3 ways to make healthy food fat loss food

By Jade Teta ND, CSCS

A healthy diet does not equal a fat loss diet. Choosing healthy food is a good start and you MAY lose some weight, but they will likely NOT aid your fat loss goals. You heard us say it before, but fat loss and weight loss are not the same. You may be burning calories and losing weight but that weight and those calories may or may not be fat. Fat loss foods on the other hand are almost always healthy foods and will ensure the weight you do lose comes from fat. So whats the distinction between healthy foods and fat loss foods? To understand the difference you should focus on 3 things.

1) The Protein to Carbohydrate Ratio of Foods

2) The Carbohydrate to Fat Ratio of Foods

3) The Fiber to Carbohydrate Ratio of Foods

The Protein Carb Ratio of Food:

Most people get caught up on total amounts of things. They want to know the total calories. The total fat. How many grams of fiber etc. The problem is the body works in relatives. Food is information for the body. Every time you eat your are sending a hormonal "software program" to your body that says store fat or burn fat. Different nutrients send different signals. Therefore the ratios of those signals determine the metabolic outcome.

In the case of protein and carbohydrates their ratios matter a ton. Carbohydrate, by the way, means biochemical sugar or glucose. So a carbohydrate is any food containing starch or sugar (starch and sugar from the biochemical perspective are the same). Think in a range from cake, cookies and candies all the way up to whole grains, beans, and potatoes (fruits and vegetables are also carbohydrates). To make the terminology easier, I like to think non-starchy carbs (low starch vegetables and low sugar fruits) and starchy carbs (everything else).

The starchy/sugary carbs signal the body's storage hormone insulin. This is not necessarily a terrible thing since insulin helps nutrients get in the cell & also builds muscle. But, being a storage hormone, too much insulin will work to store carbohydrates, proteins and fat as fat. The other thing insulin does is work to lock fat in place. So when insulin is around, not only is fat being stored, but it can't be burned efficiently either.

Glucagon is insulin alter ego (Note: glucagon is only active in the liver, while insulin is active everywhere. This means glucagon is not nearly as strong in its effect. But it does work to oppose insulin). Glucagon helps reverse the action of insulin increasing the message to release fat from storage and burn it. Proteins signal both insulin and glucagon to be released creating a balance of hormones that increase fat burning rather than decrease it. The higher the protein relative to starch/sugar in a food the more the signal of fat burning gets sent. So, if you want more fat burning you need to correct this ratio.

To turn healthy food into fat loss food reduce the starchy carbs and up the protein. This has another key advantage as well. Protein is digested more slowly and evenly compared to starchy carbohydrates giving it an impact over hunger hormones and energy. Increasing protein relative to starchy carbs keeps you satisfied for longer reducing hunger and cravings and provides more stable and sustained energy. In other words, for those who stress about the calories, protein will help you feel full faster and stay that way for longer resulting in less food eaten. So, the calories take care of themselves naturally.

The carbohydrate fat ratio of foods:

As with protein and carbohydrate, fat and carbohydrate need to be managed as well. Again, when thinking fat loss think ratios. You now know insulin is released in response to starch/sugar. Fat is hormonally neutral when it is by itself, but when you dump it in with starch it is like throwing gasoline on a fire. Fat combined with sugar and starch greatly magnifies the insulin response to a meal. The worst combination's for fat loss are ice cream, bagels with cream cheese, pizza, and burgers. Not simply because these foods are high calorie, but because they are loaded with both fat and sugar/starch. If you want to burn fat, then avoiding this combination is best. Ironically, protein and fat is not nearly as detrimental. If you really want to maximize fat loss focus on foods with a high ratio of protein relative to both fat and carbs.

The Fiber Carbohydrate Ratio of foods:

Another factor that blunts the impact of carbohydrate and insulin is fiber. Don't make the mistake of going back to absolute or total amount thinking here. It is true that grains have more fiber than most foods, BUT they come with a whopping dose of insulin releasing starch/sugar as well. Vegetables and many fruits have a much more balanced fiber to carbohydrate balance. Fiber, like protein, slows food down and regulates starch/sugar absorption more easily. This forces the body to respond more evenly to the food and requires far less insulin. Like protein, fiber helps with the release of hunger hormones. Whole grains may be healthy, but vegetables are more fat loss appropriate for these reasons.

Here are 5 quick examples of balancing these 3 ratios for fat loss:

1) With a healthy oatmeal recipe many people will add nuts, berries, flaxseeds, and organic milk and honey. Try this fat loss Oatmeal recipe instead. Opt for oat bran rather than oatmeal. This increases the fiber and protein of the cereal and reduces the carbohydrate. Now, add a couple scoops of your favorite protein powder. Forgo the milk and honey and take out the berries. Reduce the amount of nuts to just 2 or 3, but smash them into pieces and spread them out. Add cinnamon and nutmeg for flavor and use stevia or xylitol to sweeten.

2) A whole wheat chicken salad sandwich is healthy, but try this instead. Throw the bread away completely and double the lettuce tomato and onion. Opt for grilled chicken breast and toss out the mayo. Wrap the chicken tomato and onion in the lettuce and eat.

3) Yogurt with fruit and granola is healthy, but try this for fat loss. Opt for a higher protein & low fat Greek yogurt and add a small amount of your favorite whey protein. Now throw in 3 sliced strawberries and a little stevia for sweetness.

4) Whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce and vegetables is healthy. Try this to make it a fat loss meal. Substitute shirataki noodles or spaghetti squash (www.miraclenoodle.com) for the pasta. Now add chicken or turkey meatballs and a low sodium marinara.

5) A low fat blueberry muffin may seem healthy, but try this for fat loss. Make protein pancakes by mixing almond milk, almond flour, oat bran, egg whites and whey protein. Cook in a pan with low fat cooking spray. Sprinkle on xylitol and cinnamon and eat.

Finally, if it is really fat loss you are after 80% of your meals should be protein and vegetables. Round out the other 20% with the tricks above and your healthy diet will also become a fat loss diet.