I have another assignment for you in the diet department and I’m going to ask you to add a few foods to your daily diet, rather than going negative and asking you to remove certain foods.

I have a general philosophy that many of you already know, that it’s easier to succeed, not only in the short-term, but the long-term as well, if you switch your focus from removing negative foods and behaviors to adding good foods and behaviors.

By that I mean it’s better to focus on the addition of fiber-rich vegetables, rather than focusing on the removal of processed foods.  The result is often the same no matter your focus – removal of crap, addition of good – but the mindset shift is what’s important.  It’s always better to keep your focus on the positive, rather than the negative.

So going with that, I want you to add the following 3 foods to your daily diet this week.

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Do you eat fat?

I know the common thought is to cut out fat if you want to lose fat (makes sense in the noggin), even in this day and age where more and more folks are telling you there are healthy high fat foods.

I want to make a distinction before we get into this whole high fat thing…

High fat does NOT necessarily mean high TOTAL calories.

Yes, high fat foods are higher in calories, but that does NOT mean you need to eat more calories than your body needs.

Is that confusing?

The reason I mention that is because, due to more attention being placed on diet, the notion that high fat equals high total calories is a pretty commonly held belief, when it’s not necessarily true.

For instance, I currently eat a lot of fat in the form of peanut butter, almonds, cashews and seeds, and eat avocado whenever it fits the meal (I’m not eating slices of avocado as a snack!).

This does NOT mean I’m eating too many calories and sure as hell doesn’t mean I’m going to get fat.

Actually, the opposite is happening and will continue happening – I will lose fat.

Not only will fat fall off the body, but my hair will look better (always important), my skin will be healthier and good things will happen on a hormonal level.

High fat does NOT necessarily mean unhealthy, either.

Too much saturated fat, especially in the form of commercially raised animal meat, is bad as are Trans Fats.

Fats found from perverted foods are also bad.  This means honey-roasted nuts are not “healthy.”  Nor are olives found on a calorie-packed greasy deep-dish pizza.

Capiche?

Okay, now let’s get to the list!

1. Avocado

Avocados are an awesome example of a “healthy” high fat food for many, many reasons.

It’s super easy, just like the next 2 foods, adds flavor to every meal it’s added to and is loaded with loads of nutrition, besides the healthy fats, including fiber, Vitamins A, E and K.

It also works well in conjunction with other foods (something supplements will never be able to do).  For instance, the fats found in avocado make your body absorb a couple potent nutrients (lycopene and beta-carotene), so they’re great to add to things like salads or real salsa (not the fake stuff).

They’re also anti-inflammatory and help with digestive health.

You can slice ‘em up and add them to salads, salsa, sandwiches, burgers, or really just about anything.  I suppose you could also mash ‘em up and make guacamole.

I don’t like guacamole.  It’s weird and too green and ruins cheese dip.  This is something I was tormented with when I was a child and it obviously still bothers me all these years later…I hate guacamole, but love avocados.  We all have our quirks.

2. Olives

It’s usually olive oil that’s mentioned in the fatty world, but I’m talking the actual olive – the one that you chew…not the one that you can drink, although you’re going to have some crazy problems if you drink olive oil.

Olives aren’t that high in calories (20 black olives are around 100 calories), yet are great sources of fat and can be added to a lot of meals.

They’re also great sources of Vitamin E, fiber and copper.

You can slice ‘em up and toss them in a salad, or put them on a healthy thin crust pizza.  You can also add them to a sandwich, pasta, or just snack on them.

My cousin and I used to put black olives on our fingers and eat them one-by-one and we wouldn’t stop until the can was empty.  This was when we were 8 years old…I’m not that weird!

3.  Sunflower Seeds

Sunflower seeds are awesome.  They’re simple and easy and baseball players like them because they can mimic the action of one of the most disgusting habits known to man and that is chewing tobacco.

Sunflower seeds are great sources of healthy fats and easy to add to your regular routine.

They’re also high in Vitamin E (crazy high), a couple B-vitamins and magnesium (which is important if you exercise…which you should be doing, right?).

They help your body detox, help your muscles repair from a hard workout and have anti-inflammation benefits.

They’re not that high in calories, unless you eat them by the giant handful.  ¼ cup has around 200 calories and ¼ cup is a lot of sunflower seeds.

They’re easy to add to salads and add a little fat boost to an otherwise healthy meal.

You can also add them to a mixture of vanilla yogurt, granola and blueberries.

You can also shove them in your mouth and spit the shells out onto the ground like a goober, or simply purchase the ones that are pre-shelled and eat like a person with manners.  Do you think that bothers me at all?!

If you’re not already, make sure you try to add those 3 healthy high fat foods to your diet on a regular basis.

Remember that just because you eat a diet higher in fat does not necessarily mean your total calories are high.  It’s possible to eat a decent amount of healthy fat, while also keeping your total calories in check and lose weight. 

It’s actually pretty easy if you keep the processed foods to a minimum and make sure the fats you consume are actually healthy and not perverted.

Alrighty, that’s all I have for today!

Have an awesome day and I’ll talk to you soon.

Peace out!

ed

P.S. – Do you have any healthy high fat foods to add to the list?  I’d love to hear your favorites!

I have a weird and goofy thing I want you to do this week whenever you eat or drink.

Ready?

I want you to talk to your food – whether it responds is a matter for you and your therapist.

In all seriousness (and don’t be offended if you really do see your therapist because your food talks to you), I do want you to talk to your food and drink this week.

I want you to ask your food, “If I eat you, how will you make me feel?”

I want you to ask your drinks, “If I drink you, how will I feel in about 15 minutes?”

Then I want you to tell the Little White Rabbit to go away because you’re not going to Wonderland (very bad analogy involving Alice in Wonderland…in case you didn’t get my jab at humor and wit).

I’m not very far into this article and I’m already way off base, so let’s bring it back.

There is a valid reason I want you to do this and that is that we don’t spend enough time thinking through how the food and drink we’re about to consume will make us feel or work in our bodies.

When it comes to food and drink, all we think about is the here and now – which is usually the emotional side, which leads to frustration and anger.

Very little time is spent thinking in the near future about how that food and drink will affect us.

Will that snack make you feel “light” and energetic so that you can get through the rest of your day on a stable energy high or will it cause a quick burst of energy followed by a crash and more cravings?

Will that dinner make you feel satisfied and take you into slumber on a healthy ride or are you thinking and eating emotionally which will make you eat more of a bad thing, which will lead to poor sleep patterns and make your stomach feel like a rock in the morning?

Will that drink hydrate you and maybe give you some pep or will it rot your teeth, tear up your gut and do more harm than good in terms of hydration and water retention?

Catch my drift?

While I may have started out on a goofy note, and with good reason…this is a goofy thing to do, but it does have its merit.

It causes you to slow down and talk through your diet.

It causes you to step back and realize that what you eat and drink has an effect on your body – not just in terms of weight loss or weight gain, but in terms of health, energy and overall feelings of “good.”

In the end, even if losing fat is the main goal, we all want to simply feel good, with lots of energy and “light” on our feet and taking the few minutes to step back and think through what you’re about to do will go a long way in helping you achieve that.

You’ll lose fat.

You’ll increase your energy.

You’ll feel better.

You’ll look crazy to your friends and family because you’re staring at your food and talking to it – hopefully this conversation takes place in your head and not out loud.

You’ll sleep better because the quality of the food you eat has a direct connection to your sleep habits.

You’ll feel more refreshed in the morning because the food you ate helped your body recover and repair from the previous day’s work.

I could go on, but you get the point.

Talk to your food.  Pay attention to the response and make appropriate changes.

Sound good?

Easy-peasy, lemon squeezy.

Laters,

Ed