MUFA Thursday

MUFAs are monounsaturated fats. The good fat that we need and the fat that could actually help us get to a flatter stomach. According to Flat Belly Diet, we need MUFAs. First of all... a quick run down on the things I read in the book. Trans Fats are BAD for you. They're solid fats. Saturated fats are also bad and they're found in butter, full fat milk, and meat.  Then there's polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) which aren't too bad and monounsaturated fats (MUFA) which are good. MUFA diets are interesting.


So basically what the whole Flat Belly Diet is says that if we consume MUFA during every meal, we'll naturally lose weight without exercising. In the graphic, we can see which oils are good and which ones not so much. Olive Oil has 75% MUFA, making it the best in this case.

The book also makes a note: "If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, it's smart to include plenty of healthful fats, including MUFA all-stars...like nuts, avocados, and dark chocolate. These foods are rich in nutrients that you and your baby need, such as protein, fiber, vitamins, and the omega-3 fatty acids that are linked to better brain development in utero. But this isn't a time to be dieting. During pregnancy, you require an extra 300 calories a day in the 2nd and 3rd trimester and during lactation, an additional 500 calories per day (on top of the calories needed to maintain your weight)." (Pg. 18). Basically it advises that they replace bad fats with good fats but not get hung up on calories.

If I gave this a go, I'd probably just add olive oil to my salad (which I do often anyways), and then add avocado to my sandwiches, olives to my eggs, and have fruit with nuts for a snack.