Eating fat makes you fat, right? That scoop of butter is gonna turn into a fat pouch on your lower abdomen, right? Fat-free milk is better for us than whole milk, right?
This country does a great job of avoiding fat. Low fat, reduced fat, non-fat, fat free. We’ve taken fat out of foods that are naturally full of fat; Whole milk to fat-free, ice cream to fat-free, low fat/cholesterol-free butter. Then why in the world are we still so fat? Maybe eating fat isn’t the problem. Maybe NOT eating fat is, in fact, the problem….
“Well yeah, we already know that not ALL fat is bad for us, just saturated fat, right?”
Roles of SATURATED FAT:
1. Cell Membrane Stability: Our cell walls are primarily made of saturated fats. These saturated fats give the cell membrane stiffness and stability. When we replace saturated fat in our diets with UNsaturated fat (omega 6,9: canola oil, soybean oil, etc.) our cell walls become weak and flabby.
2. Saturated Fats are needed for proper use of essential fatty acids and FAT-soluble Vitamins: Fat soluble vitamins are vitamin A, D, E, and K. If we consume these vitamins in the absence of fat, we are not fully absorbing the nutrients. Fat free milk? Goodbye vitamin D.
3. Enhances immune system.
4. Protects liver from alcohol and other toxins.
5. Provides us with the feeling of satiety (feeling full). Which would explain why low fat/no fat diets never last very long. Fat also tastes good so when food manufacturers strip away all of the fat from a product they have to add sugar and flavoring to make it palatable.
What about Cholesterol? That is also a saturated fat. Cholesterol is bad, right? High levels of cholesterol in your body is bad. However, eating cholesterol does not directly affect the cholesterol in your body. Cholesterol acts as an antioxidant and it protects the body from high levels of free radicals in the body. A body that is polluted with excess free radicals will have a high level of cholesterol because the body NEEDS that cholesterol to fight off the free radicals.
Let me paint a picture for you. This example was taken from the book, “Nourishing traditions”
When there is high crime in a city (free radicals in the body) the police force (cholesterol) responds to fight the crime. Blaming the police force (cholesterol) for the high crime (poor health) is ignorant. We all know the criminals (free radicals) are responsible for the crime (poor health) not the police (cholesterol)
Roles of CHOLESTEROL:
1. Acts as an antioxidant by fighting free radicals. When we eat free radical containing fats (hydrogenated oils) or cholesterol levels rise to fight them off. Do not blame cholesterol from egg yokes for your high cholesterol levels in your blood.
2. Needed for proper function of serotonin receptors in the brain.
3. Maintains health of the intestinal wall.
Low cholesterol levels have been linked to aggressive and violent behavior, depression, and suicidal tendencies.
I am not telling you to go eat a tub of butter. I am telling you to stop avoiding saturated fat and cholesterol. The saturated fat in that beef burger is not what’s making you fat; it’s the fake cheese, bun, x-large order of french fries, a large Coke, and sitting on your ass all day that’s making you fat.
It baffles me why someone would milk a cow, strip away all of the fat and serve it as a health food that’s good for your bones when it is actually just sugar water (water and lactose). Taking out the yokes in eggs is not only a bad idea, it’s wasteful.
“Let’s take all of the cholesterol out of butter and replace it with unsaturated plant oil that we will make saturated by changing it’s chemistry and injecting hydrogen atoms into it in order to make hydrogenated oil that is completely foreign to our bodies and actually resembles plastic! It no longer has Cholesterol so it has to be healthy!”
The last thing I want you to realize is that the SOURCE of saturated fat is of the utmost importance. Saturated fat from steak, eggs,and milk is good for you. Saturated fat from a cinnamon roll is not. The reason is that saturated fat from animal products occurs naturally while saturated fat from processed foods (cinnamon roll) comes from the Hydrogenated (man-made) oils.
That’s it ladies and gentlemen, I hope that helps!
-Train Untamed
Sources: “How to Eat, Move, and Be Healthy” -Paul Chek
“Nourishing Traditions” -Sally Fallon
