But it’s Fat-Free!

Lately I’ve been hearing some troubling responses from my non-foodie friends when I ask people why they are eating fake foods: “But it’s fat-free!”

I want to take this opportunity to say that fat, in good moderation, especially high quality fat, is good for you. Bad quality fats, such as anything hydrogenized (aka trans fat), or canola, corn, and soy oils are not. Fats are not created equal, and your body actually needs fat to sustain itself. One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned as a student of the Natural Gourmet institute is that certain cholesterols of the body are actually life-saving. And even more shocking to learn is that eating foods with cholesterol like butter and eggs does not raise your cholesterol!

I’ll give a brief overview of the fats I mentioned.

First, I’ll let you read about trans fats in my previous posting here. What about canola, corn or soy oils? Canola is, well it doesn’t actually exist. There’s no canola plant. Canola is another way of saying Canadians own this patent. Canola comes from the rapeseed, and without going deeply into this controversy, is a highly unstable and volatile oil. So are corn and soy oils. First and foremost, these oils are heavily genetically modified and contain a lot of synthetic chemicals such as pesticides so that farmers have the luxury of growing them in inhospitable environments. Second, they are very high in Omega 6 fatty acids. The western diet has a glut of the Omega 6’s and we therefore should be eating foods rich in Omega 3’s – like fatty fish, flax seeds, avocados and walnuts. (P.S. more good fats.)

What oils to use then? Try Olive and coconut oil - both intensely health-supportive fats.

Another high quality fat is raw, grass-fed, un-homogenized dairy from cows or goats – assuming you can tolerate dairy of course. This dairy is high in ALA, which is linked to raising your good cholesterol (HDL) and lowering your bad cholesterol (LDL). Because most people have a hard time finding raw and grass fed dairy, then I would recommend at least getting organic. You can feel a little bit better about the environment and how these cows are treated (a little). Though, pasteurized dairy will never contain the same digestive enzymes and helpful ALA’s. But do search for this dairy. Once you start looking for raw and/or grass-fed dairy, you will be surprised where you find them. I actually found organic and grass-fed milk at Fairway.

So never say fat free again. You need your fats – in moderation! I’ve barely broken through the surface about this controversial subject, so I highly recommend these books for further reading. Take a gander at Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon , Know Your Fats by Dr. Mary Enig and Real Food by Nina Planck.