Let’s get this out there in the open right away so there is no confusion: fat is NOT bad!
We need to consume fats in order to have a healthy diet. Fats have numerous health benefits including satisfying our appetite, balancing hormone production, enhancing mineral absorption, providing a longer burning source of energy, aiding the liver with digestion, and helping with the production of natural anti-inflammatory substances. All good things!
That being said, not all fats are created equal:
- Saturated Fat – highly stable in nature, do not turn rancid easily even at higher temperatures.
- Monounsaturated Fat – relatively stable, do not turn rancid easily. They are liquid at room temperature, but semi-solid upon refrigeration.
- Polyunsaturated Fat – unstable even at room temperature, easily damaged by temperature changes and moisture and oxygen exposure, refrigeration required, turn rancid quickly and easily.
In other words:
Saturated Fats = good
Monounsaturated Fats = decent
Polyunsaturated Fats = VERY BAD! Run and hide from these!
All foods have a combination of fats, but when you check the label, the fat with the highest weight will (obviously) be the all-consuming fat in this product. For example, if your food has 1 gram of saturated fat, 2 grams of monounsaturated fats, and 15 grams of polyunsaturated fats--VERY BAD! Run and hide!
Speaking of reading labels, another good thing to be aware of is the processing of oils. Any product with the words refined, hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated or cold-processed
are BAD. These have been chemically processed in a pretty disgusting way--either with a petroleum-based solvent or with tiny bits of metal (such as in the hydrogenation process). Do either of these sound like things you want to be putting in your body? I don’t think so. The body cannot process any of these kinds of fake fats and consuming then can lead to serious health concerns such as diabetes, birth defects, cancer, heart disease, poor bone health and sexual dysfunction.
GOOD words to find on product labels include: organic, first-cold pressed or cold-pressed, expeller-pressed, unrefined, and extra virgin.
The table below is a quick reference to help you decide what to put in your grocery cart and what to put back on the shelf:
A word about the two most commonly used oils (vegetable and canola): both are EXTREMELY processed and genetically modified. Vegetable oil can be consumed in small doses if you make sure to get it from a reputable source and it is not refined or processed (good luck finding that!). Canola oil is extracted from a hybridized rapeseed, which is a genetically modified crop to begin with, so before it’s even extracted it’s already been scientifically created. This is not a natural product and does NOT belong in the body. PUT IT BACK ON THE SHELF.
Have you had enough of me yelling at you? Well, then let’s talk about butter. You might groan and say, “No, not butter, too!” But I’m here to tell you that butter is actually okay! Search for raw, unprocessed butter made from a grass-fed cow (I know, it sounds like it’s going to be hard to find, but honestly, butter is worth it, right?). Butter has all these things going for it:
- Protects from arthritis, cataracts, fungal infections, cancer, and hardening of the arteries
- Aids with weight management and muscle growth
- Helps assimilate minerals into the bloodstream
- Enhances brain function and increases cell membrane integrity
- Assists with anti-inflammatory responses systems in our bodies
Butter truly does make everything better--in more ways than one. Here’s the super good news: you SHOULD eat it every day! But do keep in mind that you should still consume it in appropriate amounts. Please do not go out and eat a stick of butter a day while saying, “Heidi says it’s okay!” To this I would shake my head and explain that you’ve missed the point of this blog.
Information for this blog based on an article by Caroline Barringer, “Fats: Safer Choices for Your Frying Pan and Your Health.”