You have on average 50 billion fat cells in your body but not all fat is created equal. You have visceral fat, which is the fat that is packed around your organs, and subcutaneous fat, which is the fat that is stored between the skin and the muscle.

Visceral fat responds well to exercise and we shed this type almost twice as fast as the subcutaneous fat.

You need to eat fat to lose fat!

The recommended consumption limit for fat loss to be achieved is 30g per day. This equates to 1 large portion of McDonalds fries! New research though in this area is changing this advice. You actually need to eat fat to lose fat but get your fats from the following sources:-

• Nuts
• Seeds
• Cold pressed oils (such as olive oil)
• Avocado
• Fish especially salmon, mackerel and sardines – high in omega 3.
• Coconut oil

Fats to Avoid

Zero amounts trans or hydrogenated fats should be eaten to maintain health, slow the aging process and reduce the risk of disease. These are oils artificially created by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil through hydrogenation. Any oil which is liquid at room temperature should not be eaten if it is solid. Trans fats are fats that are super highly heated such as in deep frying. Corn oil (used in most fast food outlets), canola oil and sunflower oil are the most commonly damaged oils in the diet.

Look good, be healthy and feel better

If you want to metabolise protein (required for hormone production and muscle health) and absorb fat-soluble vitamins such as E and D then you need to eat healthy fats every day. Doing this will aid any weight loss, slow the aging process and reduce the risk of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and also reduce stroke risk.

3500 calories weighs 1lb of fat so to lose 1lb a week the best way to lose some of those 50 billion fat cells is to eat 300 fewer calories from sugar/starch per day than you did before. However, just relying on weight is rather demoralising as it fluctuates daily due to water retention and bowel contents so it is better to use fat percentage to track your loss.

Eat Clean

Enjoy trying some new things today. Food, pure and simple. Nothing added, nothing taken away.

Sam Downton is acknowledged as a nutrition expert and the person I turn to for advice, I very much support Sam’s views.