Many nutritionists are encouraging women nowadays who are struggling with perimenopause weight gain to pay attention to the way they combine their foods when they eat. However, what is discussed less often is the positive role of some fats even when trying to lose weight. In this article I will review those two critical factors and their role in fighting perimenopause weight gain.

The theory behind food combining is that for instance proteins and carbohydrate are digested at a different speed and rate. So when we eat them together in a meal, they undermine the digestive process.

1. Food Combining

Although carbohydrates are one of the body's main source of energy, you have to eat the right kind of carbohydrates: fruits, vegetables low in starch and whole grain in order to lose weight. They provide the necessary fiber for elimination. Foods high in simple carbohydrates such as white rice, white bread, white pasta should be eliminated from your diet. They turn immediately into fat when they are ingested if you don't have the right metabolism and we know that as we grow older our metabolism slows down.

2. The Truth About Fats

A lot of us have heard that we must stay away from fats when we are trying to lose weight. This is very wrong as I explain below.

We think that because sugars and starches are “fat free”, they are safe. But these 2 types of carbohydrates tend to turn right into fat if the excess energy they provide is not burned off. So in fact these “fat free” foods should be avoided as much as possible when you are trying to lose weight.

Fats on the other hand have been wrongly accused to contribute to our weight gain. But the fact is that when you eat fat alone, it is not fattening. It's when you eat fat with carbohydrate like in baked potatoes with sour cream or white bread with cheese that it turns into fat.

One question however is the following: doesn't eating fat increase cholesterol levels and lead to a greater risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack or stroke?

Actually, fat, the good fats, such as the Omega3s (like olive oil and fat from fish like salmon and herrings) are very good for you when part of a balanced diet.

There are 2 main types of fat: saturated and unsaturated. Saturated and unsaturated. Saturated fats are found in lard, margarine and palm oil for instance. These types of fats are usually solid at room temperature. These are the bad fats. Unsaturated fats such as olive oil, corn oil or safflower oil are usually liquid at room temperature. These are the good fats that will help in your weight loss.

So if you want to avoid perimenopause weight gain, your diet can actually be rich with all the good fats you want full of Omega-3 and Omega-6 found in egg yolks, fish, nuts and soybeans.