Fat is Fuel

Whoever decided to demonize fat did us a great disservice. Fat is crucial to human health. It helps us to absorb vitamins, it satiates us, it regulates digestion, it builds cell membranes and some hormones, and it provides slow, steady energy.

Omega 6 and omega 3 are the two essential fatty acids that we must get from food. Omega 6s are found in cold pressed and unprocessed nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, peanut butter, avocado and tofu. They are inflammatory, which in small proportions is useful to fight disease and heal from injury.

Omega 3s are found in pasture-raised egg yolks, salmon, sardines, ground flax seeds, herring, grass-fed beef, mackerel, chia seeds, oysters, anchovies, and some marine algae. They are anti-inflammatory and they promote cell membrane flexibility which tells your body, we are safe!

Like everything in life, the right proportions matter. The ratio between the omegas must be between 1:1 and 4:1: that is one to four of omega 6s for every one of omega 3. And this is where everything goes haywire. Most people have a ratio closer to 15:1 which is like igniting a forest fire from within. Why? Because we rely too much on industrial seed oils such as canola, soybean, cottonseed, corn and vegetable oils.

Ok, here it goes…The many steps it takes to extract oil from seeds the industrial way:

Solvent based extraction, like hexane. I dare you, look it up (yuck!)

High heat processing (oxidation and rancidness, don't want that!)

Degumming (hmmm...)

Bleaching (what???)

Deodorizing (come on!)

Adding colorants (really?)

Did I say pro-inflammatory and drivers of disease?

Granted, when seed oils are extracted using old time methods such as a large press powered by oxen (quaint, but impractical) or cold expeller-pressed extraction methods (less common but doable), the seed oils retain their nutritional properties without the harmful effects of chemical additives. If you can find them and afford them, enjoy! Otherwise, a good ground rule is to limit industrial seed oils.

Let’s wrap this up on a positive note. Fats, that is, natural fats are not only good but essential. So, love your fats. Olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, pasture-raised butter and ghee are a few excellent options.