Who amongst you still believes that fat is a bad thing? I
wrote a Blog, a while back, called “Are You a Good Fat, or a Bad Fat?”, you can
read that, here. The more research I’ve done on this subject, the more
information I soak up!
Backstory…
When the Food Guide Pyramid was introduced by the USDA, back in 1992, the government instructed
us to limit our fat intake to 30% of total calorie intake. The pyramid looked
like this…
The USDA has demonized fat for decades…it’s bad for us, they say; and they haven't distinguished between good fats and bad fats, until recently.
This handy little guide of theirs tell us that in order to have a balanced diet, we should focus more attention
on carbs (breads, cereals, rice, pasta, etc), eating 6-11 servings per day; our
focus on fruits and veggies should be to eat only 3-5 servings of veggies and 2-4
servings of fruit per day. Apparently, they’re not as important as the bread and cereal
group. The next level of the pyramid tells us we should only eat 2-3
servings of meat and dairy, per day; meat and dairy are high in fat, so we
should limit our intake.
And the top of the pyramid is where fats are featured….fats,
oils and sweets, to be exact. Now, limiting your intake of sweets is a stellar
idea! Sweets aren’t healthy, at all. But, fats aren't as bad as they'd like for us to think.
The Food Guide Pyramid, has taken on a few changes, through the years; it looked like this, in
2005, and was called MyPyramid:
In this version, the USDA tells us to balance a
healthy diet with exercise; but, do you notice that the grains group is still
the biggest section, and the fats group (the little yellow stripe) isn’t
mentioned at all?
Here’s the latest transformation…it’s called Choose MyPlate. It’s a much more balanced eating structure, aside from one minor detail…
Do you see it?? Where did the fat go? Now, it is true that you get a certain amount of fats from all the other food groups, but not enough to keep our bodies in good shape! On their website, they
explain that avocados and olives are part of the vegetable group (technically they're both fruits), and
nuts/seeds are part of the protein group.
But, let’s get serious for a
minute…how many people out there consider avocados and olives, when talking
about fats? Or, the fact that nuts and seeds have protein in them? Trust me, the USDA considered that when they created the pyramid.
The website also states, “Soft margarine, mayonnaise, and
salad dressings are mainly oil and are not considered to be part of any food
group.” It’s true…they’re not foods; they’re condiments! Margarine should never
be consumed, in the first place; I touched on that topic, in this Blog post.
Sidebar – processed carbs (cereal, bread, pasta, etc) aren’t any better for the body than margarine. You can get all the carbs your body needs by upping your intake of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
I digress…why has the USDA demonized fats, and favored
processed carbs, so much?? I think Dr. Pealmutter explains why we need to eat
more fats, quite well, in this video.
But, there is a huge difference between fats and fats….good fats (saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) and Trans-fats. Trans-fats will raise your LDL cholesterol (the bad one);
it also causes heart disease, strokes, and Type 2 Diabetes.
It is commonly
found in fast food, fried foods, donuts, pastries, and snack foods like cookies
and chips; but, it can also be found in any processed food that contains
hydrogenated (or partially hydrogenated) oils...things like crackers, pretzels, cake mixes, microwave popcorn, pizza, etc. Any oil that is hydrogenated, or partially hydrogenated, is
a trans-fat and should be avoided at all cost!
Anything you’re
eating, if the box, bag, jar, or package says “0 Trans Fats!” check the Ingredients list; look for
the oils…Big Food is sneaky, when it comes to disclosing whether or not the
oils in foods are hydrogenated/partially hydrogenated. If there’s any oil in
the processed food you’re eating, it’s most likely a Trans-fat.
Within the past 30 years or so, the amount of calories we’ve
consumed from fats has fallen to around 30%, while obesity has doubled; and
heart disease remains this country’s number one killer.
I can't stress this enough...our bodies need
saturated fats to function properly; as previously mentioned in Dr.
Pearlmutter’s video, saturated fats are good for cognitive brain function; saturated fats also keep us at a healthier weight.
The more we limit fats from our daily nutrient intake, the more people end up with heart disease, diabetes, cancer, obesity, and a host of other health concerns....but that's good business for Big Pharma, because they've got a pill for every ailment our bodies develop!
Here are some more benefits to eating saturated fats:
- Saturated fat encourages the liver cells to dump their fat cells, which helps the liver to function more effectively. It has also been shown to protect the liver from alcohol and medications, including acetaminophen and other drugs commonly used for pain and arthritis.
- Saturated fatty acids, especially the kinds found in butter and coconut, help white blood cells to recognize and destroy invading viruses and bacteria.
- Saturated fat is required for calcium to be effectively incorporated into our bones.
- In order for our lungs to function properly, the air spaces have to be coated with a thin layer of something called “lung surfactant”; 100% of this surfactant is saturated fatty acids.
- A diet that limits saturated fatty acid intake robs the brain of the ability to function properly; the human brain is made up of fat and cholesterol, and the majority to fats in the brain are saturated.
- Limited amounts of saturated fats, in your daily diet, also limit your body’s ability to fight off viruses, bacteria and fungi; our immune systems rely on saturated fatty acids to keep the T-cells (white blood cells) in working order.
But, not all saturated fats are equal…dairy, eggs, and meat
all have saturated fats in them; but so do nuts and seeds. If you’re an
omnivore, you’ll want to buy grass-fed dairy and meats; and only eat eggs that
are laid by backyard (free-range, cage-free) hens. this way, you'll be getting the most nutrient-dense animal products.
The lion’s share of eggs we buy, at the grocery
store, come from factory farmed hens. Imagine stuffing 25 live chickens into a shopping cart,
cutting their beaks off, and only cleaning their “cage” once a year. Their eggs
are nutrient deficient, high in cholesterol, and candidates for E. coli,
Salmonella and Campylobacter which are found in the hens,
themselves. I don’t know about you, but I think I’ll pass on the store-bought
eggs!
The same with factory farmed meats…they're all nutrient deficient, and disease-prone.
You’ll be better off buying free-range, grass-fed, organic meats and dairy
products.
Grass-fed meats are higher in Omega-3s, which are considered “good
fats”; the folks at eatWILD.com discuss the health benefits of eating grass-fed
meat, eggs and dairy on their website. In the left hand corner, you’ll
find a link titled “Shop for Local Grassfed Meat, Eggs and Dairy”, which will
lead you to a clickable map where you can find local farms to buy your
grass-fed products.
If you choose to be vegetarian or vegan, a great way to get
an adequate amount of good fats into your diet is by eating nuts and seeds; the
VeganHealth.org website has a couple of very good tables, listing the different plant-based
foods that are rich in SFAs (saturated fatty acids), MUFAs (monounsaturated
fatty acids) and PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids). However, it is important
to remember that too much fat is a bad thing, even when it comes from healthy
sources; so make sure to incorporate tons of fruits, veggies, beans, and
legumes with your nuts and seeds. And always buy organic, and non-GMO, when you
can!
So, go ahead and enjoy food; eat an abundance of healthy foods....omitting the unhealthy foods, altogether.
And have a blessed day!!
