Are you afraid of F-A-T?

Are you afraid of fat?

We live in a fat phobic society. For decades we’ve been taught that FAT is the problem. But we were misled.

Doctors, nutritionists, and the media told everyone that if you have more than just a little fat in our diet you will be unhealthy. This fat phobia even went so far as to put small children on low fat diets.

If you look at the food that advertises itself as low-fat, it tends to be pretty high in carbohydrates- typically highly processed carbohydrates. Usually this comes in the form of sugar. Not a helpful transition- less fat to more sugar.

It turns out, you actually need fat in your diet be healthy. Not only that, you need a LOT of good fat in your diet to be healthy. Many of your body systems require good fats in order to function properly. Major body functions like your immune system, nervous system, endocrine system, and digestion, must have plenty of good fat in order to thrive.

Ultimately, if you don’t have enough good fat in your diet, your body and mind cannot do its job. When your mind and body cannot do what it is built to do, you begin to breakdown.

I recommend that 40-60% of your diet, calorically, come from good fat.

Without enough good fat, your immune system becomes suppressed. This makes you more susceptible to illnesses both acute and chronic. You might find yourself catching every cold you come into contact with or having repeated bacterial or viral infections.

Without enough of good fat, your nervous system cannot communicate properly. This means that your body cannot talk to itself. This impairs healing, slows brain function, decreases absorption of nutrients, and over time affects every system in the body. Mood disorders like anxiety and depression become dominant.

Without enough good fat, your skin cannot be supple and strong. This means that you are more prone to infection and your skin will age more rapidly.

Without enough good fats, your hormones don’t have the building blocks required to maintain balance. When your hormones are out of balance you can experience mood swings, headaches, digestive issues, menstrual issues (pain, PMS, intense menopause symptoms, irregular periods or absence of your periods) and are at greater risk for cancer of all kinds.

Without enough good fat your diet, the list of symptoms just keeps getting longer and there is no need for this to happen.

Good fats are delicious and packed with nutrition. 

Here are what good fats to include and what fats to exclude:

DO include these healthy fats:

• Butter from pasture raised cows, goats, and sheep
• Chicken, duck, and goose fat from pasture raised poultry
• Cold pressed coconut oil
• Cold pressed cod liver oil
• Cold pressed flax oil (eaten raw only)
• Cold pressed olive oil
• Cold pressed sesame oil
• Avocados
• Fish, wild
• Lard from pasture raised pigs
• Tallow from pasture raised beef and lamb

Fats to consume in strict moderation

• Peanut Oil
• Sunflower seed oil

DON’T include these inflammation-pushing fats:

• Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils (Trans-fats)
• Margarine
• Salad Oil
• Shortening
• Vegetable oils (including corn, soy, canola/rapeseed, cottonseed, safflower)

Check out these recipes to learn more ways to include healthy fats in your diet on a daily basis:

Chocolate Seedbutter Cups
Roast Chicken
Smoothies
Chaga Maca Chocolate Coconut Bars
Coconut Butter
Dark Chocolate Black Bean Brownies
Cashew Cream “Cheese”
Raw Milk Yogurt

Is there a recipe you like to include that is packed full of healthy fat?
Leave a comment below and share your recipe with us all.

Enjoy!

In Health and Balance,