At ZOE, our mission is to promote sustainable, positive eating habits that support your health and wellbeing. We believe that fostering a healthy relationship with food is more valuable than adhering to strict numerical guidelines.
Here's why we don't provide exact fat threshold values:
Practical Reasons:
Meals typically contain a mix of fat qualities - days where we include fat from just one ‘quality’ category are very unlikely.
Your personal fat threshold is dynamic and will change depending on the quality and amount of fat you consume in any 8-hour window.
More Importantly:
Focusing on specific numbers can lead to obsessive tracking, which isn’t supportive of holistic health.
Research shows that fixating on nutritional values can lead to poorer food choices and more stress around eating.
Instead of focusing on hitting a specific number, we encourage you to use the fat threshold warnings as gentle reminders to be mindful of your overall dietary balance. For example:
Pay attention to the quality of fats you're consuming, not just the quantity.
Distribute your fat intake throughout the day, allowing time for fats to clear from your bloodstream before eating more.
Listen to your body and how it responds to different foods.
Remember, your fat intake is just one of many important components of your diet. Don't let it overshadow others, like protein intake, plant diversity, ultra-processed food consumption, and fibre intake.
Try to focus on the bigger picture. Consider your overall eating patterns rather than fixating on individual meals. It's not about restricting fats, but rather about finding the right balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats for your body.
A helpful guide for balanced meals can be:
• 1/2 of your plate: fruits and vegetables
• 1/4 of your plate: protein sources
• 1/4 of your plate: complex carbohydrates
• Add a source of healthy fats if it’s not already included elsewhere
The fat threshold is just another tool to better understand your body's needs and responses, always keeping in mind that a healthy, varied diet is about much more than just managing fat intake.
Remember, it’s not about perfection. Every step toward balanced eating is a positive one.