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!

Fall Recipes: Warming, Soothing, Healthy and Easy!

Even though I always deviate from recipes, I usually need to start off with a recipe for inspiration—at least inspiration to go grocery shopping! Below are links to some basic fall recipes with a lot of flavor but not a lot of work. And they're good for you!

One Pot Chicken Recipes

From chicken soup to cumin chicken with black beans, these are great cold-weather dinners from RealSimple. (photo by Marla Robledo)

Beet-Carrot-Parsnip-Fennel Extravaganza

Don't be afraid of the "exotic" ingredients in this one; it's a great fall vegetable recipe with only simple prep.

Swiss Chard and Potato Frittata

A delicious Saturday morning treat—or a great dinner recipe. The Nourished Kitchen also delves into the nutritional value of ingredients. (photo by Nourished Kitchen)

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

This simple and surprisingly delicious preparation may make you rethink this veggie's reputation! (photo by Jacob's Kitchen)

Black Rice Porridge with Coconut

If you're tired of oatmeal, give this amazing breakfast dish a try! (photo by Coconut & Quinoa)

As always, these recipes are free of trans fats and high-fructose corn syrup.

How Long Does a Hamburger Last?

The latest attack on McDonald's involves photographer and blogger Sally Davies's experiment with a Happy Meal, which she left to sit out for sixty days, apparently with no effect on the food.

McDonald's spokespeople seem very offended and insist that their hamburgers are made with "100% USDA-inspected ground beef" and cooked with "salt, pepper and nothing else -- no preservatives, no fillers" and that their buns are made with "common government-approved ingredients" (which basically means nothing considering that the government has approved trans fats and artificial sweeteners). Notice they say nothing about what the fries are made with.

But let's give them the benefit of the doubt. Let's say that this is true. What it means is actually scarier than if McDonald's was using preservatives.

First, it says that "USDA-inspected ground beef" is already so full of preservatives and chemicals that it is not a food. If I didn't have neighbors, I would cook a pound of the USDA beef and a pound of organic, grass-fed beef and let them sit out and see which went bad faster.

Second, what McDonald's doesn't mention is that both hamburger and fries are cooked in some kind of vegetable oil, which is itself "preserved" at high temperatures, making it rancid without any symptoms. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that cooking food in rancid vegetable oil will "preserve" it into a state of plasticity.

McDonald's deserves props for switching to trans-fat-free cooking in 2008, though this was a delayed reaction. However, under their "Nutrition" web page, the motto reads "It's all about delicious choices."

Really?

Of course people want their food to taste good. And those who eat McDonald's say that it does. But that is not what "nutrition" is about. I'm treading on thin ice here, because nutritious food should also taste good. However, this seems to indicate that taste is more important than nutrition; that it really doesn't matter what you're putting in your body as long as it tastes good and you get a variety.

How about "It's all about not getting heart disease" or "It's all about putting things into your body that benefit and nourish it"?

If I haven't convinced you, maybe this will.

So what are you supposed to do with this? Just be aware. You don't have to stop eating McDonald's. I'm not trying to make a point to ruin anybody's good mood. But you deserve to know what you're putting in your body and to make an informed decision. And if you get sick, you deserve to know that what you ate probably contributed to it, because knowing this empowers you to heal yourself by making changes.

Ignorance is killing Americans. It's not McDonald's fault, though they share some of the blame. It's the fault of deliberate and innocent deception and unawareness. And it's my passion and my goal to change that.

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).