Healthy Fats

Throughout history, healthy fats (also known as natural fats) were enjoyed in the diet because people understood they were necessary for optimal health.

In the last 50-60 years, however, this understanding changed in a very big way. It was during this time that un-natural fats (including man-made vegetable oils and margarines) became available. To this day, dietary fat is very much misunderstood as numerous people in the lay and medical community seem to believe that:

fatty foods raise cholesterol and heart disease risk

foods high in saturated fats cause heart disease

healthy diets must be low fat

animal fats, including butter, are bad for you

vegetable oils are good for you

eating fat causes weight gain

avocados

Research has shown that good natural fats do not cause health problems. Quite the contrary, healthy fat is very much needed in the body. Fat provides energy and insulation, and it is used to make cell membranes, hormones and decrease inflammation. Certain fats, (the omega-3s) can also protect you from cancer and help to increase your levels of good cholesterol.

Natural fats are also required by the digestive system: they help you absorb certain vitamins, mainly the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.

If you eat foods that contain these vitamins without any healthy fat, you will not absorb the nutrients well, if at all. On the other hand, if you sauté your dark leafy greens in a little coconut oil, organic butter, or olive oil, you will be better able to absorb the vitamin K it contains (an unrelated note- if you add some vinegar to those greens you will be able to best absorb the minerals they contain, as well!).

Low-fat diets typically do not contain enough healthy fats to sustain health and people who follow them long-term often end up with problems. Due to genetics, some people need more fat than others: if your ancestors were coastal or island dwellers, you have an even greater need for healthy fats because your ancestors ate a largely fish-based diet.

Even if you do nothing else in terms of changing your diet, you should make an effort to eat natural fats and avoid the un-natural processed ones- this can make a dramatic difference in your health.

coconut oil

How Do You Know Which Fats Are Healthy?

The best fats to eat are a combination of omega-3 EFAs, natural saturated fats such as organic butter and coconut oil, and the following fats:

Avocados- high in omega-9 (a monounsaturated fat)

Nuts and seeds, preferably soaked, and their oils including macadamia and walnut oils

Cream from grass fed cows (raw if possible)

Flax oil (very unstable so keep refrigerated and do not heat)

Extra-virgin olive oil- high in omega-9 (a monounsaturated fat)

Fats from pastured animals: lard, duck fat, etc.- these fats are often called saturated, but they are actually monounsaturated and are said to lower LDL and leave HDL alone

You may also want to take some healthy oils in supplemental form: good choices are krill oil, cod liver oil, and/or fish oil, as these are all high in omega-3 fats of which most people do not get nearly enough in the diet.

Unhealthy Fats To Avoid

Polyunsaturated vegetable oils including soybean, corn, canola and safflower do not make healthy cooking oils- they are unstable and are easily damaged by heat. They lower HDL and may contribute to cancer. Fats like soy and corn oil are found everywhere in processed foods but the others are found in numerous products marketed as health foods. Make sure to read labels and avoid them whenever possible.

Hydrogenated fats/trans-fats (margarine, “partially hydrogenated” oils, fried foods) are very unnatural fats your body cannot process or digest. These are terribly for health and can cause increased blood sugar, LDL (bad cholesterol levels), and blood pressure as well as illnesses including ADHD, heart disease, and cancer.

While sesame, peanut, and grapeseed oils are not dangerous, they contain a lots of omega-6s. Because most people already get enough omega-6s in their diet, you should limit these as much as possible, and focus on getting more of the omega 3's.