We hear it all the time , fat is BAD for you! Drink skim milk instead of whole. Get fat-free yogurt instead of full-fat. Have an egg white omelet. Trim the fat off your meat and remove the skin before you eat it!
But is this really the best advice? Here are the real facts about fat… It’s important to understand that eating fat does not make us fat.
If you’re looking for the shady criminal to blame, look no further than the processed carbs, sugar, and H.F.C.S ( HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP) that find their way into almost everything we eat.
Plain and simple: eating SUGAR makes us fat.
Now it’s definitely important to not overeat on your healthy fats, as too much of anything will have an impact on your waistline.
Please keep in mind that the key words are healthy fats.
Healthy fats include things like coconut oil, olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds, grass-fed butter and ghee, animal fats (duck, beef, pork), Omega 3’s (found in fish), etc.
The “bad” kinds of fat you want to stay away from are trans-fats.
Most trans fats that people eat have been cooked up in a laboratory kitchen where scientists “hydrogenate” certain oils so they have a longer shelf life. Trans fats are found in a LOT of packaged foods like baked goods, donuts, pie crusts, cookies, crackers, margarine, and a lot of fried foods.
Basically look at your labels and if you see anything labeled “partially hydrogenated” or “hydrogenated” get rid of it fast.
In addition to trans fats, you also want to stay away from refined oils that tend to be high in Omega-6’s (which throw off the ideal Omega-3's to Omega-6's balance) like peanut oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, soybean oil, and corn oil.
Not that you know what kinds of fat NOT to eat, let’s talk about why the right kinds of fat are GREAT for your body.
Healthy fats are incredible for your body. They are important for:
Making hormones Brain health Energy levels
Supporting your thyroid Strengthening your bones Strengthening your immune system Reducing your risk for Cancer
And the list goes on….
If you’re thinking that eating more healthy fats will increase your cholesterol and put you at an increased risk for heart disease, get ready for these facts:
* “No study to date has adequately shown any significant link between dietary and serum cholesterol levels or any significant causative link between cholesterol and actual heart disease” – Nora Gedgaudas, Primal Body Primal Mind (pg. 80)
- About half of people admitted to hospitals with heart disease have normal cholesterol
I encourage you NOT to take my word for it, but to do your own research and explore the links above.
You’ll be blown away by what you find and also by the myths that will be shattered when you read the science.
The great news is... that grass-fed beef, real butter, and bacon (all in moderation, of course) are back on the menu! But as always, I encourage you to do your own research on the subject!
