Full Fat vs Fat Free Dairy

The dairy process first removes all the fat from all the milk. At that stage all the milk is skim and all the fat is in one vat. Then they bottle some of the milk as Skim, add a little fat to some of the milk and bottle it as precisely 1%, add a little more to some milk and bottle that as precisely 2%, then add whatever the full fat percentage is to the rest of the milk and bottle that as whole milk. The pasteurization process kills the bacteria, but it doesn't turn the fat into anything like prion molecules.

For milk, that's not really true. People have let the fat (cream) float to the top and skim it off for centuries. Thus the difference between lowfat milk and full fat milk. One has the cream still in it, the other doesn't.

Now, for things like fat free sour cream, things can be a bit different. It is not simply skim milk allowed to go sour and made the same as full fat sour cream. That's because skim milk will not turn thick on it's own. It has to have thickeners and stabilizers added to it. Somewhat similar for lowfat cottage cheese, yogurt, etc. To get the right consistency you have to add things, they don't come out that way naturally.

So, the key is, what is your goal? Is it to eat only the most pure, naturally formed foods possible with all of their naturally occurring nutrients? Is it to be as low fat as possible, or otherwise limiting only to certain nutrients? Why are you doing these things? You need to pick each product based on what you are looking for, not categorize an entire food group based on something.

For me, I like to eat food as close to it's most natural forms as I can for the most part. I do not avoid fats, in fact, in most regular meals I want low-carb (not recovery or carb loading meals), so choosing low-fat dairy makes zero sense since it has a higher ratio of carbs to other nutrients throwing my mealtime goals out of whack. So I pretty much use just full fat, natural dairy products. If I want carbs, I go to a more carb-natural source, which is not dairy. Things like fruits, veggies, grains, etc. Even straight forms of sugar for my recovery drinks!

Also, check the label on some things that are full fat like sour cream, you may still see some surprises. I regularly see added stabilizers or thickeners even on some full fat brands. Totally unnecessary, and frankly, I think the ones that only have milk as an ingredient taste better.

I went to full fat dairy. My bloodwork wasn't the best so I'm reducing saturated fats.

Your trainer is either doesn't understand what fat does or can't explain it. Either case don't buy it.

Tell your personal trainer that they shouldn't be giving out diet advice when they lack even a basic understanding of biology. It doesn't work that way.

msharelick wrote: »

My goal is to lose weight. I have been eating fat free dairy products for a long time. I like them, I like the taste. In working with this fellow, I am hoping to establish a reasonable exercise routine.

I you like it, stick with it. It's not going to hurt you.

Obvious he never visited a dairy or farm. The process of homogenizing milk to make whole milk pretty is the mechanical process. Normally the fat rises to the top so making skim (or skimmed) milk is pretty much skimming the fat off to make yummy butter and the milk on the bottom is very low fat depending how good a job you did.

AnvilHead wrote: »

I sincerely hope your trainer knows more about training than he/she does about nutrition.

Good news: he can't possibly know less.

TavistockToad wrote: »

cwolfman13 wrote: »

msharelick wrote: »

Hello:

I started working with a personal trainer who recommends eating full fat dairy. The justification for this is that a product labelled fat free dairy means that a manufacturing process broke up the fat molecules. When its ingested those fat molecules are reconstituted into full - fat. While that make sense, I am not sure if its true.

Does anyone have any knowledge or references to point to this being true?

Thanks

That makes zero sense...it's about one of the dumbest things I've ever heard.

You've been on MFP for ages, so I doubt that!! :laugh:

Lol...

annaskiski wrote: »

All above replies are true (including magic), but the reason to eat fat is because it tastes good, makes you feel full, and your body needs it.

This. Your trainer's theory of what goes on may be insane but the latest things I have heard is full fat is better for the quoted reasons.