It is important to know before you read through this article, that much of the information in this article may go against what would be considered the politically correct nutrition advice, which many doctors, health “experts” and the media may tell you, although it is important to read this with an open mind as the politically correct angle is clearly not working. Let’s start with some important facts; eating enough natural, healthful fat is extremely important in maintaining overall excellent health. Fat is one of the key components in all the cells throughout your whole body. When you eat a excellent amount of natural healthful fat, the cells in your body can function normally. When you eat heavily processed, man made, chemically damaged/altered fats that are found in most processed foods, the cells of your body will begin to function poorly as the damaged fats you are eating become part of your cell membranes, your body then has to work harder in order to work correctly, and chronic illness can develop. healthful fats are also crucial for optimal hormone production and in keeping hormone balance throughout your body and so are very important in the fat burning and muscle building processes. A few more of the roles fat plays include aiding vitamin and mineral use, and the regulation of enzymes and energy.
I cant stand it every time a so called “health expert” gets on the TV talking about reducing the amount of fat you eat to find the path to excellent health, fat loss, and to prevent degenerative illnesss. Restricting the amount of protein, fat or carbohydrates in your diet can only lead to problems as this works against what your body requires to function properly. All the macronutrients (protein, fat and carbohydrate) all have functions, which are very important for keeping you lean, healthful, and
illness free. On of the worlds leading experts on fats Dr. Mary Enig, PH.D, has said in several of her books and articles, that there is very little real scientific research which supports the idea that eating a diet high in fat is unhealthful. If eating a low fat diet was the solution to excellent health, why did the
traditional pacific islanders, who would typically get 60% to 80% of their total calories from fat, remain virtually free from heart disease, obesity, and the other modern chronic illnesss (until they were exposed to western influences that is)? Also how could traditional Eskimos, eat up to 75% of their diet from fat (mostly from whale blubber, seal fat, organ meats, and cold water fish), show excellent health and longevity without heart disease and obesity? How could the Masai tribes of Africa stay illness free and keep their body fat low while eating large quantities of raw whole milk, blood, and meat? In addition, how could the Samburu tribe from Africa, eat about 5 times the fat (mostly from raw whole milk and meat) than an overfat, sick American, and still be lean, healthful and
illness free. If you look at the diets of the traditional people of the Mediterranean, you can see that they eat diets very high in fat, up to 70% in fact, while being noted for their excellent health. These are just a few of the examples of people eating high fat diets, and experiencing the associated benefits, there are many, many more. But despite the evidence of people who have lived for thousands of years in almost perfect health, it looks like many doctors nutritionists, and government departments still seem to ignore the
facts and continue to recommend you restrict the intake of fat. The problem is that the excellent fats that would have been eaten successfully by traditional people all over the world, have been thrown into the same group as the deadly processed fats and oils that is used extensively in the majority of processed food. These health draining fats are almost everywhere, its only when you know what to look out for and make smart choices to give your body what will work best that you can avoid them. It is important to know that I’m not saying you should eat a high fat diet. If you’re active, you also need a excellent supply of healthful carbohydrates to feed your muscles and protein to repair them. I gave you the examples above to prove to you that you don’t need to be afraid of fat in your diet as long as you eat healthful natural fats and don’t eat more calories than your body and activity
levels allow. Here is a list of some healthful fatty foods and some that you should avoid at all costs, as they will take your energy and health from you:
Excellent High Fat Food Choices:
• The fat from organically raised, free-range animals: This is a big area of misinformation from the media. Animal fat is mostly excellent for us, if it came from a healthful animal. We have thrived on animal fats for thousands of years. We get into trouble because most mass produced animal products today do not come from
healthful animals. They come from animals given loads of antibiotics, fattened up with hormones, and fed un-natural feed. The solution is to choose organically raised, free-range meats, eggs, and dairy. At this time, the price is still a little higher, but it is worth it, and as demand grows, the prices will come down.
• Nuts (like – walnuts, almonds, peanuts, cashews, macadamias, etc.): Nuts are a fantastic source of healthful unprocessed fats as well as minerals and other trace nutrients important to your body. Macadamias, almonds, and cashews are excellent sources of monounsaturated fats, while walnuts are a excellent source of omega-3’s. Always try to avoid nuts that are cooked in oil. Instead, choose raw where possible.
• Dark chocolate (more than 70% cocoa): The cocoa bean is a excellent source of antioxidants and is part of the reason why dark chocolate is considered healthful. The fat in the cocoa bean (cocoa butter) is a healthful natural fat, composed of about 59% saturated fat (mostly healthful stearic acid), 38% monounsaturated fat, and 3% polyunsaturated fat. The benefit of chocolate only extends to dark bittersweet chocolate with more than 70% cocoa. Milk chocolates contain only about 30% cocoa and many dark chocolates are up to 50%
cocoa. The remainder of these chocolates are made up of less healthful ingredients like sugar, corn sweeteners and the fat from processed milk. Look for a quality dark chocolate that lists its cocoa content between 70%-80%. A dark chocolate with cocoa content in this range will contain mostly cocoa and very little sugar. Keep in mind that although dark chocolate can be a healthful treat, it is still calorie dense, so keeping it to just a square or two is a excellent idea.
•Coconut fat: Coconut fat is approximately 92% saturated fat, yet surprisingly to most people, is considered a very healthful natural fat. The health benefits of coconut fat lie in its composition of approximately 65% medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). Specifically, about 50% of coconut fat is a MCT called lauric acid, which has very potent anti-microbial properties helping to enhance the immune system. In addition, MCTs are more easily utilised for immediate energy instead of being stored as body fat. Coconut oil is also an excellent cooking oil for stir-frying, etc. since saturated fats
are much more stable and do not oxidize like polyunsaturated oils when exposed to heat and light, which creates damaging free radicals. The best sources of healthful coconut fat are organic coconut milk, virgin coconut oil, or fresh coconut.
• Avocados or guacamole: The fat in avocados (depending on where they’re grown) is approximately 60% monounsaturated, 25% saturated, and 15% polyunsaturated. Avocados are a very healthful natural food that provides many nutrients, fiber, and healthful fats, while adding a rich flavour to any meal. Try sliced avocado on sandwiches or in salads or use guacamole in wraps, sandwiches, or quesadillas.
• High fat fish such as wild salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, trout, etc.: Just about any fish or seafood are excellent sources of natural omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, but the higher fat fish listed above are the best sources of omega-3’s. Due to the radical switch to a higher proportion of omega-6 polyunsaturated fats like soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, etc. in our food supply during the middle of the 20th century, the average western diet is currently way too high in omega-6’s compared to omega-3’s, which wreaks havoc in your body. This is where excellent omega-3
sources like high fat fish, walnuts, and flax seeds can help bring you back to a better ratio of omega-6/omega-3.
• Extra virgin olive oil: Olive oil is approximately 71% monounsaturated, 16% saturated, and 13% polyunsaturated. Choose “extra virgin” olive oil, which comes from the first pressing of the olives and has higher quantities of antioxidants. Unlike most other oils on supermarket shelves, extra virgin olive oil is not extracted with the use of harmful industrial solvents and is one of your healthiest choices for liquid oils. Try making your own salad dressing by mixing a small amount of olive oil with vinegar. This is healthier than most store bought salad dressings, which are usually made with highly processed and refined (chemically damaged) soybean oil extracted with industrial solvents.
• Seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds): All of these seeds are excellent sources of natural unprocessed healthful fats. In particular, flax seeds have received a lot of attention lately due to their high omega-3 content. However, keep in mind that omega-3 polyunsaturated fats are highly reactive to heat and light, and prone to oxidation and free radical production, so freshly ground flax seed is the only way to go. Instead of using the store bought ground flax seed, you can buy whole flax seed and use one of those miniature coffee grinders to
grind your own flax seed. Try grinding fresh flax seed into your yogurt, cereal, or even your salad. If you’re using a flax oil, make sure it’s a cold-pressed oil in a light-proof refrigerated container, and use it up within a few weeks to prevent it from going rancid. NEVER cook with flax oil!
Deadly Fatty Foods:
• Trans fats (Hydrogenated oils): These are industrially produced chemically altered oils subjected to extremely high pressure and temperature, with added industrial solvents such as hexane for extraction, and have a metal catalyst added to promote the artificial hydrogenation, followed by bleaching and deodorizing agents…..and somehow the FDA still allows this crap to pass as food. These oils aren’t even worthy of your lawnmower, much less your body! They’ve been linked to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and more. Even small quantities have been shown in studies to be dangerous. If you care about
your health, check the ingredients of everything you buy, and if you see partially hydrogenated oils of any kind, margarine, or shortening, protect yourself and your family by choosing something else. The FDA has mandated that all food manufacturers have to show the quantity of Trans fat on all labels by January 2006.
• Refined oils: Even if the oils are not hydrogenated, most oils on your supermarket shelves are refined, even most of the so-called “healthful” canola oils. Even most refined oils still undergo the high temperature, high pressure, solvent extraction, bleaching, and deodorizing processes. Anything labelled vegetable oil, soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, and even many canola oils have been damaged by this refining process. This damages the natural structure of the fats, destroys natural antioxidants, creates free radicals, and produces a generally unhealthful product. Take note that the explosion of heart disease in the middle of the 20th century coincides quite nicely with the rapid increase in the use of hydrogenated and refined oils in the food supply at that time.
• Anything deep-fried including corn chips, potato chips, French fries, donuts, fried chicken, chicken nuggets, etc. None of this junk even passes as real food in my opinion!
• Homogenised milk fat – Milk fat is a very healthful fat in its natural raw state. traditional populations around the world thrived in perfect health while consuming huge quantities of raw, non-pasteurized, non-homogenized, full fat dairy products. Once again, food processing ruins a excellent thing by pasteurizing and homogenizing milk fat, rendering it potentially dangerous inside the human body. Unfortunately, you will find it almost impossible to find raw milk in the US unless you personally know a farmer. Check out realmilk.com for more
info on the benefits of raw milk and to find out if it’s available near you. As an alternative, cultured dairy products like yogurt have at least had beneficial microorganisms added back to them making them better for you. Realistically, since you probably won’t find raw milk, sticking to skim milk is the best option. If you use butter for cooking, cultured organic butter is the best option.
I hope this article has given you some idea about the truth around dietary fat and has made you realise the importance of fat in a healthful diet.
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