How Much Fat is Low Fat

There is a debate about eating fats on a healthy diet. I have been on both sides of this discussion, but here's the thing.  I have done my best healing and weight control when I was eating controlled amounts of healthy fats with no refined fats.

2008-2009 was a time of tremendous healing for me. My diet included nuts and avocado; however, most of the diet was juice, smoothies, fruit, salad, homemade salsa, and a vegetable juice.

Not all avocados have the same fat content.  Avocados that are barely ripe have much less fat than avocados that are extremely ripe and soft.  Try to eat your avocados when they are just ripe enough to eat.

In 2011, I reached my lowest weight in decades while interning at the Clohesy River Health Farm. Our diet there included fats in the form of avocado, coconut, pecans, and sometimes a little nut butter.

At the farm our lunch was 4 or 5 servings of fresh fruit, 1/2 avocado, and 1/4 of a fresh coconut.  Our dinner was a salad made with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and celery, sauerkraut, 1/2 avocado, 3 dates, and about 16 pecan halves. Sometimes there would be a little lemon juice and olive oil for the salad.

I lost weight on that diet, but other contributing factors were that I  also worked on the farm about 3-1/2 hours a day and took a sunbath lying on a tarp on the ground on days when there was sun.

For me, I tend to wear any fats I eat in excess of the type and amount above. I just pack it on.  But when I eat the right carbs and the right fats, my body can use them and I have energy.  I feel good.

You really don't need more fat than that. When people ask you, "Where do you get your protein?", and they will, tell them you get all the protein and fats you need from plants.

A typical lunch at the Clohesy River Health Farm

Our goal is to learn to pack as much nutrition into every bite of food we consume as possible.  The ideal diet consists of everything you need and nothing you don't.  Even though you are not perfect yet, you can do better and better everyday.   If you only did what you already know to do, what a difference that would make.  Don't wait for the next research paper or the next best selling diet book. You can start today to live the simple, natural lifestyle according to hygienic principles. Adopting a more disciplined lifestyle is the best thing you can do to make the world a better place.

You don't need anyone to tell you how to live simply, nor do you need anyone's permission.  You can just go ahead and live that way without apology. Nothing is stopping you from practicing a healthier lifestyle right where you are.  This is the way of wisdom and ethics. Following natural law established by the Creator and nature gives you the best possible chance of living healthier and happier here on earth.

The current diet plan:
Lunch: Fresh coconut; 1/2 avocado; fresh fruit; green smoothie

Dinner: Veggie cocktail; sauerkraut; homemade dressing; rice crackers; 1/2 avocado (can use in the dressing); a few dates or pieces of dried fruit; a small bowl of nuts

If you want to include some cooked food...rolled oats with frozen wild blueberries and a little maple syrup; cooked beans; baked sweet potato or white potato; cooked greens; vegetable soup.  Occasionally a homemade veggie burger made from beans.

I still eat my popcorn.  I air pop it, spray it with Pam spray organic olive oil, and sprinkle it with nutritional yeast.

To health and happiness.


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