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Article 3. Fats and Oils .... Eat fat and be healthy! We are living in an age of almost total paranoia regarding fat, and its attendant sinister companion, cholesterol. Magazine and newspaper articles expound on the dangers lurking in a pat of butter, or pretty little egg yolk. Whole industries have sprung up providing us with “fat free” and “cholesterol free” foods that line the pockets of the producers while contributing to the ill health of the consumers. We need fats and oils - not only to exist, but to be healthy. These are classified as essential fatty acids (EFAs), also known as linoleic or Omega-6 and linolenic or Omega-3 fatty acids. To obtain these from the foods we eat is the primary purpose of our fat consumption. Our bodies do not produce EFAs, therefore we need to ingest them through food or supplements. Inasmuch as we wouldn’t run a car without engine oil, we should not operate our own system without the proper “engine grease”. EFAs do just that. They keep the human machinery functioning by promoting absorption of vitamins (A, D, E, K), providing protective coating for cell membranes, stimulating metabolic rate, speeding up the rate at which fats and glucose are burned, and in this way help to burn off excess fats. No fat - no weight loss! Virtually all of these substances are destroyed or chemically altered through commercial refining methods. Where to find these beneficial fatty acids? EFAs are found in the first pressing of olive and other unrefined (cold pressed) oils, unsalted butter and ghee, coconut oil, fish oils, egg yolks (from free range hens), avocados, unprocessed (and unroasted) nuts and seeds, soy beans, seafood and cold water fish (the colder the water, the higher the fat content). None of these will raise your cholesterol. If anything, they will lower it. Incidentally, low-fat diets for infants can seriously harm their health. Fats and Oils to avoid Avoid any processed oils - and that includes most oils found on grocery shelves, particularly those labelled “light” or worse still, “lite”. Among them are to be found cotton, peanut, mustard seed and canola oil and margarine - any brand. Also best avoided are commercially prepared foods, ranging from baked goods to salad dressings, snacks, and all “convenience foods”. Those packages found on grocery shelves, and in the freezer section, are not food. They are rubbish. Among the worst offenders are frozen “diet foods”, including those by Weight Watchers. Canola oil is specially processed rape seed oil. The rape plant, a member of the mustard family, contains euric acid, a highly toxic substance known to cause heart damage and cancer. For years, rape seed oil was used for lubricating machines only. Then, a Canadian process was developed to remove the euric acid from the oil and it was renamed Canola. There is concern that euric acid cannot be totally removed by processing and that traces of it remain. Food companies claim that such minute quantities will not affect humans! Anything for a buck.! Margarine is another highly processed product emerging from the chemical arsenal of the food processing industry.There is not a single shred of scientific evidence to back up the claim that any margarine is good for your heart, or that it has any health benefits. Heart disease and cancer deaths have increased at a rate parallel to the increase in margarine sales. What’s best? a) for cooking - Olive Oil of the first
pressing, virgin oil and cold pressed. And Ghee, or Clarified Butter,
the b) for raw consumption - Flax Seed Oil,
a primary source of omega-3 fatty acid with strong nutritional and Both are available in health food stores. Store in the refrigerator and do not use for cooking. Recommended reading: Dr. Udo Erasmus:
Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill, published by Alive Books, Canada Edith Carter |
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All contents © Copyright Edith Carter and the Healthy Company, 2005
