Why You Should Lay Off Fruits & Vegetables and Eat Fat Instead

Most books on nutrition assume everybody is the same. But it ain't so. We're all different. Yet we are told to avoid fat and eat fruits and vegetables as if there's no difference between us.

Fat gets the blame for everything these days. Cancer. Heart Disease. Obesity. Rising fuel prices. Whatever. We should cut the fat and switch to carbohydrates like whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

Fat Is A Good Guy

Well let me tell you about a medically approved diet for some children. 90% of the calories on this diet come from fat. The kids are normal weight and their cholesterol levels only a tad higher than usual. These children have epilepsy and this diet controls their seizures.

A typical meal of chicken, carrots, double cream and butter might turn your stomach. But to these kids and their families, it's just what the doctor ordered.

I can see you're not convinced. You think that case is special. For everyone else we can state that fruits and vegetables are beneficial and that fats should be avoided.

No, it's not as simple as that. The number one dietary deficiency, according to some nutritionists, is.....fat.

Saturated fat is often portrayed as the great enemy. The reality is that while it may not be the best type of fat to eat, humans are adapted to eat it. The real enemy are the fats that come from food processing. These foods give us far too much of the omega 6 and trans fats and far too little omega 3 fats from fish oils.

When Vegetables Are Bad

Glasgow University professor Kenneth McColl has given a warning that vegetable consumption could be behind the UK's fastest growing cancer. He and his 10-strong research team believe that the three fold increase in throat cancers over the last 20 years could be down to nitrate fertilisers.

Buying organic is not the answer. They are also loaded with nitrate.

I could refer to all the naturally occurring carcinogens, mutagens and toxins that can be found in vegetables and fruits. But I'll spare you that.

I could even mention those that are especially sensitive to carbohydrates. They must limit their intake of vegetables and fruits because they cause their blood sugar levels to swing wildly. But we'll leave that alone.

I might even refer to those unfortunate people that have a sensitivity to foods like oranges, grapefruit, onions and tomatoes.

I could even point to people who have an allergy to aspirin. The chemical found in aspirin (salicylate) is also high in fruits and vegetables.

Am I seriously telling you to avoid fruits and vegetables and eat fatty foods instead? No, certainly not. For most people this is excellent advice. The point I'm making is that you are an individual. You have your own dietary requirements and needs. There is nobody on earth like you, so don't let anybody else tell you what to eat. Get to know your own body's needs. Listen to what it is trying to tell you.

Listen to your body, not to nutrition 'experts'.

About the Author

Michael Sellar is a UK health writer and the editor of Enzyme Digest, a newsletter for health professionals. His website london complementary health contains a fuller version of this piece as well as many other pieces on nutrition and holistic medicine.