Most health care providers seem to have the same advice: avoid saturated fat! This would include whole foods like eggs [especially the yolks], real butter, whole milk, raw dairy products, and especially red meat. The replacements they offer are highly processed, industrial-made vegetable oils, egg beaters, low-fat or fat-free dairy, soy or rice products, and lean meats. These substitutes are fake, highly processed foods and lack the balance of essential fatty acids. Many people opt for a vegan diet for this reason [no shade on veganism!], but then find themselves feeling fatigued, extremely emotional, nutrient-deficient, and unable to heal optimally.
As women, essential fatty acids are extremely important for health. Fats provide the body with essential building blocks of numerous biological functions including making and utilizing hormones.
Prior to the introduction of modern processing, our ancestors consumed fats from animals in the form of milk, butter, cheese, meat, and oils naturally extracted from fruits, nuts, and seeds. They ate what was created and available for food. [It certainly wasn’t Crisco, margarine, or refined vegetable oils]
Fats from animal and vegetable sources provide a concentrated source of energy, the building blocks for cell membranes, and a variety of hormones and hormone-like substances. Fats, as a part of every meal, slow down nutrient absorption so that we are satisfied and can go longer without feeling hungry. They are also important carriers for the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K [which is the missing link to our current deficiency of vitamin D in the body], vital for the conversion of carotene to vitamin A, for mineral absorption, and for a host of other very important processes.
A no/low fat diet is NOT the silver bullet to losing weight and avoiding heart disease. In fact, eating fat can actually keep you slim.[hence, why keto works!] By adding unrefined essential fatty acids to a healthy diet, normal weight can be restored. In order for this to work, all refined oils and margarine must e removed from the diet. The real issue comes with highly-processed fats that turn what was once a source of real nutrition for the body into chemical-laden foods that add to the body’s toxic load.
Note: Those without a gallbladder should only take fermented cod liver oil.
Not all saturated fat is bad. In fact, saturated fats play many vital roles in the body.
· They provide integrity to the cell wall
· They promote the body’s use of essential fatty acids
· They enhance the immune system
· They protect the liver and help to dump its fat content
· They contribute to strong bones by helping incorporate calcium into bone
· They are essential for hormonal balance
· The airspaces of the lungs are coated with a thin layer of lung surfactant; the fat content of which is 100% saturated fatty acids
· They assist kidney function
· They provide nourishment for the brain-which is mainly fat and cholesterol
· They play a role in proper nerve signaling
The best fats to consume:
· Organic raw butter
· Ghee [clarified butter]
· Organic extra virgin olive oil [unfiltered]
· Virgin coconut oil
· Unrefined palm oil – red
· Organic, grass-fed lard
· Raw, whole milk dairy products
· Organic, free-range eggs
· Grass-fed meats, especially the fatty cuts
· Avocados
Avoid these highly-processed fats & oils:
· Vegetable oils: soy, corn, canola, hemp, grapeseed
· Margarine, Crisco, spreads
· Partially hydrogenated vegetable shortenings
· Egg beaters
· Conventional meat
· Pasteurized dairy products, especially low-fat and non-fat
· All fat-free foods
Comments