4 Sources of Healthy Saturated Fat

That's right, saturated fat is not your enemy any longer! For decades fat, especially saturated fat, was demonized and we were all told by every doctor, nutrition specialist, and even our own government that dietary fat was the cause of our weight gain and the increase in diseases like diabetes and heart disease.  In this week's What's That?! Wednesday post we are going to walk you through why the EXACT OPPOSITE is true and how overwhelming data  now shows that eating less fat actually makes it more difficult to lose weight and increases our risk of inflammatory diseases significantly.  

Since these recommendations came out in the 1970's our obesity and disease rates have skyrocketed and it is now projected that one in every two Americans will be obese by the year 2050.  I'm no scientist, but something doesn't add up here! We have all followed our government's recommendation and now we have more people than ever with obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and inflammatory driven conditions and the numbers get worse every year! 

So, what's the truth?!  Here are several saturated fat facts you need to know:

1. Dietary saturated fat and total fat do not cause heart disease!
   That's right! This is one of the biggest myths and misunderstandings about nutrition and health of our lifetime. A review of over 70 studies comprising 600,000 people found no link or correlation at all between  total or saturated fat and heart disease. (1) In fact a study out of UCLA looked at the  data for over 130,000 heart attack admissions in 2009 and found that 75% of these people did not have high LDL cholesterol (the cholesterol that was said to cause heart attacks). They did find that 90% of them had markers for pre-diabetes or full blown type 2 diabetes including a low HDL (the good cholesterol), which many experts are now saying is a better indicator of heart disease risk. (2)
   
   Bottom line: The best way to raise HDL is to eat good sources of saturated and other healthy fats and avoid harmful LDL raising choices like trans-fats and industrial seed & vegetable oils like (corn, soy, canola, sunflower, peanut, etc).
   
   
2. Healthy saturated fats help boost cognitive performance and decrease your risk for neurological diseases like Alzheimer's, dementia, depression, and anxiety.  A study out of Boston University that followed about 2,000 men and women for 18 years found that lower cholesterol was associated  with poor performance on cognitive measures like: abstract thinking, word recall, attention and concentration, and decision making skills. Those who had higher levels of total cholesterol performed much better than those with lower levels. (3) This is because cholesterol is a critical brain nutrient that is essential to the function of our neurons.  It also plays a fundamental part in building cell membranes, and acts as precursor to other important brain-supporting molecules like Vitamin D.
   
   Bottom line: When cholesterol levels are too low, your brain doesn't function optimally and you are at an increased risk for neurological problems like: depression, anxiety, dementia, and Alzheimer's. 
   
   
3. It is refined carbs & sugar, not saturated fat,  that is the true cause of the obesity and disease epidemic we face today!  Simple carbs like sugar, processed and packaged foods, white rice, white flour, and whole wheat turn into sugar in your blood stream. This causes a spike in insulin and sets off an array of metabolic imbalances like increased fat storage and increased fat production in your liver which raises bad cholesterol and triglycerides and lowers your good cholesterol.  Not cool! (4)
   
   Bottom Line: Ditch the processed, sugary, and simple carb based foods and swap them for real food!
   
   
4. Saturated fats help to balance hormones which helps you lose weight!  Saturated fats are required to make steroid hormones such as testosterone and estrogen that help to regulate our metabolism. When our steroid hormones and insulin get out of balance from eating refined carbs and sugar combined with inflammatory fats (like industrial vegetable oils), we experience weight gain or the inability to lose weight.  A study out of Harvard published in JAMA in 2013 showed that those participants  that were on the highest fat diets (40-60% of calories) combined with low-carbohydrates or low-glycemic burned the most calories, triggered the most improvement in insulin sensitivity, and had the best weight loss results. They found that those on the low-fat diets had hormonal changes that left them vulnerable to weight gain, pre-diabetes, and diabetes. (5)
   
   Bottom Line: Dietary fats actually speeds up your metabolism, reduce cravings, and stimulate fat burning. 

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Basically saturated fat, in the absence of refined carbs/sugar, is not really a big problem, especially if you eat adequate amounts of other healthy fats like Omega-3's.  So get rid of those low-fat and fat-free yogurts, cookies, and snacks and replace them with some healthy fat alternatives. It is important to keep in mind that not all fat is created equal - there are good and bad types of saturated fats so don't head to the drive through of the nearest fast food place for a double cheeseburger!! Instead check out our recommendations below...

4 Sources of Healthy Saturated Fats:

1. Coconut oil. This medicinal food is super versatile and good for you in so many ways. It can help to strengthen your immune system with its broad anti-microbial effects,  decrease your risk of heart disease, and stabalize your blood sugar.  It has a slightly sweet taste making it perfect for baking,  but it is also great for roasting, or sauteing because it very stable at high heats. Check out our Raw Coconut Snack Balls , our Banana Protein Pancakes or our Chinese Chicken Salad. I also like to add 1/2 -1 tablespoon raw, unrefined coconut oil to my daily lemon water for additional detoxification and immune support! Be sure to choose a coconut oil that is virgin, unrefined, and cold-pressed.
   
   
2. Organic ghee or grass-fed butter. Ghee is clarified butter, a form of Indian butter that is processed by simmering butter on low until most of the milk and and water evaporates and you are left with the pure fat.  For this reason, ghee is a good for those who are allergic or sensitive to dairy.  Ghee also has a 400 degree smoke point so it is a good choice for high-heat cooking, searing, and even frying. Try our Herb Crusted Chicken Breast for a mouthwatering meal that will become a family favorite! It's important to choose ghee made from grass-fed butter since butter from grain-fed cows is loaded with inflammatory fats and hormones that will drive up inflammation and increase your risk of disease. My personal favorite brand is Purity Farms Ghee, which is sold at most Whole Foods and natural food stores or online retailers like Thrive Market and Amazon. 
   
   
3. Organic, pasture-raised eggs.  This is where I get to tell you to ditch your egg-whites and eat the whole eggs, yes even the yolks! Egg yolks are loaded with healthy saturated and omega-3 fats as well key vitamins like D and A and a great source of amino-acids that help boost your energy and speed up your metabolism.  Again, it's important to choose eggs that come from chickens raised on pastures - only these eggs will give you these types of health benefits.  Try our Seasonal Vegetable & Quinoa Frittatas or our Sausage & Sage Quiche with Sweet Potato Crust. 
   
   
4. Organic, grass-fed beef.  While I strongly recommend that you do not eat meat from fast food or mainstream restaurants, organic, grass-fed beef and other dark meats with saturated fats like chicken thighs are perfectly acceptable in moderation in your diet as long as you know the source. Make sure that your meat is from organic, grass-fed cows since industrial, grain-fed meat is loaded with antibiotics that kill your good gut flora, hormones that decrease your metabolism, and inflammatory fats from grain foods like corn.  I love to slow cook my beef to get the most flavors, try my Crockpot Brisket Tacos for another amazing family meal you will love! 

Remember friends...fat is not your enemy...get the word out by sharing this post if you feel inspired to do so.  And stay tuned in the coming weeks when we discuss the role of monounsaturated fats in your diet and how to eat fat to balance your hormones and lose weight! Thanks for your support!

In good health,
~Billie

References:
1. University of Cambridge: March 2014
2. UCLA: January 2009
​3. Psychosom Med: January 2005
4. American Journal of Nutrition: March 2008
​5. Jama 2012
​6. Eat Fat, Get Thin; Dr. Mark Hyman, February 2016