Today let’s talk Fat vs. Sugar.
I was a little girl when I began to hear people say things like…
- “Low fat is the way to go. We should only eat #?# fat grams per day.” (I can’t remember the exact number. I just remember faithfully counting my fat grams daily as a teen.)
- “A bacon cheeseburger? That’s a heart attack on a plate.”
- “Butter?! Butter is terrible for you! We only eat margarine.”
- “No beef. Just chicken. White meat. Skinless.”
I remember vividly when my mom started following a low-fat diet. I joined her because I was a teenage girl who most certainly didn’t want to get fat by eating fat. I remember hating my fat free turkey breast on low fat bread with fat free mayonnaise. But I ate those sandwiches faithfully for lunches because I was convinced that was the “healthy” way to go.
Oh my gag-ness. I can still imagine the taste of fat free mayo and it makes me turn green. What was in that stuff?
It’s funny (not funny) to me that I actually thought I needed to sacrifice good tasting food in order to be healthy. What a sad mis-conception.
I remember snacking on baked, fat free chips (aka salted cardboard).
I didn’t even like them, but seeing as I was into eating healthy…I made the sacrifice.
That was over three decades ago. I’d like to think we are making progress toward getting away from these untruths about what is actually healthy or unhealthy about our food.
I’m grateful to see that at least the coconut oil trend has caught on. But I still frequently hear people talk about fat as if it is the enemy. I’m determined to educate people about this.
A New Generation of Fat Eaters? Maybe?
Justus, my 16-year old, doesn’t get why people get freaked out about fat. He’s been eating the “real food” way since he was 6 – so fat isn’t scary to him. He knows what it means to eat food our bodies recognize, and he definitely knows that the real food at our house tastes great (atta boy). Recently he was talking about a conversation with friends. He had been telling them about his “mom’s homemade french fries” and they were like, “What? You eat french fries? At your house? I thought you only ate healthy food!” And he was like, “Ummm. Yeahhh???”
Friends of Asa, our oldest son, watched as he salted his food liberally in the college cafeteria. We chuckled when we heard his friends’ conclusion that, “He’s probably doing that because he’s used to eating bland, healthy food at his house.” Hahahaha! Please pass the sea salt and slather on the butter and watch me eat the crispy, flavorful skin of a chicken. Real food tastes so amazing I don’t even know where to begin.
I suppose I could begin by comparing it to that Fat-Free Mayo. Gag me.
Well anyway.
So not everyone is there yet. There is still a lot of confusion as to what actually is good and healthy. Since we have believed (and taught our children) for several decades that fat is bad, I believe it will take a few more decades to undo the damage and re-educate people about whole foods and nourishment.
Good Fat is Good
I’ve done extensive research on the subject of fat. I didn’t jump aboard the “fat is good” train just because I heard someone say it once or because I “read an article somewhere.” After all, I was riding the “fat is bad” train for many years, so getting on a different train was a little bit hard for me. Real butter? Are you sure I should it eat?? Beef? I don’t know. Bacon? Well now you’re pushing it. I really don’t want to get fat. I’m not sure I can eat this stuff.
So I read and I researched and I found sources and I asked questions. (Some of my favorite sources include Weston Price Foundation and Dr. Mercola. Note that this article I found in my research quotes 73 different sources. These people are thorough!)
I looked in depth into the history of food trends and the health problems that came with them. The results of my research tell a story that is almost completely upside-down compared to what I had heard about fat. (Ironically, I’d never researched the low-fat thing when I started eating a low-fat diet. I just went with what I heard and stuck with it for years. Not smart.)
The truth is that the instances of heart disease and obesity did not rise until after the low-fat trend began. Alternatively, as people started cutting the fat, many started consuming much larger quantities of sugar and refined carbohydrates.
Fast food replaced home-cooked meals. Fruits and vegetables took a back seat (or didn’t even get a seat at all). Donuts and poptarts and sugary cereal became a morning standard. White bread and chips filled the lunch boxes.
Ultimately, we forgot to give our bodies nourishment.
Occurrences of destructive health conditions soared. We blamed the fat.
I actually thought jelly beans were healthy because they were fat free.
Avocados, though. I stayed away from those high-fat things. What???
Let us all rejoice that I actually started reading the facts and using logic.
So fat vs. sugar?
Refined sugar doesn’t nourish. It’s fun and it’s tasty but what does it offer the body so that it will thrive? On the contrary, when we eat it, our bodies have to work very hard to find something to do with it. When it finds little to no useful nutrients, it calls in the reserves, depleting us and killing our immune system. Then often, whatever can’t be used gets tucked away in storage (aka, it turns to fat).
Some would tell you to never eat refined sugar. I say: be informed and use wisdom. Treats are fun. But keep ’em treats. ;)
Shall we go crazy with the fat then?
Our bodies are smart. If we listen, they tell us what we need, what to eat, and when to stop. Your body doesn’t want you to eat an entire stick of butter in one sitting just because it’s good for you. But your body probably won’t mind if you eat a nice thick pat of it on your veggies knowing that it adds great nutrients and amazing flavor.
It’s important to remember that we need to eat food in balance. I don’t think we need to go overboard – keeping track of what we eat when and how much and what time and with what. When I say “eat food in balance” I mean that when we eat a variety of wholesome foods, we will naturally be eating the right blend of nutrients and getting the right amount of naturally occurring fats, sugars, proteins, vitamins, etc.
All food comes perfectly packaged with a lovely blend of nutrients. Some food is naturally fat free and high in natural sugar. (Have you met my friend the strawberry?) Some food is naturally high in fat and tastes amazing with a strawberry. (Cream, meet Strawberry. Be my BFF.)
We eat a lot of fat in our house, but it’s all balanced with many other high-nutrient foods that work together to nourish.
Fats to Avoid
There are certainly fats I stay far away from. Some fats are manufactured and our bodies cannot use them for nourishment. When considering which fats to focus on and which to avoid – remember that we’re going for nourishment, helping our bodies thrive on food that offers cells something to work with, not fight against.
This article on fats says it all much better than I can, so do go read it. In summary:
- Hydrogenated Oils cannot be digested and utilized in our bodies.
- Soybean oil, canola oil, and most vegetable oils aren’t great for many reasons. What most resonates with me is that they go rancid very, very quickly and can turn into trans fats when heated.
- Margarine didn’t even make this list of fats, so I’m going to take that to mean it doesn’t count as food, the end.
Fats that Nourish
Obviously, not every person can tolerate every food or fat. But these are the fats that should be considered for nourishment. (Again, details here.)
- Coconut Oil
- Real Butter
- Palm Oil
- Olive Oil (at room temp)
- Animal Fat from Meat, Eggs, and Dairy
- Natural occurring fat in nuts, avocados, and seeds
Why We Need Good Fats
Fats carry vitamins and minerals to our cells. Fats give us energy. Fats help us fight depression. Fats help us concentrate. Fats satisfy and keep us from excessive hunger. Fats help us maintain a healthy weight. Who knew? Fat doesn’t make you fat.
Always Consider: What Nourishes?
To feel your best, focus on eating food that nourishes. Our bodies need food that feeds the cells with what they can absorb and utilize.
Obviously, there is so much more that goes with optimal health (exercise, hydrating, so much more). But when it comes to food choices – we must choose real food that nourishes.
Weigh In
I’d love to hear what you learned about fat while you were growing up. How has that affected the way you eat now? What is your current status in the fat vs. sugar debate?
How do you know when canola oil is rancid? I buy Spectrum canola oil. It’s organic and non-GMO. I’ve smelled oil that smells “off” and I assume that’s rancid. Spectrum canola has never had that strange smell to me.
So how can I tell if it’s rancid?
You have to scroll down pretty far on this article to find the info on canola oil (http://www.westonaprice.org/know-your-fats/the-skinny-on-fats/#composition) but that explains it very well. I’m not sure you can tell if it’s rancid, it seems that because of its high sulphur content it goes rancid easily – maybe before it even hits the shelves? The article explains that canola is made from rape seed, which is not intended for human consumption. Tricky stuff, this oil thing. Especially since we heard for years that canola oil was a health option!
Here’s canola info from Spectrum Organics website:
Canola oil, one of the fastest-growing oils in the North American marketplace, is known to be nutritionally sound. Recently, however, outrageously inaccurate articles, letters and emails have appeared portraying canola oil as toxic and the cause of a host of diseases including glaucoma, emphysema, anemia, and even Mad Cow. While the misinformation does seem way beyond belief, this ‘canola scare’ has raised concerns among some consumers. So what is the truth about canola oil?The Truth About Canola In reality, canola oil has been extensively researched and is known within the established scientific community as a nutritious oil. No sound scientific study has ever proven a connection between canola and any disease. Early studies did seem to suggest a possible link between canola oil and toxicity in rats. But further research confirmed that rats, which subsist primarily on grains and vegetables, do not metabolize any oil well, and therefore do not make good lipid research subjects. Unfortunately the flawed studies continue to be cited in error.And while canola oil has been singled out as having toxic properties, in truth any edible oil can be made nutritionally bankrupt, and even transformed into poison, depending on the techniques used for processing. For instance, flaxseed oil, typically used as a nutritional supplement for its high Omega-3 Fatty Acid content, can be converted via certain processing methods into linseed oil, used in paint applications.Among the misinformation currently circulating is the notion that due to toxicity, insects won’t eat canola plants. Actually, canola is susceptible to numerous pests that thrive in temperate climate zones, so it is grown only in regions that experience extended periods of freezing.Spectrum’s canola seed is grown exclusively in Canada and the northern USA. As with any other oil, the available nutritional benefit in a bottle of canola oil depends on several factors including seed selection, processing and proper usage. Read on to find out why Spectrum considers canola oil to be one of the best oils—and best values—around.What is Canola? Canola, also known as Low Erucic Acid Rapeseed, was developed in the 1970s from mustard rape, a member of the mustard family. Oil seed from mustard rape, usually called rapeseed, has been in use for more than three thousand years. The Canadian government coined the term ‘canola’ (for ‘Canada Oil’) due to the negative association of the word ‘rapeseed.’Canola today has very different fatty acid composition and flavor than rapeseed. It has been hybridized from rapeseed to yield a good all purpose cooking oil with a high monounsaturated fat content similar to olive oil, a low saturated fat content, a very low level of erucic acid for neutral flavor, and good shelf stability to discourage rancidity.Not All Canola is Created Equal Since the canola scare is an urban legend and the scientific community endorses canola oil, will any bottle do? The answer is no. Two canola oils sitting side by side on the shelf may have arrived there in very different ways. Here we will illustrate by examining different approaches to three steps in the production of canola oil: seed selection, extraction and processing.SEED SELECTION: Genetically Engineered vs. Naturally Hybridized A prevalent canola myth involves the supposed role of genetic engineering in its development. Extensively used beginning in the 1990s, genetic engineering involves actual gene manipulation—inserting genes from a different plant (or even species) into host cell nuclei.Canola predates genetic engineering by two decades and was originally developed through a very different process, hybridization. Practiced for centuries and perfected by Luther Burbank in the 1920s, hybridization is a natural, iterative process where plants are selected for certain desired characteristics, then bred to produce a new crop that displays those attributes in greater abundance.Unfortunately, today genetic engineering is becoming widely practiced on some plants and canola has quickly become one of the most genetically altered crops. Experts estimate that fifty-five percent of the 2000 North American canola crop was genetically engineered. This means that consumers who want to avoid genetically engineered (GE) products need to take special care in choosing canola oil.Spectrum uses no GE canola whatsoever. Prior to use, we test all Spectrum canola seed and oil at a third party lab, which verifies non-GE status through sensitive DNA analysis. Because organic certification agencies prohibit GEs, Spectrum Naturals Organic Canola Oil is by definition non-GE, but we test its seed and oil to eliminate the small (but growing) possibility of wind drift contamination from GE fields.EXTRACTION: Hexane Extracted vs. Expeller Pressed Mass market oils are typically extracted from seed using a petroleum product called hexane. Conventional manufacturers like hexane because it is highly efficient, pulling almost 100% of the oil from seed. Because hexane evaporates during processing, the FDA does not require it to be declared on the label. But some consumers are concerned about potential chemical residues, and hexane is notoriously harmful to the environment. Natural oils, including Spectrum Naturals, are crushed from seed using the hydraulic action of an expeller press. Expeller pressing yields less oil than chemical extraction, usually about 50-70% of the oil, so expeller pressed oils are usually more expensive than conventionally processed oils. They are also much kinder to the environment.PROCESSING: Use vs. Nonuse of Chemical Preservatives Most cooking oils are processed to produce a more neutral taste profile and to remove naturally occurring substances that if allowed to remain would cause the oil to foam, pop or smoke when subjected to heat. Unfortunately, mass produced oils are further processed to extend shelf life by adding carcinogenic antioxidants such as BHT, BHA and TBHQ. In constrast, chemical preservatives are never added to Spectrum Naturals oils.When to Choose Canola Oil Every oil has a smoke point, the temperature at which it begins to smoke. Oil should never be allowed to smoke as it compromises nutritional value and releases carcinogenic free radicals. High monounsaturate oils such as canola are a good all-purpose choice because they can generally take higher heat than polyunsaturated oils like safflower, sunflower and soybean.Extra virgin olive oil and canola oil make great partners in the kitchen. Because the rich flavor in extra virgin olive oil dissipates when sustained heat is applied, save this more expensive oil for salad dressings, light sautés and for use as a condiment. Canola oil has a similar fatty acid profile to olive oil and is a great value. Choose Spectrum Naturals Canola Oil or Organic Canola Oil when you need a neutral flavored cooking oil for use up to medium high heat (375°F). For higher heat up to 450°F, select Spectrum Naturals High Heat Canola for its extra high monounsaturate content and super high heat tolerance.
Thanks for the article and info!
When I was growing up a typical dinner would be boxed scalloped potatoes with spam. canned veggie and fruit that was in heavy syrup and white bread with margarine. Today, I would make fried chicken in palm shortening, baked potatoes, and frozen veggie. Fresh or frozen fruit. Just starting to eat healthy and research different food. Right now I am in the middle of researching sugars. Next up healthy oils. I wish I knew this when I was in my 20 or 30. Now that I am in my early 40. Eating and being healthy is a top priority for me.
Sounds like you’re on the right track!
Last night I watched fork over knives on Netflix. This morning I wake up to your article on healthy fats. Have you seen the documentary? I’m so confused and frustrated with the science behind nutrition, as it seems there is no solid groud. I’d just like to find the diet that really helps my family be healthy and prevent disease.
Yes, I’ve seen that one but I can’t remember what it focuses on eating and not eating. (I’ve seen several documentaries, some I agree with and some I don’t.)
When I feel overwhelmed and confused with all the conflicting information, I remember my simple focus: to eat real food. Not every health professional is going to come to the same conclusion after research, so some will say not to eat dairy, some will say not to eat meat, etc, etc.
For me, I just eat. We try to eat real food in its whole form as much as possible. This keeps food simple, which I love. :)
I cringe when I think about the years I was first married when I only bought margarine because it was “healthier.” So thankful to be much more informed now as I happily cook with butter and coconut oil! My question is regarding olive oil. You said that it’s a healthy fat at room temperature. I know there are conflicting points of view out there on this, but in the research I have done it seems to me that frying up veggies in olive oil is a better choice than, say, vegetable or canola oil. Is there reading you have done that has led you to conclude that it’s not stable at high temperatures?
Yes, frying veggies in olive oil is by far better than vegetable or canola. I’ve read some articles that say to never heat olive oil, but I also found one that says that as long as it isn’t heated over 400° it’s fine. I mostly use olive oil for salad dressings ( room temp) but I do stir-fry veggies in it, taking care not to turn it up too hot. This article says it is okay to heat at moderate temps: http://www.westonaprice.org/know-your-fats/the-skinny-on-fats/#composition
I can completely relate to your experience as a kid. I was in a low-fat family, and I was super picky. My only “vegetable” was corn, and my only fruit was apple. Talk about lack of nourishment! Low-fat and low-calorie meant that I could eat some canned chicken on low-fat white bread with fat-free mayo and then finish it off with three low-fat Hostess cupcakes. Yikes! I cringe when I think about it now. I have a lot of physical ailments as a 30-something-year-old, and I can’t help but wonder how much of it is because of my very poor nutrition when I was growing up. I so wish I could go back and change it, but at least I have seen the light now and eat much healthier. I actually like fruits and vegetables now and feel noticeably yucky if I don’t get enough of them. I love my avocado toast in the morning! And I’m as obsessed with the beautiful strawberries right now as you are! I stock up every time I go to the store lately. Yum!!!
Our stories are so similar! Like you, the only fruit I ate as a kid was an apple – with the skin OFF! ;)
You’re spot on about our bodies needing HEALTHY fats. I always felt something wasn’t quite right about the “low fat” or “no fat”, but still bought margarine and “low fat” items anyway. It wasn’t until we happened to be talking to our doctor about my father-in-law’s diabetes and heart health that he recommended reading “The Schwarzbein Principle” by Dianna Schwarzbein, MD. She’s an endocrinologist and explains in detail and in laymen’s terms how your body metabolizes fats, carbs and proteins. She explains how good fats CAN NOT make you fat because they don’t stimulate insulin release, and how our bodies need natural cholesterol (from foods like eggs, red meat, butter, avocados, nuts etc.) for healthy cells. She also explains the difference between good and bad fats, and the effect sugar, processed foods, stimulants (like caffeine), OTC drugs, etc. have on our bodies. It’s a great reference!
I love that your doctor is telling you these things! Such good information, which isn’t always shared by health care professionals. I’ll have to look into that book.
Laura – What a great overview of sugar versus fat. Thanks!
I thought I was addicted to sugar when I went on my first Whole 30 (anti-inflammation eating plan) last summer. In fact I was shocked to have no sugar cravings when I went off all sweeteners “cold turkey.” I also eliminated all grains, legumes and dairy overnight (per the program guidelines), and had NO CRAVINGS. I was astounded. One of the things I added to my eating was Ghee (which not everyone can tolerate, but it does avoid most dairy sensitivities) as well as LOTS of coconut oil, since I had dramatically changed what I was cooking/eating (basically moderate amounts of meats and lots of vegetables – especially starchy ones like squash, with some fruit for my “sweet treat.” )
I had no cravings or thoughts of being deprived – until I ran out of coconut oil after 3 weeks. I suddenly started thinking about brownies and cookies and homemade chocolate cake… And I realized – I only wanted those things because they were sources of FATS, not because of the sugar. We had eliminated all the “standard” oils years ago and only had butter, olive oil, palm oil, coconut oil, and some small bottles of nut and seed oils in the house. Even though we had the right choices and used them all the time, I simply wasn’t consuming ENOUGH healthy fats and therefore craved these “sugary” treats (whether they were homemade or not, to tell the truth). Daily! When I started eating enough healthy fat with my meals, those cravings disappeared – overnight. It probably doesn’t work this way for everyone, but it did for me.
To conclude a very long story – I stayed on my original Whole 30, replaced my coconut oil ASAP, and as soon as I started eating it again, the cravings and thoughts of forbidden sweet treats vanished again. For MONTHS. For the record, I did 6 “Whole 30″s in a row (because I felt so much better without eating the things I had eliminated) and lost 51 pounds – on a high fat diet. Weight loss was not even my goal, feeling better from autoimmune symptoms was my goal. It was certainly a welcome surprise to have my symptoms under control (within the first few DAYS) plus to find I was losing 7-8 lbs a month. I am still mostly eating the way I did during the Whole 30, but with occasional paleo treats added.
VERY interesting to hear your story. I’m so glad you shared! It’s amazing how our bodies respond when we’re giving it good fats. :)
Great article… as usual. I had the same experience as you did as a kid/youth. My dad had read the T-factor diet and we cut out all fats. I agree with you on the fat-free mayo… yuck! Fat-free salad dressings RUIN a good salad! We’ve been following your blog for a year or so now and we love eating at home again. Butter on everything… well, many things anyway! Add sea salt and enjoy! Who knew salad could be so good with homemade dressings? Our eyes have been opened and we are thrilled. Now, if only I could lick that pop habit! (Sorry, still haven’t gotten it done!)
You know I completely understand the difficulty of kicking the pop habit, so no judgement here. You’ll get there!
I completely follow your same eating habits. One thing I am curious about is draining the fat when cooking ground meat, such as for casseroles, tacos, lasagne, etc.- should we or should we not do that?
I never have to drain any fat off ground meat so I always forget to mention that in my recipes! If you DO have grease to drain, I say leave in a little (to help the meal taste better!), but drain off whatever will make the dish oily or greasy. Whatever your family likes!
Right on, Laura! I completely agree with your conclusions about fat vs. sugar. I LOVE my butter, and friends always look at me incredulously when I open my refrigerator and they see dozens of sticks of butter in there (organic, raw, from grass-fed cows, of course!). I always say, “It takes fat to burn fat!” My own experience bears that out. I am a normal, healthy weight, and I have all the energy I want without any aches and pains. I eat plenty of good fat– avocados, grass fed beef, eggs from pasture -raised chickens, raw nuts, etc. I make my own full-fat mayo with avocado oil and healthy eggs–it’s super-easy with a stick blender, and has no preservatives in it. Talk about delicious taste! I also use lots of Ghee, especially in my Bullet-Proof coffee first thing in the morning. When you give your body real nutrients that provide long-lasting energy, you can go a whole morning without even feeling hunger until the lunch hour. Ghee is also great for frying food if you like to do that. It has one of the highest flash points of any cooking oil (485 degrees), so you don’t get all the free radicals and oxidized molecules like you do with other oils. Also, all the milk solids have been removed from Ghee, so even people who are lactose intolerant can use it, and because there are no milk solids, it doesn’t burn, either. It’s also one of the highest natural sources of CLA, which our bodies need. I get mine from Amazon in big 32-oz jars. I really like the Ancient Organics brand from grass-fed and pastured cows. When cows are allowed to eat their preferred natural diet (healthy grass rather than being force-fed grains), the composition of their milk and butter is completely different. So much to learn about health and wholeness! I never want to stop : ) Thanks for opening up a very important topic!
I’m not sure why I haven’t tried ghee. I need to!
Great post, very good info! I just turned 42, and I clearly remember the low-fat craze from my teen years. Oh, my goodness…the market exploded with low-fat products and treats. One thing I noticed, was that no matter how many Snackwell low-fat cookies I ate, I was never satisfied. Now, I know that was because the fat was missing!
I remember this diet craze during that time called ‘the heart patient diet’. The mainstay of that diet was something called ‘skinny soup’, which was made from tomato juice, cabbage and some other veggies. There was no fat in the diet, and supposedly one would never be hungry because they could have as much of the ‘skinny soup’ as they wanted. I knew a couple of ladies who were on that diet for a couple of weeks and started getting shaky spells and feeling weak and faint. Crazy!
In the past couple of years, I’ve slowly changed my family over to eating real foods. We do well, but canola oil is what we mainly use. We use EV Olive Oil for salad dressings and stir fries. We use butter for bread, veggies, etc. When I need an oil to bake with though, I still use canola. My husband also fries his eggs in canola oil.
Laura, what would you say the best oil to bake with would be (cakes, muffins, etc.)? What about the best oil for frying?
Thanks.
Angie
Coconut oil is best for baking, hands down. Just melt the amount you need and stir it in like you would canola. It makes baked goods taste amazing! I use palm shortening for frying and love it!
Does coconut oil impart a coconut flavor to the food? I don’t like coconut, so I’ve been scared to try it, even though I know it’s so good for you.
Depends what kind you buy, “virgin” tastes like coconut, “refined” does not. I personally love the taste of coconut, and use virgin oil in any baked it pairs well with, chocolate, coconut, carrot, etc. Though honestly, I feel it adds a subtle sweetness, so while I use it in my zucchini lemon muffins, they don’t taste like coconut. Refined is good for popcorn, anything with pumpkin and anything else that won’t pair well with coconut.
Laura,
How do you feel about grapeseed oil? I am hearing a lot about it lately.
I’d never really looked into it, but came across this: https://authoritynutrition.com/grape-seed-oil/ which I found helpful!
Good to know… Thank you!
Thank you so very much for all this information. I grew up on a dairy farm and enjoyed whole milk, homemade ice cream :) occasionally with the cream, and veggies from the garden. But I went along with the fat-free items as you mentioned, years later. Even now, after reading your thoughts, I feel a bit like I’m only in kindergarten when it comes to understanding the real foods you brought to our attention. I greatly appreciate your research. You can me sure I am going to be doing some immediate changes.
Laura,
I think you would like the book The Big Fat Surprise; Why Butter, Meat and Cheese belong in a Healthy Diet by Nina Teicholz. She is an investigative reporter and explains where the no fat craze came from.
This is a fascinating history of what you are talking about here:
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/apr/07/the-sugar-conspiracy-robert-lustig-john-yudkin
I love your blog- and recipes!