For the Love of Saturated Fat

I realized that I've never spelled out my thoughts on fats based on the research I've done. I'll admit I'm a subscriber to the Weston A. Price Foundation and Sally Fallon's perspective, and if you are a vegetarian there are still some great options for you.

Saturated Fat

When it comes to fat, mainstream science is focused on the kind, which is sort of important, instead of the quality, which is very important. Studies on saturated fat do not focus on the quality of meat consumed or its level of processing, nor do they take into account the amount of sugar and processed oils also consumed, both of which have been linked to high cholesterol and clogged arteries.

While everyone needs different levels of saturated fat, it is by far the most beneficial fat you can consume from high quality sources. Despite popular belief, saturated fat is not only heart-healthy, it is essential to good digestion, a strong immune system, strong bones, and even prevention of cancer. Studies showing that saturated fat is bad for us don't take into account the quality of the saturated fat or the amount of sugar or other kinds of fats consumed at the same time.

Saturated fat enables the absorption of vitamins A, E, D, and K, and minerals such as calcium. It is also absorbed directly into the bloodstream, reducing stress on the liver and other organs. The brain is primarily nourished by saturated fat, which also influences optimal nerve communication regarding hormones and metabolism. And saturated fat contains microbial agents that protect our digestive tract and therefore boost immune function.

While you might be concerned about the calorie content of saturated fat, both studies I've read and my own experience teaches that consumption of high quality fat actually aids in weight loss. This is largely because saturated fat enables the body to absorb more nutrients, which means it becomes satiated much sooner, which means cravings and usually portion sizes naturally reduce without much effort on the part of the eater.

Saturated fat is highly stable at high temperatures, meaning that will not go rancid with exposure to heat, light, and oxygen. Therefore it is ideal for cooking. Our ancestors cooked with butter and lard for thousands of years without the health issues we have today.

Saturated fat to increase: Organic chicken (whole or with skin and bone are the best options), organic grass-fed beef (again, on the bone is good), wild caught fish, extra virgin coconut oil (a great option for vegetarians!).

Saturated fat to reduce: Non-organic meat of all kinds, bacon, sausage, lunchmeat, pork and ham, and other highly processed meats or meats with nitrates/nitrites. Obviously if you can find these items organic and minimally processed, they don't have to be completely eliminated.

Vegetable Oil and Trans Fat

The fat that actually deserves saturated fat's reputation is vegetable oil. These polyunsaturated fats are not much better than trans fats, or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, which have been conclusively linked to heart disease and cancer. They clog arteries, provide an overload of omega-6, confuse the body, and turn rancid with exposure to heat, air, and/or light—which often happens before we even purchase them—creating an abundance of free radicals.

Vegetable oils are cheaply produced in mass quantities, often from genetically modified corn and soybeans (GMO foods have been linked to reproductive issues and sterility in lab tests.)

Vegetable oil to increase: Extra virgin organic olive oil, a relatively stable monounsaturated fat that can be used to cook with at medium temperatures and is great for salad dressings. Be sure to store in a cool, dark place and use up quickly to prevent rancidity. Peanut oil is also stable at high temperatures, though it is high in omega-6, which we get plenty of from other sources. Small amounts of sesame oil, hemp oil, and flax oil can be used raw but should not be used to cook with, as they break down and turn rancid very easily.

Vegetable oil to reduce: Soybean, corn, canola, safflower, cottonseed, and generic vegetable oils; all hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, including margarine and shortening (Crisco).

If you have a question about a particular fat I haven't mentioned here, send your inquiries my way!

The Stinky Cheese Man, and Other Fairly Stupid Tales

*Warning: I get a little political in this article, and more than a little philosophical.*

I had to steal my blog title from the children's book of the same name, simply because it was too appropriate to this article in the New York Times, which a friend pointed out. I'll sum it up thus:

The US Dept of Agriculture (read: our government) created a "Dairy Management" organization to boost cheese sales. Their big client: Dominoes, which was encouraged to create a pizza with 40 percent more cheese to boost sales. It worked. People like cheese on their pizza.

Does it bother anyone else that there is an entire part of our government devoted to promoting dairy? I mean, really? And that they PAID FOR A $12 MILLION DOLLAR MARKETING CAMPAIGN for Dominoes? (Their annual budget is a whopping $140 million.)

This is where our taxpayer dollars are going.

If you think about it, the whole idea of marketing food is ridiculous. We have to eat. We'll die if we don't. Nobody has to convince us we need food. But when government subsidizes an entire food produce industry in return for that industry's financial backing, marketing becomes a little more understandable.

All that aside, I want to take issue with a couple of points:

Point 1: "One slice [of Dominoes cheesier pizza] contains as much as two-thirds of a day’s maximum recommended amount of saturated fat."
If you've read my blog for any length of time, you'll know I don't think much of government recommendations for daily intake of anything. They are highly influenced by industry concerns, which are very different from health concerns. Saturated fat is an area of contention for the USDA and FDA. In their desperate attempt to appear concerned for the health of the American public, which is decidedly at odds with the food industry making any money, they have vilified saturated fat due to some dubious studies.

While processed cheese slathered on pizza is not a great source of saturated fat, the fat is not really the issue. Nor is the cheese. It's the processing. And the fact that $12 million is being spent to convince Americans to eat more fast-food pizza, which essentially has zero nutritional value.

Let's take a look at another side of this issue:

Point 2: "Urged on by government warnings about saturated fat, Americans have been moving toward low-fat milk for decades, leaving a surplus of whole milk and milk fat."

Cheese is now the number one source of saturated fat in this country. This is because we've all been conditioned to be afraid of fat in milk and beef.

Again, this is a fallacious fear, and not only that, but it is hurting us. Saturated fat in animal products allows for the absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K, which cannot be absorbed without fat. Saturated fat greatly increases the absorbability of calcium, magnesium, and other essential minerals for healthy bones. Drinking skim milk is not the same in terms of nutrients as drinking whole.

Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health and a former member of the federal government’s nutrition advisory committee, says it better than I can:

“The U.S.D.A. should not be involved in these programs that are promoting foods that we are consuming too much of already. A small amount of good-flavored cheese can be compatible with a healthy diet, but consumption in the U.S. is enormous and way beyond what is optimally healthy.”

Point 3: “When eaten in moderation and with attention to portion size, cheese can fit into a low-fat, healthy diet,” the [Agriculture] department said.

Why yes, it can. However, a low-fat diet isn't necessarily healthy. It's often full of sugar and processed vegetable oils. Also, beef and dairy that isn't organic and grass fed isn't good for us whether it's lean or not. Finally, saturated fat isn't bad for us! Humans have been eating it for thousands of years. It's highly nutritious and contains vitamin D and antibiotic and antimicrobial properties (which support immune function) in healthy, grass-fed or wild-caught animals.

The Weston A. Price Foundation is a great resource for information about fats and other nutrients. Co-founder and president Sally Fallon's cookbook, Nourishing Traditions, is available online.

Point 4: "While warning about fat, U.S. pushes cheese sales."

This is the title of the article itself, and kudos to the NYT for calling the U.S. government to task. We are getting mixed messages from our government, which is trying to promote itself as a concerned parent while behaving like a money-hungry corporation. As I've said in recent posts about the egg recall, GMOs and Frankensalmon, and McDonald's, we have to take full responsibility for our own health. Asking the government to do it for us is not only irresponsible, it's dangerous.

Don't let the government dictate what you eat! Their concerns, as in the health care/pharmaceutical industry, are widely swayed by money, not your health.

What's Your Food Philosophy?

In blogging about nutrition and food there is a temptation, I think, to make every post "marketable" in easily accessible formats like lists. This isn't to say lists are bad. One of my favorite bloggers, Danielle LaPorte of White Hot Truth, frequently posts lists of books or steps or things she's learned, and I love her stuff—she's authentic and inspiring.

But every now and then I really want to indulge my penchant for the philosophy of food and health. In pursuit of my goal to officially launch my food therapy business Jan 3, 2010, I've been examining some marketing angles to communicate how important this program is and to make it appealing, since nobody's ever heard of "food therapy" (because I made it up).

A good friend and marketing guru asked me today what my mission statement was. Normally when people ask me what I do, I say, "I counsel people to help them resolve their food and lifestyle issues."

Which is true. But kinda vague. So as I was thinking about "what is the problem I'm trying to solve?" it came to me that two kinds of people would most benefit from food therapy:

• people who basically know how and want to be healthy but can't make themselves implement what they know into their lives

Darn it! I failed again!

• people who want to be healthy but don't know what to do because there is so much conflicting information

Enough already! I'm overwhelmed and confused!

I think everyone on the quest for health has fallen into both of these categories at some point. When I started out at Integrative Nutrition, I fell into the second category. Since then I've been empowered to examine conflicting information and make decisions for myself. I still fall into the first category in some areas, and I think I always will, because implementation of good information is a lifelong process.

But recently, in my love of "facts," I've overlooked the beauty of this program, which is that everyone gets to develop their own philosophy—AND action plan. You get to decide what works for you and what doesn't, you become empowered to learn about what you're eating and how you're living and make an informed decision.

For me this means that I'm anti vegetable oil, pro saturated fat, pro soaking grains and relatively anti dairy, though I eat cheese and love half-and-half in my coffee. Other people might be more anti-wheat. Some may do better as vegetarians. There is an answer for everybody and until you discover it and own it, you'll be dissatisfied.

This goes for your life, too. Not everybody wants to be a food therapist, and not everybody should be. But it's my passion and purpose—what makes me most satisfied, happy, fulfilled, and whole. I also truly believe I wouldn't have discovered this career if it weren't for my relationship with God and an almost daily spiritual practice. I rely on Him every day to guide my decisions, my inspiration, and my attitude. If I had to do this on my own strength, I would have given up long before now.

So some people will decide to quit their jobs. Others will need to discover the purpose in them. Most everybody will need to delve more deeply into a spiritual practice, which as a nation we've lost touch with that side of ourselves and our deep need to rely on something bigger and more powerful than us. Some might find they are exercising too much, or relying too much on a romantic relationship to make them happy.

All this starts to become clear with food therapy. And as a result, more than just what we eat changes. Our whole lives change.

What's your food philosophy? What's your nutrition lifestyle?

Come find out.

FatHead

My mom asked about the health benefits (or not) of fats, and my business partner asked about brain health, and I thought, Hey, these are linked! Thus the inspiration for this week’s blog.

First of all, let me say that the research I found was very confusing. Most everyone condemns saturated fat while lumping monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat into one "good" category. I found it simplest to break it down by specific ingredient.

The basics of fats are these:


Good Fat: olive, flax, sesame, and canola oils; avocados; nuts and seeds; cold water fish

Apparently, "oils high in monounsaturates are better oils for cooking. Olive oil is the best as it has the highest oxidation threshold: i.e. it remains stable at higher temperatures and does not easily become hydrogenated or saturated."


Confusing Fat: animal products (meat, butter, etc.); coconut and palm oil (saturated); corn, soy, safflower, and sunflower oil (polyunsaturated)

Saturated fat can increase the risk of colon cancer, chronic heart disease, and other health issues like high cholesterol. The body can produce saturated fat on its own; therefore it's not necessary in the diet. That said, it's pretty clear that we need saturated fat if our bodies make it. Also, there is a percentage of saturated fat in most other sources of unsaturated fats, including avocados, nuts, and polyunsaturated oils. And some sources of saturated fat, like eggs, have been proven to increase HDL, good cholesterol, which is actually healthy.

While these polyunsaturated vegetable oils are often touted as healthy, they are the fats that are used to make trans fats. Also, the extraction of these polyunsaturated vegetable oils usually involves heat pressing, which can create free radicals. And I found general agreement that
"polyunsaturated oils should never be heated or used in cooking." Best to stick with extra virgin olive oil when cooking, which remains most stable at a high temperature.


Very Bad Fat: margarine, Crisco and other shortenings, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils—all also known as trans fats

We’ve all heard of trans fat and probably all eaten it; I think the only surprising thing is that it’s still legal. Trans fats were created largely for packaged foods because natural fatty acids tend to spoil; they are simply natural fatty acids that have been chemically scrambled by adding hydrogen, which completely destroys the good omega acids. Trans fat lowers good cholesterol (HDL) and increases bad cholesterol (LDL), and is liquid at 450 degrees, which means it's pretty solid in our bodies. Clogged arteries, anyone?

Many restaurants use trans fats in cooking. New York banned trans fats in the city in 2006, largely as a result of Joshua Rosenthal’s campaign through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Philadelphia banned them as well, and California was the first state to ban trans fats in July of 2008.

I’ve looked for information about how to get them banned in South Carolina, but this informative site is all I could come up with. I'd like to start a petition, so I'll keep you posted.


Fat and the Brain

The brain is 70% fat and requires essential fatty acids like omega-3 and omega-6 to function, both of which are found in polyunsaturated fats. It’s pretty much accepted that we get plenty of Omega-6 fatty acids—which are found in red meat, butter, cheese, seeds, nuts, and refined vegetable oils like soy—and not enough Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in walnuts, cold water fish, flax seeds, and even sea vegetables and green leafy vegetables. These Omega-3s are most beneficial for brain function.

In fact, “fatty acids from fats are what your brain uses to create the specialized cells that allow you to think and feel.” Two thirds of the brain is composed of fats, which perhaps is why fish has the nickname “brain food.” Myelin sheaths, the degeneration of which is a direct cause of dementia and Alzheimer’s, are 70% fat. And omega-3s have been proven to reduce depression.

So apparently “fathead” is an accurate term for just about anybody. Sadly, I’m not the first person to make this joke.

However, too much abdominal fat has been linked to a number of diseases including Alzheimer’s. And exercise has been proven to stimulate the brain, which goes hand in hand with weight loss.


Still Confused?

So are a lot of people, myself included. To play it safe:

• eat fats that occur naturally, i.e., "real" food
• stay away from anything that includes trans fat or partially-hydrogenated oil in the ingredient list (most packaged foods)
• enjoy red meat less frequently or in leaner versions--buffalo and venison are some fun alternatives
  
• ask restaurants if they use trans fats, and avoid fast food restaurants (this includes Starbucks! although they are making strides to eliminate it) Here are some restuarants and food manufacturers that have made a serious effort to eliminate trans fats.
  
• don't eat a whole box of Krispy Kreme donuts just because they don't have trans fat in them. They still have calories (and probably chemicals).