Don't Fear the Fat!

If common knowledge has ever gotten anything wrong, it is on the subject of  fat; specifically the saturated kind, which has been demonized for years. Initially, this was a tough one for me. I lost count of the internal debates I had with myself during the course of my acceptance of high fat in my diet.
We have been "taught" for so long that the plethora of low fat options offered to us are the healthy choices. This message is presented so strongly that they even make 'fat-free' fat. (Refer to the peanut butter shelves and margarine selections at the store)
The standard American diet gravitates us right to low-fat, high-carb choices. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has had years of government endorsed food pyramids, and now, the new My Plate, suggesting what and how we should eat.
Fortunately, they are just suggestions, and often not well researched suggestions. It just seems to me that USDA and the American Dairy Association have a pretty vested interest in marketing the benefits of grains and dairy, so their opinions on what we should and should not eat mean pretty much nothing to me.
What nobody mentions is that the high carbohydrate, sugar filled alternatives placed in front of us are not the optimal source of fuel the human body. (Check out my previous entry Sugar High for more details on this). Something else that seems to get overlooked, are the cheap chemical fillers used to put flavor back into the products. (I use the term "product" in favor of the extended "food like substance.")
In hindsight, I am not sure what my hangup was. I was basically getting permission to add extra butter to everything and eat bacon whenever I wanted...and I was hesitating?!?! I have yet to meet a person who can complain about more butter or bacon.
I have digressed. Let me reiterate; low-fat does NOT equal health food. Low-fat equals things like chemical alterations, fake flavor, pseudo sugars and the ever-evil high fructose corn syrup.
I want to address what you may be thinking...perhaps something like "eating fat will make me fat" or that "saturated fat will clog my arteries." While this may seem logical, the reality is that fats only turn to fat in the body in the presence of carbohydrates. Fat also isn't water soluble. A quick Google search tells us that our blood is over 80% water, so the suggestion that saturated fat can enter and clog arteries begins to make less sense. Let's take a quick look at some details:

Saturation: one method used to classify fatty acids. We have saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

• Saturated fat is made solely of saturated fatty acids (SFAs), meaning that all of its bonds are filled. There are no open holes, it is fully saturated, which means nothing foreign can get in and cause it to spoil. This makes the fat resistant to high heat, gives it a long shelf life, is solid at room temperature, and is compatible with and essential to many functions in the human body. Half of human cell membrane structure is made of saturated fat, and it is used by the body as a source of energy. (Sisson, 2009). Your body actually converts and stores excess carbohydrates as saturated fat for later use; humans are fat burners by default.
• Monounsaturated fats have just one (mono, single, solo) double-bond in their fatty acid chain. These are generally accepted in conventional wisdom as a heart healthy fat, often containing many vitamins and minerals, and have been linked to improving blood-cholesterol levels. The one double-bond makes this fat liquid at room temperature, becoming more solid when chilled. More double bonds equals more fluidity to the fat (Sisson, 2008).
• This leads me to polyunsaturated fats. As you may have guessed, polyunsaturated fats have more than one double-bond in their fatty acid chain. These pretty much remain in liquid form, even when chilled. This volatile liquid form makes them unstable, particularly when heated, which will actually make the fat go rancid (Sisson, 2008). This was great information for me, as I had been cooking with olive oil for years thinking I was making a healthy choice. 
• Trans fat rules the bad fats. Trans fats are unsaturated fats that have been through a hydrogenation process; meaning the oils have had hydrogen atoms added to them to make them thicker at room temperature. (think margarine and shortening) A seemingly simple process that may have began with good intentions, but unfortunately, this man-made operation unleashes havoc in our bodies.

We could spend paragraphs picking apart good and bad fat sources, so in an effort to not bore you, check out this link for a good guide to fats. In the meantime, do yourself a favor and get rid of all the vegetable and seed oils in your cupboard, and if you see anything that contains the word "hydrogenated" on the label, run as far away as possible.

A lot of conventional wisdom and basic assumptions will tell us that glucose (which comes from carbohydrates) is the preferred source of energy for the body; but the body can only hold so much glucose for energy, before it begins to store it as body fat. The liver (and other glucose burning organs) can only hold about a days worth of glycogen for energy use. The muscles can store enough to fuel about 90 minutes of reasonably intense physical activity (Sisson, 2011). 

I feel it may be important to state at this point that I am not afraid of carbohydrates. I do take into consideration that some people might run better off of carbohydrates. Personally, I notice a difference in my athletic performance and energy if I have a higher carb intake. Depending on my activity level, I tend to feel better when I eat more sweet potatoes, squash or bananas. I just try to pay attention to my body and choose smart carbs to fuel my more intense workouts. This leads me to another major problem with conventional carb intake; The cheapest and most available sources of carbohydrates are from processed grains and sugar. Educating yourself and making smart choices really does make all the difference. 

In his 2011 blog posting (referenced below), Mark Sisson referred to the Carb Paradigm as "an unsustainable and ridiculous literal and figurative treadmill." As someone who used to run miles on this treadmill, I am inclined to agree. Sisson gives us excellent details in the aforementioned article, and I highly recommend giving it a read.
Now there are always exceptions to this. I am sure we all have that friend or relative who can eat whatever they want and don't seem to gain a pound. Does this make them healthy? Does this mean they are running in the most efficient way possible? It just seems to me that this "Carb Paradigm" causes more problems that it does good. Of the three macronutrients, carbohydrates are the only one that humans can live without. As long as you are getting a good supply of fat and protein, you can lead a long and healthy life with little to no carbs in your diet. If you were to cut either fat or protein from your diet, you would end up getting sick and dying (Sisson). 
Thank you all for your time, please share any questions or comments. Your feedback is welcome and appreciated!

To conclude this post, I would like to share a brief list of some of my favorite fat/energy sources:

• Avocado - An excellent monounsaturated fat source, these are one of my go-to favorites. Avocados are a very healthy fat source, loaded with vitamins, mineral, and antioxidants. I also find them a very filling compliment to bacon, eggs, salads and burgers.
• Coconut and Coconut Oil: Perhaps a future blog post on its own; This fairly unique fat source is a medium chain triglyceride, which essentially means that it is easily absorbed and put directly to use, energizing our bodies. This easily digested oil is my favorite to cook with, the milk is excellent in soups and dips, and shredded coconut meat makes a great snack.
• Animal meat: Comes in many forms, flavors, and with tons of other nutrients to boot. Humans need it, and thrive on it. Go grass fed on your beef, pasture raised on your chicken, and wild caught on your fish whenever possible. This will help to avoid harmful antibiotics and hormones.  
• Ghee: Clarified butter adds an excellent flavor to sautéed vegetables or fried eggs.
• Olive Oil: My favorite to drizzle on salads or on top of a bowl of soup. Just to reiterate, olive oil turns rancid easily if heated, so this is best used added to cold or cooked food.

Main Resource:


Sisson, Mark. Is Saturated Fat Healthy?(2009). / Why Fat, Not Carbs, Are the Preferred Fuel for the Human Body (2011). / The Definitive Guide to Fats (2008). Posted to Marks Daily Apple, Retrieved April 29, 2012