Mens Health Australia May 2017

50 MAY 2017

NUTRITION

DEVIL’S

ADVOCATE

Good Fats Still

Make You Fat

SATAN’S LITTLE HELPER

Performance

nutritionist David Arnot

is co-founder of

Enhance Nutrition

tr l

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME you ate an avocado?

Last night with your bun-free burger, perhaps?

Or this morning, smashed on a slice of buttered

sourdough with two poached eggs? You might

even be eating one now, spooning its oily flesh

straight into your mouth, smugly savouring

the micronutrient bump.

You wouldn’t be alone. Last year, sales

of avocados surged over 15 per cent in

Australia. Globally, more photos of

avocados were pinned on Pinterest

than any other food. It’s official:

avocados, along with other fatty

treats such as coconut oil and

peanut butter, are having a

moment. And they’re ruining

your six-pack.

Fat’s newly bloated

popularity came about

due to a triumvirate of

triglyceride trumpeters.

First, the scientists. A 2003

study in the New England

Journal of Medicine

showed those on a

low-carb diet lost more

weight than those on a

low-fat plan. A raft of

similar studies confirmed

it: carbs were out, fat was

back. Next came the paleo-

pushers, who eschewed

grains in favour of nuts, seeds

and as much flesh as they

could forage from the Woolies

meat fridge. And finally, an army

of Instagram “experts” began

drowning their zucchini pasta in

coconut oil, making #avocado a more

popular hashtag than #blacklivesmatter.

The message was clear: if you want to

lose weight, ditch the carbs and chew the fat.

Yet, gram-for-gram, fat is far and away the most

calorific macronutrient. For every gram of protein

or carbohydrate that passes your lips, you consume

DEALS WITH THE DEVIL

DODGE A BULLET

There have been no peer-reviewed

studies into Bulletproof coffee. But

with one cup meeting your sat fat

R D A , y o u m i g h t w a n t t o b e s h o t o f i t.

FUEL’S GOLD

Research shows that – for anything

but steady-state cardio – carbs are

the most efficient fuel. Eat an hour

pre-workout for maximum impact.

STAND THE HEAT

De Montfort University found that,

when heated, sunflower and veg oils

produce higher levels of cancer-

causing aldehydes than coconut oil.

17kJ. For every gram of fat, it’s 38. Take that burger

• lose the brioche bun (775kJ) and replace it with
  halloumi, bacon and avo, and you’ve just gobbled a
  net increase of 1465kJ. Yes, avocado is loaded with
  vitamin E and potassium but each one also packs
  1250-odd kilojoules. Nutrient-rich, sure. Weight
  loss-friendly, not quite. Likewise, if you
  think scooping a spoonful of coconut oil
  (480kJ) and one of butter (418) into your
  Bulletproof coffee will rid you of your
  love handles, you’ve got another
  chin coming.
  Ultimately, weight loss relies on
  maintaining a kilojoule deficit –
  burning more energy than you
  consume. And the best way to
  do that is through hard-won
  sweat. The tougher your
  workout, the more energy you
  use, the more fat you burn.
  And then comes the fuel.
  Not fat, which your body
  can’t break down quickly
  enough to harness for
  energy, but good old-
  fashioned carbs.
  Don’t get me wrong,
  coconut oil’s high
  smoking point –
  177°C versus olive
  oil’s 160°C – makes
  it a healthier option
  for your frying pan.
  The selenium in your
  walnut-based snack
  bar is vital for cognitive
  function. And avocado, the
  faddiest fatty food of them all,
  is as versatile as it is nutrient-
  dense. So eat your healthy fats.
  Just remember, if weight loss is your
  ultimate goal, the most important thing
  you can exercise is portion control. And be
  sure to take all those #eatclean #avotoast pics
  on Instagram with a pinch of salt.

WORDS: DAN MASOLIVER; PHOTOGRAPHY: KAT PISIOLEK