Fat has a bad rep.   The grocery store is full of labels that proudly announce “reduced fat” as if that statement alone can turn food that is bad for you into something good.  There are scores of low fat diets out there and people mistakenly associate the fat that you consume with the fat that accumulates in your tummy.  As if there was a direct path from your mouth to the fat warehouses that surround your waist.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

Don’t get me wrong.  There is fat that is bad for you and will eventually accumulate in your waist area (although not through a direct path!)  It is true that there are more calories packed in a gram of fat than in proteins or carbohydrates.  But this does not mean you should eliminate all fats from your diet!  It is important for you to understand that there is good fat and bad fat.  A substantial amount of the good fat in your daily diet is not only healthy, it will actually help you lose weight and reduce the type of fat that accumulates around your waist.

So what are these good fats that we are talking about?  Their fancy name is monounsaturated fats.  You don’t have to remember these long fancy names.  Just remember the foods that contain these good fats: nuts, seeds, avocados and olive oil.  Studies have shown that these foods, despite of their high caloric density, actually prevent the accumulation of fat in your body.

Here are some of my favorite foods high in fat that help combat the fat in your body:

Almonds

If I had to pick just one nut to eat, it would be almonds.  A study in the International Journal of Obesity found that dieters who ate 3 ounces of almonds every day improved their weight and body-mass index by 18% compared to 11% for dieters that did not eat almonds.  Almonds are high in alpha-linolenic acid which speeds the burning of fat in your body.

Avocado

Avocado is considered one of the world’s healthiest fruits because of its rich nutritional content, including vitamin K, dietary fiber, potassium, folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin C and copper.  Avocado is packed with oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that is good for you, helping reduce the accumulation of fat and cholesterol.   Enjoy your guacamole!

Olive Oil

Mediterranean diet is considered to be one of the healthiest in the world.  A key ingredient of the healthy foods enjoyed by the people of the Mediterranean is olive oil.  Olive oil contains a high quantity of monounsaturated fatty acids as well as antioxidants.  Studies have shown that olive oil protects against heart disease and lowers cholesterol.

In addition to these foods that are rich in monounsaturated fat, I would also recommend that you add the following fruits and spice to your diet to help your further combat the amount of fat in your body:

Berries

Research from the Arizona State University has shown that strawberries and raspberries can increase the effectiveness of exercise in burning fat by as much as 30%.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon helps improve your body’s metabolism resulting in less accumulation of fat.

Bananas

A banana contains 422 milligrams of potassium which limits belly-bloating sodium in your body.

If you consume healthy amounts of the foods above mixed with 30 minutes of cardio exercises at least 3 days a week you will notice a significant improvement in your body mass composition.  If you can add a couple of days of strength exercises with weights, it will be even better.  Avoid processed foods that contain white starch, and anything that has refined sugar such as cereals and sodas.   You can drink coffee, but do not add sugar. 

Try this for 30 days.  You will be surprised with the results.