Wednesday Spotlight - FATS, Part 1 of 4 - the "VILLAINS"

Yep, I am doing something a little different today. Instead of the standard vitamins and minerals, I'm going to talk about fats. If you watched the Hungry for Change video, you might have heard "fats don't make you fat". While I believe that EXCESS fat consumption can make you fat, I do agree that the majority of the obesity issue revolves around three things:


1) overeating - and I'm not talking fruits and veggies here, I'm talking the sugary foods the government subsidizes (yep, estimates claim the average American consumes about 2700 calories a day, and between 67 and 97g of fat per day, depending on gender),

2) sedentary lifestyles, and
3) a lack of knowledge of good versus bad fats and the link between sugar and refined grains.

First off, fats are necessary! So are carbohydrates and proteins. These are the building blocks to a beautiful, healthy life. Of course, our bodies can't function on these alone... we need vitamins and minerals to oil the machine and unlock all the goodness these things provide. So, let me start with the basics. I broke this into three parts because I don't want to overload you with information!

Why are fats important?

I know! CORNY, but I couldn't help myself.

As mentioned before, Vitamins A, D, E, and K rely on the presence of fat for the body to use them. Fat also is our energy reserve for tough times when we may not have food around. It also cushions our organs and helps us maintain body temperature (note that this "cushion" can actually SQUISH them if there is too much in there!). But what you may not know is that fat contributes to healthy skin and hair. It also helps protect our bodies from toxicity by storing substances that reach unsafe levels in our blood until our bodies can effectively eliminate or use them.

So, now that we know the important role fat plays in our bodies, well, how do we know what to eat, how much, etc? I'm going to start with the villains, and hopefully get you reconsidering what you thought you knew about dietary fats.

DEBUNKING THE VILLAINS

Villain 1, Trans: Actually occur naturally in milk, eggs, and body fats of some animals, particularly grass fed ones, one such being CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), which may provide natural cancer protection and is believed to support lean body mass. The unnatural trans-fats are the ones that should be avoided. These are called (sometimes partially-) hydrogenated oils - where the food industry has decided it can "improve" a natural product by injecting hydrogen into a plant oil. As usually happens when man tries to play God, we have a substitute product that is lower cost (versus traditional lard and butter) and has a longer shelf life than the original... but at what cost?? We now know such products are linked to heart disease and possibly a whole host of other diseases such as Alzheimer's, cancer, diabetes, female infertility, liver problems and obesity.

MAN-MADE TRANS FATS

Villain 2, Saturated: Solid at room temperature. Fats like milk (and cheese and butter), meat, coconut oil, cocoa butter. Includes margarine and shortening (almost always means hydrogenated), but I do not consider these natural products and therefore think everyone should avoid them. These products have been shunned by the public in the name of cholesterol. However, I am a believer in everything in moderation... everything natural, of course. Plus, there is evidence to suggest diets that include saturated fats can actually reduce risk of heart disease, strengthen bones and your immune system, contribute to liver and lung and brain health, and decrease the stubborn fat held in the midsection. Again, my rule of thumb is, if it is a natural food, then it is probably okay to consume; just don't abuse the privilege. And put down that fat-free milk!!

Do you agree??

I encourage everyone do their own research before changing their personal health plan - I know I have done mine! If I could impart any advice in this journey, it's to always think about food's place in your world. Know your philosophy and examine your research in that perspective. Mine is that food was given to us as a gift to nourish and complete our bodies. Bodies and food were created with each other in mind. I can't "game" nature... change it's structure to make it more beneficial to my body than in its natural state. I must protect it by caring for it and helping it naturally grow stronger, putting back into nature and soil what I take from it so that I can keep reaping the rewards of it. It took me a long time to come to the belief that eating fat isn't going to make me fat. And maybe in the end that isn't what you come to believe. But please believe that modern medicine may just be misinformed... or just plain mis-informing!

Stay tuned for Part 2 - the UNsaturateds. 

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