The Simple Truth about Dietary and Saturated Fats in todays diets.

You've been deceived into thinking that saturated fats are bad for you, but let's look at some facts below...
Post is based around an article by a friend.
Mike Geary

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 the concept of 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 these 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, 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" who hate 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 fat intake.

Well, I suppose 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. In essense all fats have become unhealthy in the minds of so many people.

Please note that I’m not recommending following a super high fat diet. 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 calorie range to maintain or lose weight (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 and anti fungal 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. 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 compared to omega-3, which wreaks havoc in your body and your child's brain development. 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.

* 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.


Now 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 and most countries food standards agencies still allow this crap to pass as food. These oils aren’t even worthy of your lawnmower engine, 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 cooking oil, 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: includes the following: potato chips, french fries, donuts, fried chicken, chicken nuggets, etc. All of this crap shouldn't even pass as real food.

* Homogenized milk fat - Milk fat is a very healthy fat in its natural raw state. Its evolved to feed Calves. 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 or the UK unless you personally know a farmer.
Check out 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 and especially kefir 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 helped to 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!

Not all fat makes you fat.

Hello Everyone, I am going to discuss fats.
There is an incredible thing that happens when you lose weight and finally get your health in order (I'm not talking about buying a new bikini)...Everyone wants to know how you did it. Am I right?

This is exactly what has happened to my mom. Last year she lost 40 pounds and was able to stop taking her blood pressure and cholesterol medications just by using the principles in The Diet Solution (I haven't asked her about the bikini).

Now, even a year later, all of her friends are constantly calling her to ask their nutrition and health questions. Funny thing, they never want to talk to me, they only want to talk to her!

Last week my mom called me and needed a bit of help. "Isabel, I tried to tell one of the ladies at the YMCA where I exercise that she should use coconut oil to cook and she nearly fell off the exercise machine. I think she thought I was trying to kill her. She said her doctor told her to stop eating all saturated fat and that oils like coconut oil are fattening. How do I explain to her that it's actually good for her?"

This same scenario happens to me all the time. People have a really hard time believing that coconut oil is not "fattening" or "dangerous". We have all been falsely led to believe that fat, especially saturated fat, is the cause of our weight gain and health problems. This is only true half true. Some fats like hydrogenated oils and vegetable oils do contribute to heart disease and weight gain, but good fats like coconut oil, butter and olive oil are actually great fats for our bodies. Think about how much healthier people were in the late 1800's and very early 1900's. Heart disease was almost unheard of back then.

Let's put some of these MYTHS about coconut oil to rest right now.

Myth 1 - Coconut Oil contains a lot of fat so it must be fattening.

Truth - Not all fat makes you fat (I want to get this tattooed on my forehead). Certain fats do cause weight gain, but other good fats will actually burn unwanted fat off your body and accelerate your metabolism. I explain this in much more detail in the FATS Chapter of The Diet Solution Program so be sure to reference your manual for those details.

Myth 2 - Coconut Oil contains almost all saturated fat so it must be bad for you.

Truth - Saturated Fat is not the cause of heart disease, weight gain and high cholesterol. Saturated Fat has been falsely accused and it is SUGAR that is Enemy Numero Uno (It is worse than the Joker in Bat Man). Again, this is explained thoroughly in your manual (The Truth About Saturated Fat), stating facts and figures that prove saturated fat is really not our major problem.

Myth 3 - Coconut Oil should be avoided by those who are at risk for heart disease .

Truth - The fat in coconut oil is one of the healthiest oils you can consume (yes, even for those with heart disease). It is rich in lauric acid, which is known for its antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties and contains no trans fat. The saturated fat in coconut oil is different than many other oils in that it is of the medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) variety. The body digests MCFAs more easily and sends these fats directly to the liver where they are immediately converted into energy. Now isn't that great? A fat that is used to make energy instead of storing it on our bodies. We can all use some of that.
I highly recommend everyone use unrefined, organic coconut oil for all of their cooking needs. 1 - 2 tsps for most cooking is more than enough. You can even use it raw if you like as I think, it tastes OH SO DELICIOUS! I usually have about 2-3 total TBSPs per day which is a perfect amount for a fat burning eating plan. While it's really good for you, there's no need to go overboard.

If you have a hard time finding coconut oil in your local supermarket here in the USA, I buy mine here:

http://wildfamilynaturals.com

Now go right ahead and enjoy your coconut oil.

How to make all your food delicious

Recently I let you in on my 3 magic bullets for accelerated fat loss. If you've implemented those principles, good for you! Keep at it and you will be seeing the difference really soon.

Now, you may be asking yourself "What is left to eat?" and more importantly "What delicious food can I eat?"

All of the food I eat each day is incredibly delicious and healthy at the same time. I am able to achieve this because many of the foods people think are not healthy, really are. Examples of such foods are coconut oil, butter, bacon, and raw nuts. Yes many of those foods contain a high amount of fat but I am going to let you in on a very important fat loss secret right now:

Fat does NOT make you fat!

You actually need fat in order to shed your unwanted fat. The trick here is to make sure it is the right kind of fat.

Unfortunately, many people (this may include you) have been led to believe the opposite. People still think that butter and saturated fats are the reason heart disease is one of the top killers in this country (and now in many other countries as well). The truth is that it's not the natural fats that are causing this epidemic, it's the sugar, processed and packaged foods and over consumption of refined oils that are causing so much disease (and you can add Diabetes, High Cholesterol and High Blood Pressure to this list as well).

1. Did you know that during the 60 year period from 1910-1970, the proportion of traditional animal fat in the American diet declined from 83% to 62%?

2. During this same time butter consumption plummeted from 18 pounds per person each year to 4 pounds per person each year.

3. During the past 80 years, the consumption of dietary cholesterol intake has increased only one percent.

So if our consumption of butter and cholesterol has actually decreased, where is the problem? Why all the heart disease?

1. During the same period, the average intake of dietary vegetable oils (margarine, shortening, and refined oils) increased by about 400%.

2. During the same period, the consumption of sugar and processed foods increased by about 60%

Those are the facts, but there's never better proof than the results I see with my clients and my readers. When people finally stop eating margarine, refined oils, "fake" butters, sugar and processed foods, their health sky rockets! (and by sky rockets, I mean: gets better, greatly improves, elevates to whole new levels). Not to mention all the body fat they lose off their body (isn't that just an awful side effect?)

It's important to mention that the butter I use is organic and grass fed. The coconut oil I use is organic and unrefined and the bacon I buy is grass fed and nitrite / nitrate free. These are great foods to add into your meal plan. Not to mention the fact they will make any recipe absolutely delicious.

Now that I told you butter is ok to eat, here is a yummy chicken recipe I make in my house often:

(Please remember that the mad scientist in me sometimes forgets to document the exact amounts so you may need to make slight changes for your own tastes.)

Chicken with "I'm not afraid of butter" dressing

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts (approximately 1 lb of chicken)
6 Tbsp of melted butter
lemon juice from 1/2 large lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

Directions:

Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a large pan. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook chicken breasts in butter covered on very low heat. Do not let the butter get brown. Pour lemon juice in a separate bowl. Slowly stir in the remaining melted butter as you stir mixture. Then slowly add the olive oil as you stir mixture. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Once the chicken is cooked through, served on a plate and pour the "dressing mixture" over your cooked chicken breasts.

Don't be surprised if you are tempted to pour this dressing on your veggies and just about every other food item you can think of. It's delicious!

Remember it is not the fat that's keeping you fat. It is the refined oils, "fake" foods and sugar and artificial sweeteners that are the real culprits.

Now go on and enjoy some delicious food (while you shed off that unwanted fat at the same time!)

By the way...how are you doing on your "no white foods" plan? You should already be feeling the amazing, almost instant effects of giving your body a break from many of these foods. If you have not started yet, just begin today. If you are already 2 days in, good for you! Doesn't it feel good?