Why We Eat a High Fat Diet (Is it Right for Everyone?)

Through my years of blogging, I’ve shared many a recipe filled with ingredients like butter, coconut oil, red meat, and eggs. Like to eat a high fat diet much, Laura? Why yes. We do.

Back in the 90’s when my big hair added three inches to my height (how proud am I to show off my senior pictures to my kids?) I was adamant about eating all things fat-free. I have nothing good to say about how food tasted back in those days, and I can’t even talk about fat-free Miracle Whip. Why, Kraft, why?!!

{Pauses for a moment to collect herself and remove the mayo memory from her mind and mouth…}

I vividly remember being afraid of fat. I was afraid of what it would do to my heart, but much more afraid of what it would do to my hips. So who cares that food tasted terrible? At least I’d be skinny and avoid heart problems, right?

Since those days, I’ve done hours and hours and hours of research and reading on the subject of healthy eating and good fats. It’s probably worth a mention that I’d done absolutely no research in the 90’s before declaring fat to be unhealthy. I’d heard that it was and I believed it, the end.

I am so thankful to have learned now that most of us need to eat good fat in order to stay alert and healthy. It might go without saying that I’m also thankful my hair doesn’t require a weekly bottle of hair spray, but back to the fat…

Why we eat a high fat diet

• Healthy fats provide fuel for our brain and heart.
• Healthy fats are carriers for fat soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K.
• Healthy fats help our bodies absorb minerals.
• Healthy fats are satisfying and keep us feeling full longer.
• And that’s just the beginning. Read more about healthy fats here.

It seems that good fats are essential for great health!

Since I started eating a diet high in healthy fats, my lab numbers have become better and better! Hello butter and beef; goodbye bad cholesterol! It’s interesting, isn’t it, that during my days of eating low fat foods my blood tests always revealed borderline unhealthy cholesterol levels. Could it have had anything to do with the eight cookies and liter of Pepsi I consumed every single day along with my fat free mayo and dry chicken?

It’s also worth noting that through the past 20 years, whether or not I was eating a low fat or a high fat diet, when I ate a diet high in sugar I would always gain pounds. Always. It would appear that sugar is sugar no matter how much fat one eats, and while our bodies might need a little natural sugar to function well (bring on the fresh fruit!), excess sugar doesn’t benefit us at all.

Want some Low Sugar Treat Recipes? Look through all of these!

My Favorite Healthy Fats

I give three cheers for a high fat diet for my family. But not all fat is created equal, so a diet high in unhealthy, processed fats is one to be avoided. If fat is naturally occurring, I say bring it on. Here are the fats I consider to be natural and healthy:

• Coconut Oil
• Real Butter
• Full Fat Dairy
• Full Fat Meats
• Nuts
• Avocados
• Palm Oil
• Olive Oil

But what about saturated fats?

Indeed, most of the favorite healthy fats I mentioned above are in the “saturated fat” category. Again, I’ll point you to this article written by a doctor who takes nutrition very seriously as he explains it better than I can. Here’s a helpful quote from the article by Dr. Mercola:

…you must be vigilant against hydrogenated vegetable and seed oils, which are unsaturated fats that have been artificially manipulated into saturated fats. These are also known as trans fats, which interfere with your insulin receptors and put you at risk of chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

So I most certainly avoid the fats that have been manufactured to become saturated. Margarine is high on my no-no list. I rank it right up there with fat free mayo, and I think we all know how I feel about that.

Next up…

Is a high fat diet right for everyone? Is any one diet right for everyone? 

To be continued…