Why Low Fat Food Makes You fat

It is true. Low fat foods do carry less calories than normally "fat food."

However, low fat food also have less: fat-soluble vitamins, essential oils, proteins and some minerals. So, for the sake of a losing a few calories, your body goes on craving nutrition. And craving. And craving.


As you stuff more and more low fat foods, you often never quite "fill up." You will, however, often get sugar to replace that "high calorie fat." O.K. good enough, so you are eating less calories.

But, now you are getting hit with a sugar rush. When pure sucrose enters the blood stream, the level of sugar shoots up and the adrenaline glands respond by putting the body into a state of emergency, which gives you a "high" feeling.

The sugar races around inside of your body, triggering the release of insulin from your pancreas. The rush of insulin, drops the level of sugar in the body below 100 mg/dl and you feel tired. (Sort of like after a starchy meal in the afternoon.)

Your body tries to get rid of the excess sugar by urinating or storing the sugar into fat cells in your body. While your body is trying to re-establish homeostasis or stabilize itself, it feels some fatigue. Your body is trying to raise your blood sugar level to normal by using the liver to convert glycogen into glucose.

Most people try to get rid of this feeling of fatigue by getting another dose of sugar. And the cycle continues.

A typical low fat meal would be something like: Apple juice, low-fat yogurt,processed cereal (eg. Rice Crispies ©) and a bran muffin. Guess what? You just knocked back over 36 teaspoons of sugar.

You probably feel pretty good during the meal, but tired soon afterwards. This is the low blood sugar taking place. So, now you better reach for a cup of coffee to boost your energy. Which, in turn, just adds to the roller coaster effect of low blood sugar.

As an added insult the flavoured, low-fat yogurt often has more calories than normal, plain yogurt. This so-called "meal" carries over 400 empty calories and (in 2008), costs about $2.50.


Try this for steadier supply of energy:

2 egg whites (or whole eggs)
Water or herbal tea

Oatmeal 1/2 cup

Butter 1 TBS

Cinnamon (for taste)

This normal fat meal delivers about 200 calories over 8 grams of protein, vitamins A, E, assorted B vitamins, minerals and the highly under-rated essential oils. Not to mention the cost of less than $1.00.

You not only have a steadier level of energy, you also have more vitamins and essential oils for building your skin and brain cells and protein to help you burn fat and sleep better! Stay tuned for more articles on healthier living.

Has anybody experienced the effects described above?

I used to eat a typical tea or supper snack of nescafe and biscuits or toast, and I had all the sugar rush and roller coaster effects. Now I am very careful to balnce my meals with some protein, and really cut down on sugar or a fully carb meal.

I'd be interested to know how others cope with this sugar rush problem.