As I write this, I sit in my apartment snacking on half an avocado with a sizeable dollup of Bavarian mustard. I normally slice an avocado in half and eat it right out of its shell with a spoon (the mustard sits perfectly in the middle of this fruit). I eat fat. I love fat. Fat is my friend! Still, to this day there seems to be some overarching fear of putting a spoonful of fat in our mouths. I have heard people say things like “Fat makes you fat” so many times over the past few years that I took it upon myself to a) alleviate my frustration by eating this avocado and b) address this big fat topic from a trainers’ perspective.
1. Fat is a fuel source. Speaking form an evolutionary standpoint, fat and protein were the main fuel sources for the evolving man. Glycogen depleting exercises were not the norm back in the day, and it appears that we humans survived on a whole lot of fat and protein for fuel, not carbohydrates. If you want a great pre-workout meal, try a handful of nuts on my coconut pudding.
2. Fat has nothing to do with “clogging your arteries”. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Fat may actually help reduce cholesterol levels. Don’t believe me? Read this!
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-straight-dope-on-cholesterol-10-things-you-need-to-know-part-1/#axzz2ZncVmpdJ
3. Fat stabilizes blood sugar levels, which leads to optimal training performance. During my RKC kettlebell certification, my go to snack of choice was an almond, cashew, and cranberry mix that gave me a great amount of fat for fuel with just enough carbohydrates to keep me level. The ratio of fat to carbs was actually closer to 2:1. And in the event you are still on the fence about fat being a performance enhancer, take a look at this:
Want to look, feel, and perform better? Grab an avocado, a spoon, and mangia! Fat is your friend, and it’s begging you to go catch up over dinner 😉
