The Dairy Dilemma

Dairy is _____!

Fill in the blank, is dairy good or bad? This is the Dairy Dilemma.

If dairy's not for you (by choice or otherwise) then this article might not be for you either.

[caption id="attachment_111371" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] The Dairy Dilemma[/caption]

I'm sure you've heard the debate, recently. Dairy: you're either for it or against it. In the health and fitness world, seemingly, you need to pick a side. Today, I'll explain what's great about high fat dairy products and try to solve the dairy dilemma.

Personally, I'm a fan of dairy. It's like gains in a glass (or bowl)! Dairy has a great blend of protein, fats and nutrients providing great nutrition. As a trainer, I encourage people to consume more protein and fats, and cut carbs, in order to lean out. It's an important resource for anyone who is trying to achieve KETOSIS. For this reason, high fat dairy seems to be a no-brainer. And yet, that's not the case.

When people tell me they eat fat free dairy, I have a hard time holding back. "No! Why!?" I think to myself. Mainstream media has complicated the issue by advertising fat free yogurt and dairy in order to lose weight and cut calories. It's not surprising that many of us have believed the myth "fat-free is better". Full fat dairy is, contrary to popular belief, very good for all of us, due to the saturated fats it contains. Here are a few reasons why eating full fat dairy is a great idea... (in moderation of course)

Consuming saturated fatty acids will slow digestion, keeping blood sugar down and keep you feeling satiated longer.
Saturated fats make up 50% of our cell membranes, giving the cells stiffness and integrity.
Saturated fats contain antimicrobial properties and protect us from harmful microorganisms in the digestive tract.
Saturated fats protect our bones, for calcium to be effectively incorporated into the skeletal structure, 50% of our fats should come from saturated fats.
Saturated fats are the preferred food for the heart, which the heart will draw on in times of stress.
Saturated fatty acids were were inversely correlated to Metabolic Syndrome.
Saturated fats are a precurser for hormones like testosterone, growth hormone, estrogen and progesterone.
Saturated fats are essential for the absorption of fat soluble vitamins (A,D,E,K).

Now a little bit of detail on what that means...

Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a clustering of at least three of five of the following medical conditions: abdominal (central)obesity, elevated blood pressure, elevated fasting plasma glucose, high serum triglycerides, and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. Basically all the things we're trying to avoid.

In a recent study published in the Journal of Nutrition [HERE], almost 10,000 subjects were interviewed for their dairy intake and subsequent health studies were conducted. The study concluded that full fat dairy had an inverse correlation with Metabolic Syndrome! Here is their conclusion, " Total and especially full-fat dairy food intakes are inversely and independently associated with metabolic syndrome in middle-aged and older adults, associations that seem to be mediated by dairy saturated fatty acids. Dietary recommendations to avoid full-fat dairy intake are not supported by our findings". So they CANNOT make the recommendation to use NON-FAT DAIRY. Bingo. The key - Saturated fatty acids.

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Since we already know that a diet high in fats (including saturated) and low in carbohydrates can reduce blood glucose, triglyceride levels and cholesterol it's pretty obvious. For those that are still skeptical about fat consumption, try picking up a book (LIKE THIS) for your next reading material.

So don't be fooled by the marketing, if you're going to eat dairy, don't be afraid to keep the fat content high! To me, this isn't much of a dairy dilemma.

Remember,

It's About Getting Better!

[More Saturated Fats info HERE ]