The Truth about Fat, Part 2

Now that we've talked about different kinds of fat, how do we know which kinds to eat and which kinds are good or not good?

I know in some ways it seems crazy to eat more fat, especially if you typically try to eat a low fat diet. I know for myself, the more fat I eat, the fuller I am, meaning overall, I probably eat less than I would if I ate low-fat. Plus, hopefully you read about the benefits your body gets from fat. There are cultures all over the world that eat lots of good fat and are very healthy people. They don't have processed food like we do in America and their health is overall tons better than ours! I've read research (well, OK, only the summaries of research) where doctors say that increasing saturated fat in the diets of their patients improved their overall health, and allowed them to lose weight.

This is not to say if you suddenly decide to drink a jar of olive oil every day you'll suddenly be healthier. Eating the right kinds of fat as well as reducing sugar and refined carbs are important. Also, not all "good fats" are created equally. Cold-pressed oils are better becasue the process doesn't damage the fat and our bodies cannot easily metabolize damaged fat.

So maybe try a few new things, like cooking in butter or coconut oil, saturated fats that are good for cooking. I used to use olive oil almost entirely for cooking but because it is a monounsaturated fat, it is not as preferable to use for heating, especially on a high heat. Now I mostly use olive oil as part of my salad dressing but I do occasionally cook with it or roast vegetables with it. I'm also experimenting with palm oil, a good saturated fat and baking with coconut oil. Other good saturated fats are cream, eggs, meat, and cheese. I havent' posted yet about the kinds of these that are best yet but that's too much for now. Can I just say I love putting butter and cream on my oatmeal...had it this morning! Yummy!

Some monounsaturated fats to try...do you like avocados? My family loves them and they are so filling and delicious. Try them along with a hamburger or on a salad. I give them a sprinkle of sea salt and eat them out of the shell. There are lots of oils I've never tried like almond oil and grapeseed oil but maybe they sound good to you?

Now, the polyunsaturated fats. These again are not used for cooking and many of them do not sound tempting to me like salmon oil, chia seed oil, hemp seed oil and wheat germ oil. I really would have no idea what to do with such things! My family does daily take cod liver oil, right off the spoon. Both my kids, under the age of 3, love it! We buy Carlson Lemon flavored Icelandic cod liver oil and it is such a great supplement with all the benefits of omega-3's. I know it sounds disgusting but it's not so bad. Now, the non-lemon flavor...I can't deal with that one (and I tried) so don't try to be a hero, unless you really want to. I also use flaxseed oil when I make smoothies. I can't drink that one alone either but mixed with something stronger, I can't even taste it at all. I know I listed oils such as safflower, corn, sunflower, and soybean as sources of polyunsaturated fat but they are very high in Omega-6's and are a great source of what leads our diets to a bad balance. All processed foods have these in some form and even organic processed foods don't use the best oil, even if they are organic. So limit those kind of vegetable oils when possible.

Animal products, free range eggs, wild fish, nuts and seeds are all great sources of healthy fat. Maybe you want to try having fish once a week? Or mixing some almonds and sunflower seeds with some chocolate chips or cranberries (hey, I'll give you a break to have something sweet!) Or maybe you'll switch to butter from the horrible substitutes that are out there (more on next post).

Are these oils more expensive? Well, yes, of course, like all things that are good for us. So again, go slow. Pick one thing that sounds good and try it. If you like it, then switch one more. That's the best way to make a positive and consistent change.

Please read the next post about the kind of fat to avoid as much as possible! But I'll leave you with a smoothie recipe from Jordan Rubin. I use this as my base and then change out the fruit or make different flavors. It makes a great breakfast! And full of good fat!

Basic Smoothie Recipe

Mix in a blender:
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt, kefir, or coconut milk or coconut water (yogurt and coconut milk are a personal favorite)
1 tsp. organic flax seed oil
1tsp. organic extra-virgin coconut oil
1 Tbsp. raw honey
1 cup fresh or frozen fruit, pref. local or organic (I like using frozen, makes it icier)
1 scoop goat's milk protein powder (a product of Jordan Rubin, but you could omit this)
dash of vanilla extract (optional)
1 raw egg (optional but gives protein and good fat!)