The Low-Fat Myth
It's time to put an end to the low-fat myth. Indeed, the percentage of calories from fats you consume, whether low or high, isn't strongly linked to the development of cardiovascular diseases. What truly matters is the type of fats you consume. Good fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) reduce the risk of diseases, while bad fats (saturated fats and especially trans fats) increase it.
Foods rich in good fats include vegetable oils (such as olive oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, flaxseed oil), unsalted nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios), seeds (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds), and fatty fish. Foods rich in bad fats include red meat, butter, cheese, ice cream, and other dairy products, as well as processed foods containing trans fats from partially hydrogenated oils. The key to a healthy diet is choosing foods that have more good fats than bad fats (vegetable oils instead of butter, fish instead of steak) and that don't contain trans fats.
Processed foods labeled as low-fat, reduced-fat, or 0% fat aren't necessarily healthy foods, especially since following a low-fat diet may not be healthier. One of the main issues with a low-fat diet is that most people who follow it stop consuming the fats that are beneficial for the heart at the same time as they stop consuming bad fats. Additionally, low-fat diets are often higher in refined carbohydrates and starch found, for example, in white rice, white bread, potatoes, and sugary drinks, which raise the glycemic index. Similarly, when the food industry reduces fats in its recipes, it often replaces them with carbohydrates (sugars, refined grains, or starch). These refined carbohydrates digest very quickly, causing a rise in blood sugar regulated by insulin production. Insulin production has the effect of lowering blood sugar levels and prematurely stimulating appetite. This mechanism quickly leads to overeating and eventually weight gain. Over time, it's observed that consuming a lot of "fast sugars" can increase the risk of heart diseases and diabetes as much - or more - than consuming too much saturated fats.
Thus, when removing foods like red meat and butter from your diet, it's important to replace them with fish, legumes, nuts, and healthy vegetable oils, rather than white bread, white rice, potatoes, sugary drinks, or other refined carbohydrates. Although it's officially recommended to limit the amount of cholesterol you ingest, especially if you have diabetes, for most people, dietary cholesterol may not be as harmful as it has long been described. What may impact health is blood cholesterol levels - although many voices argue that high blood cholesterol levels may not be as problematic as believed. What impacts blood cholesterol levels the most is the combination of bad fats and carbohydrates in the diet, not the amount of dietary cholesterol.
Choosing foods rich in good fats
Use vegetable oils rich in unsaturated fats for cooking and seasoning, according to their specificity: olive oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, flaxseed oil, argan oil, hazelnut oil, etc.
Ban trans fats. At the supermarket, check labels to ensure the products you buy don't contain trans fats. Check the ingredient list to ensure they don't contain partially hydrogenated oils. In restaurants, except for some fast-food chains, there is generally no nutritional information available for the dishes you order. Avoid fried foods, biscuits, and other pastries.
Choose margarine over butter. Next-generation margarines are made with vegetable oils. Choose a product that doesn't contain trans fats. If you prefer olive oil, store it in the refrigerator to solidify it and use it for your sandwiches and toast.
Eat at least one omega-3-rich food per day. Fatty fish (such as salmon and tuna), nuts, and rapeseed oil all provide omega-3 fatty acids, essential for the proper functioning of our bodies. Omega-3 fatty acids, especially those from fish, are beneficial for cardiovascular health.
Limit red meat, cheese, milk, and dairy products. Red meat (beef, pork, lamb) and dairy products are rich in saturated fats. So, eat less red meat (and cold cuts), and replace it with fish, chicken, nuts, or legumes. Low-fat cheeses aren't a solution as they're often much saltier than their traditional version. It's better to enjoy a portion of real cheese once a week rather than low-fat cheese several times a week. Finally, regarding milk, semi-skimmed milk has almost become the norm. Unless you consume very large amounts per day, there's no need to switch to skim milk. Prefer milk rich in omega-3 (from cows fed with omega-3-rich foods).
Sources: Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Source. (1) The Truth About Cholesterol - Professor Philippe Even, Cholesterol, Lies and Propaganda - Dr. Michel de Lorgeril.