FITNESS TIP OF THE WEEK:  FATS:  THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

The Good

We’re not talking about the excess adipose tissue many people store in their abdominal and gluteal areas but as a macronutrient that is a vital part of our nutritional requirements for optimal health and energy.  Part 4 of the Nutritional Series will focus on the best fats to consume.

 Disclaimer:  The information stated in these Fit Tips is the opinion of CrossFit Jaguar.  I am not a Registered Dietician, Certified Clinical Nutritionist or Medical Doctor.  This is not intended as a dietary prescription or to treat any disease.  I am merely sharing my opinions based on my educational background, the research I have done and my personal experience.

 That being said. . .

The Bad

 Fat has long been given a bad rap.  The lipid hypothesis is a crock of crap.  Fats do not cause heart disease or make you fat.  If you want the details and scientific facts I would highly suggest reading Good calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes or extensively reviewing the websites and books listed at the end of this article.  They can change your life.  Refined carbohydrates and vegetable oils are the villains that make you sick and fat.

Eating fat to lose fat is not contradictory—the key is eating the right types of fats.  Many populations have lived off of these healthy traditional fats for thousands of generations:  butter, beef and lamb tallow, chicken, goose and duck fat, coconut oil and extra virgin cold pressed olive oil.  They had virtually no disease. 

When oil is saturated that means the molecule has all the hydrogen atoms it can hold.  Unsaturated means that some hydrogen atoms have been removed and this opens the structure of the molecule in a way that makes it susceptible to attack by free radicals.  When unsaturated oils are exposed to free radicals they can create chain reactions that spread the damage in the cell and contribute to the cell’s aging.

Essential fatty acids, according to textbooks, linoleic and linolenic acid are supposed to have the status of “vitamins” which must be taken in the diet to make life possible.  However, we are able to synthesize our own unsaturated fats when we don’t eat the “EFA”, so they are not “essential”.  The term thus appears to be a misnomer.

The following new fangled fats can cause cancer, heart disease, immune system dysfunction, sterility, learning disabilities, growth problems, hormonal imbalance, oxidative damage and osteoporosis:  all hydrogenated oils, soy, corn and safflower oils, cottonseed oil, sesame and sunflower seed oil, palm oil, canola oil and any others labeled as “unsaturated” or “polyunsaturated”.  What to do?  Do not eat them.  You must scrutinize every label on the foods you purchase.  They are in everything; it is next to impossible to find a healthy bottle of commercial salad dressing that does not contain one of these toxic and rancid oils.  Make your own.  This also applies to a lot of the marinades as well as condiments whether commercial brands or organic.  Not only are they expensive but bad for you.  It is much simpler and more economical to make your own.  The only vegetable oils that are safe to eat are coconut oil and olive oil. 

And the Ugly

Let’s start with one of the healthiest fats to eat, coconut oil.  I prefer unrefined and cold pressed versus refined and expeller pressed.  Coconut oil is a medium chain fatty acid and will make you lean.  Back in the 1940’s farmers were looking for a way to fatten up their hogs so they started feeding them coconut oil.  To their surprise, the animals got lean.  They then switched to corn and soybeans which had an antithyroid effect and fattened the animals at low cost.  Eating the fat of the animals fed this type of diet will have a similar effect on your body. 

Organic, cold pressed extra virgin olive oil is another healthy source of fat and contains an antioxidant which makes it protective against heart disease and cancer.  As far as animal fats go, butter—raw and from pasture raised cows are one of the best fats you can eat.  For the more adventurous fat from lamb and beef tallow, chicken and duck fat are also excellent sources IF the animals were pasture raised and not poisoned.  Lard was an excellent fat source and still is IF once again the pigs were pasture raised and you render your own.  It is not easy finding a quality source of lard. 

Promotion, advertising and profitability have made these dangerous oils popular.  50 years ago paints and varnishes were made of these oils.  Then chemists figured out how to make paint from petroleum which was much more economical and the huge seed oil industry found its crop difficult to sell.  That was about the same time the farmers were poisoning their pigs with corn and soybeans, legally.  Thus, the paint industry crops were now being used for animal food.  They then came to be promoted for human food but had to direct attention away from the fattening factor.  Aaaaah, thus the “cholesterol focus” or lipid hypothesis—just one of the marketing tools used by the oil industry.  Unfortunately it has lasted decades even after unsaturated oils were proven to cause heart disease as well as cancer.

To maintain optimal health and weight avoid foods which contain the polyunsaturated oils and use only pasture raised beef, pork, lamb and poultry.  Fish and shellfish should be wild, not farmed.  Use coconut oil, butter, olive oil and the above mentioned animal fats.

Some excellent articles to read:

http://www.westonaprice.org/transition/fatfear.html

http://westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/oiling.html

http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/unsuitablefats.shtml

http://raypeat.com/articles/nutrition/oils-in-context.shtml

http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/cholesterol-longevity.shtml

Some excellent books to read:

Good Calories Bad Calories by Gary Taubes

Eat Fat to Lose Fat by Mary Enig

Sources for pastured beef and pork

http://peacefulpastures.com/

Nutrition is only part of a healthy lifestyle–exercise is paramount.  For those you love and care about, CrossFit Jaguar Gift Certificates are available in any demonination for the holidays.  Throw in a jar of organic coconut oil and your stocking is stuffed!