Eating Fats to Lose Fats

For years we've been told that low-fat diets are the only true healthy solution and that dietary fat is somehow an evil, harmful substance that should be steered clear of at all costs.

This way of thinking is actually directly counterproductive to your fat burning goals, and I’ll give one good example of the reasons why.

When you severely reduce your fat intake, the body perceives this lack of dietary fat as a potential threat to its survival since fat is a primary source of energy. As a result, the body will make defensive adjustments which include a slow-down in the fat burning metabolism (to preserve its current fat stores) and a rise in hormones that promote fat storage.

It.s not fat itself that is the enemy; it.s simply consuming the wrong types of fat. Your goal should be to limit your intake of saturated fats (those that are solid at room temperature and typically found in animal meats), and instead place the majority of your focus on healthy, unsaturated fats which are derived from plant sources and are liquid at room temperature.

This favorable form of fat provides a whole host of powerful fat burning, muscle building and overall health benefits and should make up the vast majority of your daily fat intake.

Your main goal here, actually, is to consume as many anti-estrogenic foods as possible and eliminate as many estrogenic foods as you can. In addition to stimulating greater fat loss, this type of eating will also help to detoxify your liver. Without cleaning out the liver and reducing the chemical build up, your liver becomes overburdened and your fat loss can hit the wall.

To simplify, systemize, and organize this information, Hofmekler developed an anti-estrogen, anti-stubborn fat program with three stages of fat removal, so here we go:

Stage 1—Eat Anti-estrogenic Foods and Estrogen inhibitors

• Cruciferous vegetables (brocolli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc.)
• Passion flower
• Citrus fruits
• Chamomile flower
• Omega-3 oils
• Wild catch salmon
• Organic dairy

Stage 2—Additional Foods That Promote Anti-estrogenic Hormones

• Raw nuts and seeds
• Avocados
• Olives and olive oil
• Rice germ oil
• Wheat germ oil

Stage 3—Foods That Serve as Cofactors and Promote Liver Detoxification

• Green vegetables
• Spices (turmeric, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and sage)
• Fruits (citrus, berries, apples, pineapple)
• Whole oats and barley
• Legumes (no soy)
• Herbs (dandelion root, ginger, alma berries, milk thistle)

Note: This is an adaption of a plan from Ori Hofmekler, author of The Warrior Diet. Thanks, Ori!