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Fat vs. Sugar. Which is the True Enemy?

April 6, 2016 by Laura 32 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

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.

coconut_oil

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.

jelly-beans_fyb6Xwtu

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. ;)

butter

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?

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Coconut Oil: Why it is Good For You and Where to Buy it

July 15, 2014 by Laura 134 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Why Coconut Oil is Good For You

I’m often talking about coconut oil around here.  I use it for baking. I use it on our skin. My favorite lotion bar is made from coconut oil. I highly encourage eating coconut oil and letting coconut oil help heal your system!

Today I’d like to answer a couple of frequently asked Coconut Oil questions…

Why is coconut oil good for you?

Coconut Oil is a saturated fat…something we’re told today to stay away from. My research has taught me to disagree with this. I’m not afraid of saturated fats. Please read this well written and well researched article, which explains saturated fats and coconut oil way better than I ever could!

Coconut Oil:  Why it is Good For You

Coconut oil is a stable fat, which means that it doesn’t go rancid easily like unsaturated fats do. (Unsaturated fats, like canola and vegetable oils, go rancid within just a few hours of being produced. This means that they are already rancid by the time they make it to grocery store shelves.)  Those living in tropical climates, consuming large amounts of coconut oil have low rates of heart desease, cancer and colon problems. Coconut Oil can actually help you lose weight and fight infections. It is anti-fungal. It has the ability to keep your thyroid healthy.

Where can you buy Coconut Oil?

I’ve not seen high quality coconut oil in my local grocery stores, but I live in a fairly small town without a lot of options. I have seen coconut oil at Wal-mart…and it works if I’m desperate…but it is far from great in my opinion.

I always buy my coconut oil online, as this is where I find the best prices. High quality coconut oil may seem expensive, but I consider coconut oil to be a healing, whole food…therefore the cost is worth it!

A good price for high quality virgin coconut oil, according to what I have found, is around $14/quart. I love it (of course) if I can find it for less than that! I watch for it to go on sale and compare prices at any of the following:

~ Tropical Traditions (watch for sales on both their Virgin Coconut Oil or their Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil.)

~ Vitacost – get $10 off your first $30 order!

~ Mountain Rose Herbs (Can be bought by the gallon here, helping this purchase to be very cost effective. Since Coconut Oil keeps for a long time…purchasing a gallon bucket is a great idea to help cut the cost!)

~ Amazon (Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil seems to be the best price at Amazon.)

~ Food Co-ops – If you’re a part of a health food co-op, you’ll likely be able to buy coconut oil through them.

What if I don’t like the taste of coconuts? Does coconut have a strong coconut flavor?

There are two types of coconut oil and both are good for you. One tastes like coconuts, and the other doesn’t!

Virgin (unrefined) Coconut Oil has a strong coconut flavor. It is processed in such a way that helps it keep the coconuty taste. I love Virgin Coconut Oil for baking.

Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil doesn’t have a flavor at all! It is processed differently, taking away any flavor, but keeping the nutrients intact. I’ve almost always found this variety of coconut oil to be less expensive. In fact, Mountain Rose Herbs has Virgin Coconut Oil for only $24/gallon + shipping…making it around $9/quart!!!!

How do I measure Coconut Oil for a recipe?

I addressed this question in my recent post:  How to Adapt a Recipe to Make it Healthier. I encourage you to read this post, and read through the comments as many of you shared easy ways to measure coconut oil. I pretty much just “eyeball it” when I measure! :)

What other Coconut Oil questions do you have? Do you like the coconut flavor, or do you prefer your coconut oil to be flavorless?

This post was originally published March 15, 2011.

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Let’s Talk About Fat {31 Days of Real Food Reality ~ Day 3}

January 2, 2014 by Laura 42 Comments

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31 Days 300Happy New Year! Please pass the butter.

Yes indeed. Many of you have heard me say this many times, but it’s worth saying again because I always love talking about butter, and also because I feel very strongly about this:  If you change nothing else about the way you cook and eat, simply change out bad fats for good fats.

I mean, I am going to continue to encourage you to stop eating so many cookies, but at the very least, bake your cookies using real butter instead of margarine. Make your pie crusts using palm shortening instead of Crisco. Use olive oil instead of vegetable oil when you make salad dressing. And stir coconut oil into muffins instead of canola. These changes require pretty much no effort on your part, will only slightly effect your budget, and will absolutely change the flavor of your recipes for the better.

Have picky eaters at your house? While switching from white to whole wheat pasta might raise someone’s eyebrow at dinnertime, I can almost guarantee that switching from margarine to butter won’t even make anyone flinch. If anything, your family might notice that their cookies and muffins taste better than they used to. I’m telling you that back in my margarine days, my cookies always tasted a little off. They also looked funny, bless their little hearts. But when I started using real butter, my cookies became amazing. (Humbly speaking of course. The cookies speak for themselves.)

Healthy fats: the easiest healthy change…ever!

But wait, don’t we want to avoid eating too much fat??

Even though I believe many people are beginning to grasp the concept that eating fat is not altogether bad, I still can’t get over how often I hear someone talk about how fattening or naughty something is if it is full of butter or cream cheese. Au contraire.  Butter is golden (literally) and offers many wonderful health qualities – because it is a full fat!  The same is true for coconut oil and other healthy fats I’ve listed below.

Our culture has us brainwashed, but don’t think I’m faulting anyone. I was among those that stayed far away from fat (especially butter!) until just a few years ago. I read every label to check “how many grams of fat” were in each serving. If it had more than just a gram or two of fat, I stayed far, far away (and instead snacked on fat free stuff like Twizzlers – sheesh). After all, eating fat would make me fat, right?

No, no, no, no, no. I can attest to this. I have many friends who can attest to this. In fact, now I’m finding that if I’m not eating enough good, healthy fats – I don’t feel well. My skin isn’t as healthy. My hair isn’t as shiny. My appetite is not satisfied. Butter and cream have not made me gain weight – and trust me – I eat a lot of both. (“You want some potato with that butter, Mom?”)

Is this because of my metabolism or my body type? No, I don’t believe it is. Eating good fat can help everyone maintain a healthy weight. On the other hand, when I consume too much sugar or just plain overeat? That’s when my jeans get tight and I feel like junk. But that’s another real food reality post for another day.

Eat Healthy Fats!

Why don’t healthy fats make us fat? 

Real food fats are absolutely pure and whole. When we eat them, our insides are like, “Yes! I know what this is. I know what to do with this!” Our bodies can easily digest real fats. Out bodies can utilize every last bit of what is in them. Healthy fats nourish us.

On the other hand, when we eat trans fats, hydrogenated oils, margarine, and vegetable oils that have been factory created – our bodies struggle to know exactly what to do with these unrecognizable fellas. Those fats have been significantly changed from their original form, and many of them were never intended to be consumed in the first place. We eat them and our bodies become sluggish while they try to figure out exactly…what…to…do. It’s as if our insides are then saying, “Whoa? Who are you? You confuse me. I’m not sure which part of you, if any, I can use to fuel this body. Off with you. Head to the hips. Or the gut. Or just fly around in here wreaking havoc on this weary body.”

So are you saying that I should eat a bowlful of coconut oil every morning for breakfast?

Yeah, um no. We don’t want to over eat fats any more than we want to over eat any food. I’m simply saying that we should not be afraid of healthy fats, and we should eat them without reservation to fuel our body’s needs. Foods like cream, cheese, meat, coconut oil, and eggs are naturally full of fat. On purpose.  Our bodies need the nutrients they each provide.

On the other hand, most vegetables, fruits, and grains are completely fat free. On purpose.  They also provide our bodies with needed nutrients. Isn’t it cool how all natural food comes to us in a perfect way to fulfill a purpose within us? When we eat a lovely balance of all varieties of food, we can then fuel our bodies in the way that will keep us going strong!

Let’s hear it for a healthy, well balanced diet of real food!

The best sources of fat to nourish our bodies are:

  • Coconut Oil
  • Real Butter
  • Meat
  • Eggs
  • Whole milk from animals or coconuts
  • Cream
  • Avocados
  • Olive Oil
  • Palm Oil

Each of the animal fats listed above are most beneficial if from a grass fed or free range animal. But don’t sweat it if that’s not happening for you yet. Just focus on eating real food and do the best you can.  Don’t forget that God is bigger than any of your worries.

Whew! That’s a lot of information. We’ll talk more about nourishment tomorrow. For today, share with us:  How are you coming with switching to healthy fats? What are your favorite sources for healthy fats?

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Fat and Calories – How Much is Too Much?

June 14, 2012 by Laura 20 Comments

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Typically I let Jen, from Getting Fit With Jen, help me out with answering questions in these posts. However, this time I wanted to speak from my own experience. Rest assured, Jen and I talk about all of this quite frequently while she’s working my tail off engaging in a long, lovely stroll with me as we work to get into shape….

I often receive questions about fat and calorie intake, so I thought it might be nice to address Crystal’s question here in case the rest of you have similar questions:

Laura,

I also weight train like you do, but have just began eating this way. I was on a high protein, low fat diet, but have switched to raw milk, butter, and all the other good stuff you use. Could you share with me how you balance your calorie intake with the high fat food? I feel great, but am concerned I am taking in too many calories.

This is a bit of a tricky question, simply because everyone is different, and there is not a “one-size-fits-all” nutrition plan that will work for everyone. However, I will share with you what is working for me..

First of all, I have to say that I haven’t counted calories since I was a newly-wed, almost 18 years ago. This isn’t because I am one of those people who can just eat anything and not worry about weight gain. If only.  I simply found the process of counting calories to be tedious and frustrating. I have since learned more about listening to my body. I now work to be intentional to only eat when I’m hungry, and then to stop eating when I’m full. This has been the most successful method I’ve found to help me maintain a healthy weight. If I get into a habit of over-eating (which would, of course, mean that I am consuming more calories than I need), or if I’m eating a lot of “empty calories”, I definitely start noticing my pants getting tighter. But if I am disciplined to eat only what my body is truly asking for, I find that counting calories is not necessary for me.

As a side note, now that I’m working out regularly, I find that I definitely need more calories, but I have no idea how many. I’m simply listening to my body, eating when I’m hungry, stopping when I’m full, eating protein when I crave it, eating vegetables and fruit in larger portions as I need them, etc.

Easy Breakfast Casserole with Applesauce Bread and Fruit is a great, balanced meal. 
By the way, ignore the juice in this pic. We rarely drink it. 
We must have had company the day I took this picture!

But now let’s get to the fat of the matter. :)  If you’ve been reading here long, you likely know that our family eats a fairly very high fat diet. I don’t hold back on the butter, cream, whole milk, meat, or eggs. I trust our food sources, and I know that whole foods are best for us, even if they may be higher in calories. These high fat foods, when balanced with fruits, vegetables, and other whole foods, are filling, satisfying, and delicious. (Except for those times I eat more food than I should and my pants start getting tight. But let’s avoid bringing that up again, shall we?)

I believe that God made a lovely balance of foods -some which are  naturally high fat/calorie foods (like cream) and some which are naturally low fat/calorie foods (like carrots). I believe that all of these foods, in their whole form, have nutrients in them that our bodies need. 

I also believe that we have stripped many nutrients out of what was originally a whole food, creating “empty calories” (like white pasta) which do little to nothing to nourish our bodies. These foods may be lower in calories than some, but they provide nothing for us, making them a waste of calorie consumption. (And yes, I do still occasionally splurge and eat empty calories, knowing that the majority of the time I make better food choices.)

I believe that eating too much of anything will make you gain weight, whether it’s good for you or not. If all you eat is carrots, and you consistently over-eat them, you will gain weight, even though carrots are low in calories and fat free. (You’ll also turn orange, but that’s beside the point.) ;)

I certainly don’t claim to be an expert on the matter, but these are my thoughts based on my research and experience. I’d love for you to share your experiences with eating a whole foods, nutrient rich diet and how you work to acheive a healthy weight.  (In addition, if you’d like to talk about the times your pants get tight, feel free. Stinkin’ cookies.)

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Healthy Crock Pot Recipe: Italian Cream Cheese Chicken

November 9, 2011 by Laura 79 Comments

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You’re about to learn about my amazing Italian Cream Cheese Chicken recipe – one of my family’s favorite meals!

If you didn’t know it already, after reading this recipe it will be very clear to you that I am not afraid to cook with, serve my family, or eat high fat foods. Welcome to a recipe that includes butter, cream and cream cheese. Oh yes, that’s why it tastes so good.

If you are afraid of fats, I’d love to assure you of how healthy it is to eat these whole, natural foods. There’s a big difference in the fat you consume at McGreasies and fat which is whole and natural. Our bodies, skin and hair need healthy fats in order to thrive. Here is a post I wrote a while ago regarding butter and cream – and if you’d like to read through my entire series of Getting Real with Food posts, you can do that here.

Ah, and I have to laugh at myself because while this recipe calls for butter, cream and cream cheese – it also calls for boneless, skinless chicken breasts, which always makes me think of low-fat cooking. I’m not afraid of the fat in the skin of a chicken, nor am I afraid of cooking a chicken with bones – but I don’t really prefer pieces of bone or skin in my pasta dishes. Therefore, I find that boneless, skinless chicken works best in this recipe. ;)

Italian Cream Cheese ChickenYum

Healthy Crock Pot Recipe: Italian Cream Cheese Chicken
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 Tablespoons dry Italian Dressing Mix
  • ½ cup butter
  • 1½ cups cream
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
Instructions
  1. Place chicken, dressing mix and butter in a crock pot. (I used my homemade Italian Dressing Mix to make this dish.)
  2. Cook for 6 hours on low or 4 hours on high.
  3. Shred chicken with a knife and fork. Add cream and cream cheese to the chicken and stir.
  4. Cook for ½ hour longer on low.
  5. Serve with whole grain noodles or brown rice.
3.4.3177

Italian Cream Cheese ChickenWhat are the fats you include in your healthy diet?

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What to Do with Coconut Oil

July 5, 2011 by Laura 91 Comments

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I’m always sharing good deals on coconut oil, telling you how nutritious coconut oil is, encouraging you to try coconut oil.

Many have asked what I suggest that you do with your coconut oil once you buy it. Here are a few of my favorite ways to use coconut oil:

~Apply Coconut Oil to your Skin – Sometimes I rub it on my face or hands if I have dry patches. It is especially soothing and healing after a sunburn. If ever we accidentally stay in the sun too long, we slather our skin with coconut oil. It’s incredibly soothing, plus helps keep us from peeling.

~Use Coconut Oil to Make Popcorn – This is probably our favorite use for coconut oil. Sometimes we pop our corn on the stove using melted coconut oil in a pot with the popcorn. But, since we have an Air-Popper, we usually use that. The boys pop the corn in the Air Popper, then we pour melted coconut oil and sea salt over the bowl. SO yummy.

~Make Granola Bars – Coconut oil is fantastic in these Chewy Granola Bars. Because it is a solid oil, once it is stirred into these granola bars and they are allowed to cool, the coconut oil keeps the bars from being too soft and squishy. Plus, the coconut oil gives them a delicious flavor!

~Stir Coconut Oil into Muffins – For just about all of my muffin recipes now, I use coconut oil instead of butter. It works wonderfully and the flavor of the muffins is fantastic.

chocolatechocolatechipmuffinssm

~Subtitute Coconut Oil for Butter when Baking Dairy Free – When we’ve needed to bake for someone who has to eat a dairy free diet, coconut oil is our fat of choice. It almost always substitutes for butter when baking. (Check out these Dairy Free Gluten Free Muffins that use coconut oil!)

~Bake Cakes with Coconut Oil – Coconut Oil is great used in just about any cake recipe.

~Fry Foods – Coconut Oil is a very stable oil, which means that it can be heated to very high temperatures and not become rancid or bad for you. This means that you can fry foods in coconut oil and still be healthy!!! I prefer to fry foods in Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil instead of Virgin Coconut Oil, as the expeller pressed coconut oil is flavorless. I love the coconut flavor Virgin Coconut Oil provides in muffins and granola bars, but I don’t really like my Chicken Fried Steak Strips to taste like coconut. Therefore, I use Expeller Pressed coconut oil for frying.

To learn more about where to buy coconut oil, how healthy coconut oil is, the flavors and qualities of coconut oil…read this post:  Coconut Oil:  Why it is Good for You and Where to Buy it.

Please share your favorite ways to use coconut oil!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Healthy Fats

November 18, 2010 by Laura 126 Comments

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simplesteps

“Don’t eat saturated fats…Saturated fats are fine…Margarine is much better than butter…Margarine is made of plastic…Eat low-fat….Eat lots of fat…Don’t eat fat at all…. Avocados are a good source of fat…Fat causes heart disease…Fat keeps your cells healthy…Stay away from real butter….Eat all the butter you want…Cream is for when you want to eat naughty….Never deep fat fry anything…Drink skim milk…Raw cream has many healing factors…You can’t eat fat and stay thin…Be sure to feed your kids low fat yogurt and cheeses…”

In honor of all the big fat contradictory fatty information out there, I’d like to ask us all to pause and have a moment of simultaneous screaming.

{aaahahhhahahaaahhhhhahahhahahhhhaaaaahahhhahhhhhhhaaaaahhahhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!} 

{ahahhaahah.}

{ahh.}

Thank you.

I get very weary of hearing fat information that contradicts. I used to think fat was bad. I used to feel terrible guilt anytime I ate anything with cheese or butter and heaven forbid if I ever indulged in french fries.

So, what’s the truth? IS fat bad?

Well, that depends on who you ask…and it depends on which fats you’re talking about…and it depends on which research was done to prove that the fat was good or bad…and it depends on who’s trying to make money by telling you the information and it depends on…

{aaahahhhhaaah!!}

I’m just going to share where I’ve landed on the matter and of course I am of the opinion that I am right. :)  But as we all know, I am a normal (and often scatterbrained) mom who often carries her own light saber around for protection. I’m not a fat research specialist…so you can take this information or leave it.

From what I’ve read, heart disease and obesity did NOT begin to be a big problem in the US until right about the time we began to switch out butter with margarine and our whole fat with low fat. The less saturated fat we have eaten as a nation, the unhealthier (and heavier) we have become, even though saturated fat is blamed for bad health. Most vegetable oils (those low in saturated fat) sold in the store are rancid before they even make it to our kitchens and rancid oils tend to freak out our insides. These are the  oils that most restaurants use.

Oh and also, most low fat products have quite a few artificial flavors and lots of sugar added to make up for the taste that is pulled out along with the fat. Hmm.

So are fats bad for us? Yes, some of them most certainly are. But does that mean we should all “go low fat”? Choosing the right fats for our health is important. In fact, my research often tells me that eating a nice amount of fat (the good ones) is actually necessary for good health.

So which fats are the good fats? Here are my favorites and the fats I feel best about eating and cooking with:

Butter –  I’m talking about real butter, not margarine. People interchange the names of the two, but margarine isn’t butter, it’s nasty, so just make sure you know that I’m talking about BUTTER here.

I love that butter is pure with only one or maybe two ingredients:  Cream and Salt. I’d recommend that you buy the “Unsalted Butter” but watch out because unsalted varieties usually have other additives labeled as “flavorings”. Grr, don’t add flavorings (aka MSG) to my butter!!! Give me the pure stuff!! So, if I can find an unsalted butter that is ONLY cream, I go for it, otherwise I go with salted. Butter made from raw, pastured cream is THE BEST EVER for your health if you can get your hands on some.

Butter is great for baking items such as cookies and biscuits. Plus of course, butter is also great spread on bread or waffles or pancakes or muffins…

Coconut Oil – When it comes to healthy oils, it doesn’t get much better than coconut oil. Find out here how to receive a free book about the benefits of coconut oil. There are two main varieties of coconut oil:  Unrefined and Virgin. Both are good for you, especially when you buy them from a good source like Tropical Traditions or  Mountain Rose Herbs. Unrefined Coconut Oil has a very mild taste and does not taste like coconut, which makes it good for frying (when you don’t want your chicken nuggets to taste like coconuts). Virgin Coconut oil has a fabulous coconut flavor and is great for baking!

Coconut oil does not go rancid when heated to high temps, so all that stuff you hear about “never deep fat frying anything”? It’s true…except for when you fry foods in Coconut Oil!! Or when you fry it in…

Palm Oil or Palm Shortening – I am so excited to find that Palm Shortening can be used to make a fabulous and healthy pie crust!!! I often melt some palm shortening into my electric skillet to fry donuts or french fries. There is no flavor in this shortening so your french fries taste like french fries…only better! Yeah, who doesn’t love a french fry that tastes better than a french fry!!

Olive Oil – Of all the controversial fats, Olive Oil stands up to the test on both sides of the fence. I use olive oil to stir fry my veggies, to cook chicken and to make salad dressings. I prefer organic, and always try to find it in a dark colored bottle as the sunlight does compromise it’s quality.

Full Fat Dairy – Oh yes, bring on the whole milk and rich cream. More about dairy another time, because wow, this post is getting long isn’t it?

What are your thoughts on fat? What have you learned and what has your research taught you? Do you find yourself screaming about the controversial fat information out there like I do? {aaahahha!}

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