The Shocking Truth about Dietary Fats and Saturated Fats
You've been deceived into thinking that saturated fats are bad for you, but let's look at some facts below...
by Mike Geary - Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer
I’ll preface this article by saying that it will help if you have an
open mind and accept that some of these facts are a slap in the face to
politically correct nutrition in this day and age where fats are
admonished by many doctors,
health "experts", and the mass media.
To start, eating an adequate supply of healthy dietary fats is
vitally important to your overall health. Fats are one of the main
components in all of the cell membranes throughout your entire body. If
you eat enough healthy natural fats, your cellular processes will
proceed normally.
On the other hand, if you eat
man-made, heavily processed, chemically altered fats
(damaged fats) that are found in most processed foods, your cellular
function will be impaired as these damaged fats become part of your cell
membranes, the body will have to work harder to operate correctly, and
degenerative diseases can develop.
In addition, healthy dietary fats are necessary for optimal hormone
production and balance within the body and are therefore essential for
the muscle building and fat burning processes. Other important
functions that dietary fats play in a healthy body are aiding vitamin
and mineral utilization, enzyme regulation, energy, etc.
I cringe every time I hear so called "health experts" recommend
restriction of dietary fat, claiming that a low-fat diet is the key to
good health,
weight loss, and prevention of degenerative diseases.
Restriction
of any one macronutrient (protein, carbs, or fat) in your diet works
against what your body needs and can only lead to problems.
All three basic macronutrients serve important functions for a lean,
healthy, and disease-free body. As Dr. Mary Enig, Ph.D, and one of the
leading fats researchers in the world, notes in several of her books and
articles, there is very little true scientific evidence supporting the
assertion that a high fat diet is bad for us.
For example, if these so called "health experts" that admonish fat
are correct, and a low-fat diet is the solution to good health, then why
did traditional Pacific Islanders who typically obtained 2/3 to 3/4 of
their total daily calories from fat (mostly from coconut fat), remain
virtually free from heart disease, obesity, and other modern
degenerative diseases (that is, until Western dietary influences
invaded)?
Also, why did traditional Eskimo populations, consuming up to 75% of
their total caloric intake from fat (mostly from whale blubber, seal
fat, organ meats, and cold water fish), display superior health and
longevity without heart disease or obesity?
Why did members of the Masai tribe in Africa remain free from
degenerative diseases and maintain low body fat percentages on diets
consisting of large quantities of raw whole milk, blood, and meat? What
about the Samburu tribe of Africa, which eats an average of 5 times the
quantity of dietary fat (mostly from raw whole milk and meat) as
overweight, disease-ridden Americans, yet Samburu members are lean,
healthy, and free of degenerative diseases?
What about traditional Mediterranean diets, which are known to be
very high in fat in some cases (sometimes up to 50-70% fat), and are
also well known to be very healthy?
These examples of
high fat diets
and the associated excellent health of traditional populations around
the world go on and on, yet it seems that many doctors, nutritionists,
and media outlets still ignore these facts and continue to promote a
diet that restricts dietary fat intake.
Well, the problem is that the good fats (the natural unprocessed
health promoting fats) have gotten mistakenly lumped together in
nutritional advice with the deadly processed fats and oils that make up a
large percentage of almost all processed food that is sold at your
local grocery store, restaurant, deli, fast food joint, etc. These
deadly processed fats are literally everywhere and almost impossible to
avoid unless you know what to look for and make smart choices in what
you feed your body with.
Take note that I’m not recommending following a super high fat diet
(although technically this can be more healthy than a high carb diet as
long as you choose healthy fats).
However, in most cases, active individuals that exercise on a regular basis certainly also need adequate supplies of
healthy carbohydrates for
energy and muscle glycogen replenishment as well as good sources of
protein for muscle repair. The above examples of the high fat diets of
traditional populations and their corresponding excellent health were
simply to prove the point that you don't need to be afraid of dietary
fats as long as you make healthy natural choices and stay within your
daily caloric range to maintain or
lose body fat (depending on your goals).
Following is a list of some of the healthiest fatty foods (some will
surprise you!) as well as some of the deadliest fatty foods to try to
avoid at all costs:
The Healthy Fatty Food Choices:
- Coconut fat: Coconut fat is approximately 92% saturated fat, yet
surprisingly to most people, is considered a very healthy natural fat.
The health benefits of coconut fat lie in its composition of
approximately 65% medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). Specifically, about
50% of coconut fat is a MCT called lauric acid, which has very potent
anti-microbial properties helping to enhance the immune system. Also,
MCTs are more easily utilized for immediate energy instead of being
stored as body fat. Coconut oil is also an excellent cooking oil for
stir-frying, etc. since saturated fats are much more stable and do not
oxidize like polyunsaturated oils when exposed to heat and light, which
creates damaging free radicals. The best sources of healthy coconut fat
are organic coconut milk, virgin coconut oil (available at
http://coconut-info.com), or fresh coconut.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Olive oil is approximately 71%
monounsaturated, 16% saturated, and 13% polyunsaturated. Choose “extra
virgin” olive oil, which comes from the first pressing of the olives and
has higher quantities of antioxidants. Unlike most other oils on
supermarket shelves, extra virgin olive oil is not extracted with the
use of harmful industrial solvents and is one of your healthiest choices
for liquid oils. Try making your own salad dressing by mixing a small
amount of olive oil with vinegar. This is healthier than most store
bought salad dressings, which are usually made with highly processed and
refined (chemically damaged) soybean oil extracted with industrial
solvents.
- Dark, bittersweet chocolate (>70% cocoa): The cocoa bean is a
very concentrated source of antioxidants and responsible for part of the
health benefit of dark chocolate. The fat portion of the cocoa bean
(cocoa butter) is a healthy natural fat, composed of approximately 59%
saturated fat (mostly healthy stearic acid), 38% monounsaturated fat,
and 3% polyunsaturated fat. I’ll limit the description of healthy
chocolate to ONLY dark bittersweet chocolate with >70% cocoa content.
Most milk chocolates are only about 30% cocoa, and even most dark
chocolates are only about 55% cocoa, leaving the remainder of those
products composed of high amounts of sugar, milk fat, corn sweeteners,
etc. Look for a quality dark chocolate that lists its cocoa content like
Chocolove Extra Dark (77%) or Dagoba New Moon (74%), which contain
mostly cocoa and very little sugar. Keep in mind that although dark
chocolate can be a healthy treat, it is still calorie dense, so keeping
it to just a square or two is a good idea.
- Avocados or guacamole: The fat in avocados (depending on where
they’re grown) is approximately 60% monounsaturated, 25% saturated, and
15% polyunsaturated. Avocados are a very healthy natural food that
provides many nutrients, fiber, and healthful fats, while adding a rich
flavor to any meal. Try sliced avocado on sandwiches or in salads or use
guacamole in wraps, sandwiches, or quesadillas.
- High fat fish such as wild salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring,
trout, etc.: Just about any fish or seafood are good sources of natural
omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, but the higher fat fish listed above are
the best sources of omega-3’s. Due to the radical switch to a higher
proportion of omega-6 polyunsaturated fats like soybean oil, corn oil,
safflower oil, etc. in our food supply during the middle of the 20th
century, the average western diet is currently way too high in omega-6’s
compared to omega-3’s, which wreaks havoc in your body. This is where
good omega-3 sources like high fat fish, walnuts, and flax seeds can
help bring you back to a better ratio of omega-6/omega-3. I also
recommend Krill Oil, which has been shown to possibly have even more health benefits than standard fish oil
- Nuts (any and all - walnuts, almonds, peanuts, cashews, macadamias,
etc.): Nuts are great sources of healthy unprocessed fats as well as
minerals and other trace nutrients. Macadamias, almonds, and cashews are
great sources of monounsaturated fats, while walnuts are a good source
of unprocessed polyunsaturated fats (including omega-3’s). Try to avoid
nuts that are cooked in oil. Instead, choose raw or dry roasted nuts.
- Seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds):
All of these seeds are great sources of natural unprocessed healthy
fats. In particular, flax seeds have received a lot of attention lately
due to their high omega-3 content. However, keep in mind that omega-3
polyunsaturated fats are highly reactive to heat and light, and prone to
oxidation and free radical production. Therefore, freshly ground flax
seed is the only way to go. Instead of using the store bought ground
flax seed, you can buy whole flax seed and use one of those miniature
coffee grinders to grind your own flax seed. Try grinding fresh flax
seed into your yogurt, cereal, or even your salad. If you’re using a
flax oil, make sure it’s a cold-pressed oil in a light-proof
refrigerated container, and use it up within a few weeks to prevent it
from going rancid. NEVER cook with flax oil!
- The fat in organically raised, free-range animals: This is where
most people have been misinformed by the mass media. Animal fat is
inherently good for us, that is, if it came from a healthy animal. Human
beings have thrived on animal fats for thousands of years. The problem
is, most mass produced animal products today do not come from healthy
animals. They come from animals given loads of antibiotics and fattened
up with hormones and fed un-natural feed. The solution is to choose
organically raised, free-range meats, eggs, and dairy. At this time, the
price is still a little higher, but as demand grows, the prices will
come down. I've found an incredible website that actually offers free-range grass-fed meats delivered right to your doorstep at
very reasonable prices. Believe me, it's very hard to find grass fed
meats at any grocery stores, so I was pleased to find this site.
The Deadly Fatty Foods:
- Hydrogenated oils (trans fats):
These are industrially produced chemically altered oils subjected to
extremely high pressure and temperature, with added industrial solvents
such as hexane for extraction, and have a metal catalyst added to
promote the artificial hydrogenation, followed by bleaching and
deodorizing agents…..and somehow the FDA still allows this crap to pass
as food. These oils aren’t even worthy of your lawnmower, much less your
body! They’ve been linked to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer,
and more. Even small quantities have been shown in studies to be
dangerous. If you care about your health, check the ingredients of
everything you buy, and if you see partially hydrogenated oils of any
kind, margarine, or shortening, protect yourself and your family by
choosing something else.
- Refined oils: Even if the oils are not hydrogenated, most oils on
your supermarket shelves are refined, even most of the so called
“healthy” canola oils. Most refined oils still undergo the high
temperature, high pressure, solvent extraction, bleaching, and
deodorizing processes. Anything labeled vegetable oil, soybean oil, corn
oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, and even many canola oils have been
damaged by this refining process (unless they say "virgin" or "cold
expeller pressed"). This damages the natural structure of the fats,
destroys natural antioxidants, creates free radicals, and produces a
generally unhealthy product. Take note that the explosion of heart
disease in the middle of the 20th century coincides quite nicely with
the rapid increase in the use of hydrogenated and refined oils in the
food supply.
- Anything deep fried: including tortilla chips, potato chips, French
fries, donuts, fried chicken, chicken nuggets, etc. All of this crap
shouldn't even pass as real food in my opinion!
- Homogenized milk fat - Milk fat is a very healthy fat in its natural raw state. Milk and beef from grass fed organically raised cows
is known to have higher quantities of healthy fats like conjugated
linoleic acid (CLA) and omega-3 fatty acids compared with grain fed
cows. Traditional populations around the world have thrived in perfect
health while consuming huge quantities of raw, non-pasteurized,
non-homogenized, full fat dairy products. Once again, food processing
ruins a good thing by pasteurizing and homogenizing milk fat, rendering
it potentially dangerous inside the human body. Unfortunately, you will
find it almost impossible to find raw milk in the US unless you
personally know a farmer. Check out http://www.realmilk.com for more
info on the benefits of raw milk and to find out if it’s available near
you. As an alternative, cultured dairy products like yogurt have at
least had beneficial microorganisms added back to them making them
better for you. Realistically, since you probably won’t find raw milk,
sticking to skim milk is the best option to avoid the homogenized milk
fat. If you use butter for cooking, your best option is grass-fed butter.
I hope this article has shed some light on the truth about dietary fats and made you realize their importance in a healthy diet.
A fully comprehensive analysis on dietary protein, carbohydrates, and
fat, and how to compile all of this information into a diet that
promotes a lean healthy body with a low body fat percentage is provided
in my book
“The Truth About Six Pack Abs”. Give it a try and you won’t be disappointed!
Customer Review :
Leith Carnie from Australia
"...I
was running regularly and working out sometimes, but I was still
getting fatter... Everything changed when I started your truth about abs
program..."
Leith's changes from using TruthAboutAbs at 7 months and 11 months
Hi,
I had been talking about this
program for MONTHS, saying "I'll get it next pay...next pay...next
pay..." Finally a friend of mine got sick of my procrastination and
just bought it for me as a gift.
I began the program on the 5th of
February (about a month after my Dec 25th pic). Its now 18th July and
Im still going strong. So I thought I would send in my results so far.
The Program is FREAKIN BRILLIANT!!!
Before I started your program, I
was running regularly and working out sometimes, but I was still getting
fatter.... and fatter. I didn't really notice it until my friend took a
photo of me at the beach. I was horrified!!!! I knew I had to do
something about it, but I couldn't move the fat.
Everything changed when I started
your truth about abs program. In the 6 months I've been on the program,
I've lost 25.4 kg and gone from 30% body fat down to 11% body fat.
THANK YOU MIKE!!!!!!!
I have been sending friends photos of my progress and then the link to your site.
Leith Carnie, Australia
(Update on Leith's results: as seen in his 3rd pic above, Leith has dropped even more body fat in the last 4 months, and even has six pack abs now. This just shows the changes you can make in your body if you apply the info in TruthAboutAbs. Great job Leith!)
More Customer Review Please Click Here
