Ever since fat was deemed harmful to eat, people started consuming more refined carbs, sugar, and way too many processed foods instead. Unfortunately, a lot of people are becoming heavier and sicker. Thankfully the times are changing, and people are now starting to realize that foods that have a higher fat content can have significant health benefits! Just check out the Body Reboot book which discusses how a low carb, high-fat diet can transform a person’s life and improve their health for the better. Check out 5 high-fat foods that you might have heard are unhealthy, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Whole Eggs

Do you eat only egg whites because you’re afraid of the fat content from the yolks? Jillian Michaels says it’s okay to eat the entire egg because guess what?! It’s actually packed full of vital nutrients, and we have to admit whole eggs taste pretty darn good too.

Not only are eggs a fantastic source of lean protein and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, but they contain some pretty important nutrients.

One large egg has roughly 186 milligrams of cholesterol — all of which is found in the egg’s yolk. Since dietary cholesterol was once thought to be the major cause of unhealthy blood cholesterol, egg yolks have been demonized and health nuts stick to eating strictly egg whites. Now, don’t get me wrong — egg whites are a great, healthy source of protein, but there is definitely room for WHOLE eggs in a healthy diet. As long as you haven’t been advised otherwise by your doctor, you can enjoy the many nutritional benefits of a whole egg. So, yes, you can have an egg and eat the yolk too! Here are a few reasons why.

Whole eggs are a nearly perfect food, with almost every essential vitamin and mineral our bodies need to function. It is one of the few natural food sources of vitamin D and contains 7 grams of high-quality protein. Whole eggs are also full of omega-3 fatty acids and deliver many of the B vitamins and nutrients — B6, B12, riboflavin, folate, and choline — that, in fact, are believed to help prevent heart disease. L-arginine, an amino acid found in eggs, is critical to the body's production of protein and the release of growth hormones. Another amino acid found in eggs, leucine, also helps the body produce growth hormones as well as regulate blood sugar levels. The yolk itself contains most of these vitamins and minerals, plus half of its protein. When you eat only the egg whites, you’re missing out on all of these nutritional benefits and are getting only 3.5 grams, or half, of the protein.

Cheese

Cheese is a dairy that happens to have a lot of important fatty acids. As you know, fatty acids account to many positive health benefits such as counteracting the effects of type 2 diabetes. This type of dairy is an excellent source of minerals, proteins, and yes, that’s right — healthy fats! Check out what a 2010 Ann Intern Med. study says about the health benefits of cheese:

Palmitoleic acid (cis-16:1n-7), which is produced by endogenous fat synthesis, has been linked to both beneficial and deleterious metabolic effects, potentially confounded by diverse determinants and tissue sources of endogenous production. Trans-palmitoleate (trans-16:1n-7) represents a distinctly exogenous source of 16:1n-7, unconfounded by endogenous synthesis or its determinants, that may be uniquely informative.

OBJECTIVE:
To investigate whether circulating trans-palmitoleate is independently related to lower metabolic risk and incident type 2 diabetes.

CONCLUSION:

Circulating trans-palmitoleate is associated with lower insulin resistance, presence of atherogenic dyslipidemia, and incident diabetes. Our findings may explain previously observed metabolic benefits of dairy consumption and support the need for detailed further experimental and clinical investigation.

Avocados

Are you an avocado fan? It’s hard not to be because after all, you use avocados to make guacamole! Yum! Healthline talks about avocados' many health benefits and essential nutrients.

The avocado is different from most other fruits.

Whereas most fruits primarily contain carbs, avocados are loaded with fats.

In fact, avocados are about 77% fat, by calories, making them even higher in fat than most animal foods.

The main fatty acid is a monounsaturated fat called oleic acid. This is also the predominant fatty acid in olive oil, associated with various health benefits.

Avocados are among the best sources of potassium in the diet, even containing 40% more potassium than bananas, a typical high potassium food.

They're also a great source of fiber, and studies have shown that they can lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, while raising HDL (the “good”) cholesterol.

Even though they are high in fat and calories, one study shows that people who eat avocados tend to weigh less and have less belly fat than those who don't.

Avocados may have a lot of fat and calories, but a Nutrition Journal study from 2013 revealed that people who eat avocados have less belly fat than people who avoid this tasty fruit.

BACKGROUND:
Avocados contain monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) dietary fiber, essential nutrients and phytochemicals. However, no epidemiologic data exist on their effects on diet quality, weight management and other metabolic disease risk factors. The objective of this research was to investigate the relationships between avocado consumption and overall diet quality, energy and nutrient intakes, physiological indicators of health, and risk of metabolic syndrome.

CONCLUSION:

Avocado consumption is associated with improved overall diet quality, nutrient intake, and reduced risk of metabolic syndrome. Dietitians should be aware of the beneficial associations between avocado intake, diet and health when making dietary recommendations.

Fatty Fish

If you love fatty fish, then you’re in luck because WebMD says they’re a healthy fat that you need to eat more often! Below are some examples of fatty fish because it’s time to add them to your diet stat!

The term “fatty fish” may sound unappealing, but actually these are the tastiest and healthiest foods from the sea. Oily fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel, and trout are full of omega-3 fatty acids — good fats unlike the bad saturated fat you find in most meats. These fish should be a staple of everyone's heart-healthy diet.

How Does Fish Help?

Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to lower triglycerides, which are a type of fat in the bloodstream. Experts aren't sure of the exact mechanism. Omega-3 fatty acids may also slow down the growth of plaques in the arteries and reduce inflammation throughout the body.

What's the Evidence?

A number of studies going back years have shown the benefits of fatty fish. In an important review of studies, researchers found that getting daily omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil could lower triglyceride levels by 25%-30%. The results were published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 1997.

Based on the mounting evidence, the FDA approved a new “qualified health claim” for the effects of omega-3 fatty acids ( EPA and DHA) for reduced risks of coronary heart disease. It also allows the makers or distributors of foods that contain these omega-3 fatty acids to advertise that the product may reduce the risk of heart disease.

Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate is pretty delicious, and if eaten sparingly, can provide quite a few health benefits. Harvard T.H. Chan explains how this is so below! No, the news is not too good to be true!

Cocoa is rich in plant chemicals called flavanols that may help to protect the heart. Dark chocolate contains up to 2-3 times more flavanol-rich cocoa solids than milk chocolate. Flavanols have been shown to support the production of nitric oxide (NO) in the endolethium (the inner cell lining of blood vessels) that helps to relax the blood vessels and improve blood flow, thereby lowering blood pressure. Flavanols in chocolate can increase insulin sensitivity in short term studies; in the long run this could reduce risk of diabetes.

Observational studies support the benefits of cocoa flavanols. The link between blood pressure and high cocoa intake was described in a study of the Kuna Indians, an isolated tribe who live on the Caribbean Coast of Panama. Hypertension was extremely uncommon in this group, even among older ages, and even with a dietary salt intake that is greater than most Western populations. When the Kuna migrated to urban environments and changed their diets, their rates of high blood pressure increased. Notably, their traditional intake of cocoa as a beverage was very high, at more than five cups daily of either home-grown or Columbian cocoa powder rich in flavanols. The urinary levels of flavanols in the island-dwelling Kuna were significantly higher and their rates of death from heart disease, cancer, and diabetes significantly lower than their counterparts living in urban centers.

Other observational studies suggest a link between high cocoa or chocolate intake of 6 grams daily (1-2 small squares) and a reduced risk of heart disease and mortality, possibly in part by reducing blood pressure and inflammation.

Learn about more healthy high-fat foods in the Body Reboot book. There are so many delicious and healthy foods to try on a ketogenic (high fat, low carb) diet! If you want a free copy of the Body Reboot book cover the cost of shipping and receive a free book! Visit this page to find out whether we still have any copies remaining.

Sources: NCBI: Nutr J. 2013 Jan, NCBI: Ann Intern Med. 2010, Harvard T.H. Chan, Jillian Michaels, WebMD