But you have to eat the right fats—foods loaded with omega-3 polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated (omega-9) fatty acids, as well as healthy saturated fats.These good fats are found in a wide range of foods, including salmon, lamb, and goat meat, goat’s and sheep’s milk and cheese, walnuts and olives. Fats rich in omega-3 and saturated fats such as medium-chain and short-chain fatty acids play a crucial role in the body’s chemistry.

First, appreciate your body for what it does for you every day of your life. It is truly miraculous how your body never misses a heartbeat, constantly renews and regenerates cells, and digests and processes everything you choose to eat or drink. Remember this, and be thankful for it. Replacing negative thoughts about your body weight with reminders of all of the miracles it performs is essential, and much more important than counting calories or fat content. The body you have right now is amazing! Next, take the focus off of losing weight, and instead focus on being healthy. As you begin to think about what to eat you must think wellness, not weight loss. Begin to work with your body by giving it the nourishment it needs nutritionally and emotionally. Drink lots of pure water, take deep breaths, go for a walk with a loved one, or take time to read a book or write in your journal. You are not at war with your body. It’s not the “battle of the bulge.” Your body is part of who you are, and you must begin to listen to it. Incorporate one new healthy habit each week, and really focus on how that makes you feel. Start simply by drinking more water or going to bed by 10:30. You will begin to see changes in your body and start to feel better, physically and mentally, which will motivate you to continue.

Not all fats are good for you, and I want to make that clear. You want to steer away from hydrogenated fats, which have been associated with a host of maladies, including diabetes, obesity, and cancer. Hydrogenated fats are found in practically every processed food. Most of the oils used in households today—soybean, safflower, cottonseed, and corn—are partially hydrogenated oils, which, by definition, are liquid fats that have been injected with hydrogen gas at high temperatures under high pressure to make them solid at room temperature. I urge you to cook with butter or extra-virgin coconut oil. Foods cooked in coconut oil taste great. Coconut oil is packed with antioxidants and reduces the body’s need for vitamin E. You can tell which oil is better just by comparing how fast real canola oil or safflower oil becomes rancid when sitting at room temperature. Coconut oil shows no signs of rancidity even after a year at room temperature.