The Skinny on Fats

Have you heard these myths about fat? Fat in our foods = fat on our bodies. How about this one? Saturated fat causes heart disease and cancer. These are only a couple on the list; I could keep going all day. Fat must be terrible. It’s a common teaching that fat is basically a kind of monster we must avoid or pay the price. Only…not so much.

Turns out the price for having too little healthy fat in our standard American diet has been a whole messy pile of consequences ranging from bothersome to downright dangerous. We won’t go into this too deeply right now – this is a blog post, not a book, after all – but know that the function of your organs, your mood, your hair, nails, and skin, and your overall satisfaction in eating can all be affected by fats in the diet. And that’s not even touching on any possible connections to various diseases eating too little fat may have.

A few things to know about fats are –

• There are Essential Fats that we need for our health which our bodies cannot produce. We have to get them from what we eat.

• While it’s true that elevated triglycerides (three fatty-acid chains attached to a glycerol molecule [There’s your science fact for the day. Tell your friends if you want to sound smart. Haha]) can contribute to heart disease; most of them don’t come from dietary fats. They’re made in the liver from any excess sugars that haven’t been used for energy. Excess sugars often come from refined sugar and white flour, not fats.

• Fats are generally very satiating and flavorful. Ever notice how high in sugar and salt most low and non-fat processed foods are? That’s to make up for the flavor lost when the fat is removed. Notice I said processed foods. We’re not talking about naturally low and non-fat foods here.

• Saturated fatty acids play a vital role in the health and function of our cell membranes, bones, protecting our liver from toxins, enhancing our immune systems, protecting our digestive tract from harmful microorganisms, even as a reserve for the heart to draw on in times of stress.

Now, there is a whole mountain of scientific facts about fats that we won’t go into here because, well, I want you to stay with me and not get all glassy-eyed and sleepy and we don’t have enough space. If you want to go all science nerd, just do an internet search on Dietary Fat, kiss your loved ones good-bye, and we’ll see you in a few years. Seriously, though, I’ll include a few resources for more info at the end of this post.

For the less scientifically-minded among you and for those who don’t have all day to read a blog post, let’s keep it basic for now.

The type and quality of fat are key.

Types of fats –

Trans – NO, just no.

Saturated – Yes, please

Monounsaturated – Ok

Polyunsaturated – Ok

Quality of fats/oils –

Much of the quality of a fat/oil has to do with how it’s processed (If it’s oil, is it cold-pressed?) and what you’re doing with it. Are you tossing it with a salad (no heat exposure) or cooking or baking with it (heat exposure)? Oils are light and heat sensitive. The way they’re processed before they ever make it into our kitchens and the way we use and treat them can cause rancidity.

Here’s a super basic rundown of a few fats/oils.

• Animal fats, including butter – can withstand heat

• Extra virgin olive oil – look for cold-pressed in an opaque bottle, can withstand medium heat when cooking

• Grapeseed oil – look for cold-pressed, can withstand higher heat than olive oil, also has a milder flavor than olive oil

• Peanut oil, Sesame oil – can withstand high heat when cooking

• Safflower, Corn, Sunflower, Soybean, Cottonseed oils – hard to find truly cold-pressed versions, NO heat

• Canola oil – NO heat. The way it’s processed causes problems. It’s easy to avoid using this oil and that’s a good idea.

• Flax seed oil – keep refrigerated, don’t heat it, use in small amounts

• Tropical oils (coconut, palm) – good stuff, can keep at room temperature without going rancid, can withstand heat

In a nutshell, there’s absolutely no need to fear healthy fats! Yay! Down with this version of fat shaming! Buy the best quality you can afford. Enjoy them, but be smart.

If you want more info, there’s a lot out there, and I mean A. LOT. Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon has great info, and anything by Dr. Pam Peeke or Dr. Mark Hyman is worth looking at. That’s just a good starting point. You can go crazy from there if you want.

In the meantime, feel free to take up your picket signs and join me in our totally cool chant – Don’t fear the fat! Don’t fear the fat!