Eating fat is back in vogue, after a long smear campaign against carbohydrates and that son of a bitch, gluten. We like to point our fingers at one specific thing and say that’s what’s responisble for ruining our metabolisms.
According to the news, you can now eat egg yolks, avocados, fish, and as much mono/polyunsaturated fats as our little hearts desire without repercussions. We even have diets dedicated to eating fat with abandon that are guaranteed to actually help you LOSE FAT.
So bring on the cinnamon rolls, stuffing, and yes, we’ll have some extra butter on those buttery potatoes. Shit, bring some extra for our coffee too. We’ve finally arrived.
Or have we?
Ruin Your Metabolism with a 5- Day Fat Binge
According to a new study from Virginia Tech, binging on a high fat diet for just 5 days can wreck your metabolism and decrease your insulin sensitivity.
In the study, healthy college age dudes were fed a diet of 15% protein, 55% carbs, and 30% fat to normalize their eating, then switched the carbs and fat ratio.
They were then set at 55% fat (of which 25% was saturated fat) 30% carbs and 15% protein.
The results were surprising. Insulin sensitivity decreased significantly, which is a precursor to metabolic syndrome and diabetes. Glucose oxidation and nutrient digestion also stalled.
The most surprising part to the researchers though is the increase in endotoxins: inflammation causing bacterial garbage.
Takeaways
First and foremost, look at this study as a warning about the effects of pushing your cheat meal out to a cheat day/week/holiday season. There’s ALWAYS a reason to eat cake, which means that there’s actually NEVER a good reason.
Even though the media spends a good amount of time reporting shocking news “Eggs = Cigarettes!” or “Red Wine =30 Minute Workout“, the basics of nutrition remain fairly unchanged.
It’s true that we don’t know everything about nutrition and the way the human body works, but we know enough to make good decisions. In fact, you probably know WAY more than you need to know to get some good results.
Also, just a personal beef, but why were these knuckleheads only eating 15% protein? Everyone knows that you’re not getting sweet gains with only 15%. Bump it to 40, and watch the fat melt.
