What's the Deal With Fat?

Fat is all over the news recently, which leads us to ask: What’s the deal with fat?

In part, this is because of the revelations about how the sugar industry shifted the blame towards fat decades ago. Some doctors are critical of low-fat diets, partially blaming them for America’s dramatic rise in obesity rates. On top of this, we’re hearing more and more about high-fat diets. Specifically, the ketogenic diet (high fat, low carb) has become a hot topic. This sounds counterintuitive, but has strong science behind it. Its claim? Eat more fat, and you will lose weight (at least initially). T.J Murphy of Outside Magazine explains the ketogenic diet as:

“Followers scarf eggs, cheese, and olive oil in hunger-killing quantities, turning their backs on just about every carb other than vegetables. They don’t use half-and-half in their coffee—they use heavy cream. Still, they’re likely to look a little lean, since the ketogenic diet turns them into 24/7 fat burners.”

This is interesting, because it shows a shift in the understanding of fats. It also excites us to be in an industry where we are constantly learning and understanding more about our dietary needs. 

How are you advising your patients on fat? Have your recommendations changed based on these recent findings? 

HERE’S A SHORT HISTORY OF FATS ENDING TWO YEARS AGO. IN JUST TWO YEARS, SO MUCH MORE COULD BE ADDED TO THIS INFOGRAPHIC.

PulseConnect June Member Spotlight: Gina Crome

Earlier this month, we spoke with PulseConnect member Gina Crome, the founder of Lifestyle Management Solutions in Glendora, California.  As an RD, ACE Certified Personal Trainer, and health coach, Gina regularly counsels patients on health and wellness issues including weight management, diabetes education, heart disease risk factors, and a variety of other general health and wellness concerns. 

We asked Gina a few questions to learn more about how PulseConnect adds value to her interactions with those whom she counsels.

Q: How do you use materials that you receive from PulseConnect?

A: Since I do a lot of public speaking, the materials we get from PulseConnect have been a great resource to hand out at my talks. I also attend a lot of health fairs and community health events, so having materials ready at all times to distribute at our booth has been extremely helpful. And of course, it’s been great to get the materials for free, especially because a lot of my work in the community is pro bono. Whatever I don’t use in a classroom or at an event gets put to good use at my office. 

Q: Could you please describe a recent program that you found valuable and why?

A: We recently took the box of Clif Bars that we received to an event and it was a huge hit! A lot of people we counsel have children, so having the Clif Kids samples to give out along with educational information was perfect!

I also received a Smart Balance kit, which was very well received by my clients. I’ve found that clients really like it when they are given information with a meal plan or a recipe and then also have a coupon for the product. 

Q: What kind of things are your clients asking you about? What are topics that you discuss on a daily basis?

A: We do a lot with weight management, so clients often ask us for foods that are portion controlled, fat reduced, and lower in sugar. Recently, a lot of people have been asking us specifically for diet beverages that don’t use certain chemicals. 

We also do a lot of diabetes education, so we get a lot of diabetics looking for products low in sugar and high in fiber. Fiber is another big thing that a lot of clients are looking for to maximize their fullness. However, with the recent changes to the nutrition label, I think we’re going to see a lot more people concerned about added sugar.

Q: What do you like best about PulseConnect?

A: Through the network, I’ve discovered new products, and it’s nice to have that first hand knowledge and be able to try the product. For me, that’s the part I like most about the network itself because I find it really hard to make a recommendation if I don’t know anything about the product or haven’t tried it myself.