prepared for the fact that your food will not be very tasty or varied. Low-fat food itself is not very appetizing; even healthy boiled chicken breasts are difficult to eat.

Low-fat cottage cheese is also not a delicacy, although it can be flavored with berries and yogurt. During the period of weight loss, professional athletes eat this way for some time, but they also admit that after such a diet at the end of the competition, they are attacked by “zhor”, do you need it?

One-day low-fat diet menu

A low-fat diet is a difficult test for the body; to somehow alleviate its plight, include a sufficient amount of protein and fiber in your diet, they will help dull the feeling of hunger, at least for the first time.

Breakfast:
Option 1 – an omelette of 1 egg and 1 white, steamed or in the oven, a tomato, a slice of bread (grain or, in extreme cases, black).
Option 2 – 100 g low-fat cottage cheese, a little low-fat yogurt, 1 fruit (apple, orange, kiwi, etc.)

Snack:
Option 1 – a glass of kefir and fruit,
Option 2 – a piece of bread with low-fat cheese.

Dinner:
Option 1 – vegetable soup, 150 g of baked or boiled lean meat, 150 g of boiled buckwheat as a side dish,
Option 2 – vegetable salad with 1 tsp. vegetable oil, steamed or baked chicken fillet without oil, a piece of grain bread.

Dinner:
Option 1 – cottage cheese casserole 200 g of low-fat cottage cheese with berries or fruits,
Option 2 – baked fish 150 g and stewed vegetables without oil.
Before bed - a glass of low-fat kefir.
Drink water, unsweetened tea, or herbal teas throughout the day.

Why a low-fat diet is not effective

It would seem that there is no fat in the diet, and weight loss will go like clockwork; the body will begin to use up its own reserves. You are wrong to think so. Our body is very smart, and it will not easily and simply waste one of the most “calorie-dense” tissues - fat.

The fat layer performs very important functions - it provides us with energy when needed, warms us, protects internal organs from shock, and regulates the production of hormones (especially female ones). When there is very little fat in your diet, you will initially lose a few kilograms, but then this process will stop because the body will be afraid that it may be left without fat at all.

This will cause a slowdown in metabolism, and to be more precise, slower fat burning. The body will decide that hungry times have come and it is necessary to switch to an “economical” mode; for this it is necessary to slow down the metabolism, and the missing calories can be obtained from muscle mass (this is what helped humanity survive the hungry times).

As a result, fat burning slows down or stops altogether, but the muscles that you worked so hard to “earn” in fitness begin to break down. The picture turns out sad - flabby muscles and... nasty folds.

I think you have heard more than once that the body needs certain amounts of proteins, fats and carbohydrates? It is impossible to completely exclude or extremely “cut” any component in the diet. The lack of fat in your diet or its obvious lack can increase your appetite and instead of fatty foods you will start eating sweets and starchy foods. And simple carbohydrates turn into fats very easily and quickly. You can do fasting days or briefly use a low-fat diet as a “push” to lose weight, but you can’t stay on it all the time.

Not all fats are bad

There are different types of fats in foods. For example, fats contained in nuts, seeds, avocados, and fatty fish are healthy and necessary for the health and beauty of the skin.

We also need milk and animal fat in moderation. If you do not overeat them, your figure will not suffer.

There are also “harmful” fats and even dangerous ones that cause an increase in cholesterol levels in the blood. This category includes trans fats, they are found in margarine, many products from McDonald's, chips, waffles... This is either vegetable fat, which has become solid through technological processing (as in margarine), or palm oil, which is often added to confectionery products, or ordinary vegetable or butter, in which something was repeatedly fried.

If you want to lose weight, don't completely eliminate fat from your diet. You just have to make it healthier by reducing the amount of “bad” fats and replacing them with “healthy” ones. Remember, there is no fat that makes us fat, we get fat from excess fat in our diet.

You should consume 30-40 grams of fat per day. Learn to choose healthy fats and count their amounts. Instead of mayonnaise, season the salad with a teaspoon of olive oil. Pour the oil into a spoon first, and then from the spoon into the salad bowl, this way you will control the volume.

Buy fermented milk and dairy products with a fat content of 2.5%, cottage cheese - 5%, eat cheese in moderation; it contains about 25-30 g of fat per 100 g.

Bake meat, chicken, fish and vegetables, cook in a grill pan, with a minimum amount of fat. Sausage, frankfurters, mayonnaise and fatty confectionery products - only on holidays, they contain a lot of fat, but there is no benefit. Never eat meat fried in breadcrumbs. If you are at the holiday table, then eat more vegetables - they help the body digest fatty foods.

You don't have to give up healthy fats at all. Avocado, red fatty fish, nuts, olive oil - in moderation, these foods will only bring benefits.