The Skinny on Fat Workshop Notes
Why do we need fat in our
diet?
·
Fat provides needed
energy. It is difficult to eat the large amounts of food in a very low fat
diet to get all the energy you need.
·
Fat is needed to prevent
essential fatty acid deficiency.
·
Fat is needed so your body
can absorb the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, K, and prevent deficiencies of
these vitamins.
·
Fat provides flavor and
texture to help prevent food from being bland and
dry.
·
Fat helps food to stay in
the stomach longer, giving a greater sense of satisfaction and preventing hunger
soon after meals.
·
Fat may help your body
produce endorphins (natural substances in the brain that produce pleasurable
feelings).
·
Diets too low in fat (less than 20
- 25%) may trigger cravings.
·
Promotes and maintains healthy,
beautiful skin.
What does fat do
for our body?
·
Provides back-up energy if
blood sugar supplies run out (after 4-6 hours without
food).
·
Keeps your brain healthy –
70 % of your brain is made of fat and
cholesterol.
·
Keeps the arterial walls
flexible and improves blood flow.
·
Provides insulation under
the skin from the cold and the heat.
·
Protects organs and bones
from shock and provides support for
organs.
·
Fat surrounds and
insulates nerve fibers to help transmit nerve
impulses.
·
Fat is part of every cell
membrane in the body. Membranes regulate the outside barrier of your cells
that allow the transport of nutrients and glucose and protect against
toxins.
·
Your body uses fat to make
a variety of other building blocks needed for everything from hormones to immune
function. Hormones are what regulate the body’s
functions.
What happens when
we don't have enough fat in our diet?
·
Dry, scaly
skin
·
Hair
loss
·
Low body
weight
·
Cold
intolerance
·
Bruising
·
Poor
growth
·
Lower resistance to
infection
·
Poor wound
healing
·
Loss of
menstruation
·
Brain
fog
·
Depression, anxiety, mood
swings
·
Lethargy
There are two kinds of fats: the bad fats we must avoid
because they make us sick, and the good fats and oils, which we need for our
bodies to function properly and stay healthy.
All
fats are not equal. Although they each have nine calories per gram, the way fats
are stored and their ability to be used as an energy source differ
significantly. Omega-3 fatty acids are most readily used as an energy source.
Polyunsaturated fats from fish are stored in lean muscle
tissue. The opposite can be said of saturated fats such as those found in meat,
dairy, and fried foods. These saturated fats are a poor energy source, readily
sent to storage (usually in the abdominal region), and once in storage, are
difficult to remove.
Although the healthcare industries tout the supposed
danger of saturated fat, it is an important component in our diet and should not
be eliminated from the diet entirely. Saturated fats are used to build cell
membranes and comprise a large component of very important hormones. They are
also the preferred fuel for your heart and a number of other tissues. If we
fail to eat saturated fat our body is forced to make it. Unfortunately, the
saturated fat that our body makes is not the same as the kind we get from
foods, such as lauric acid, stearic acid, and palmitic acid. It is important to
get a good source of natural saturated fats from the diet, such as that from
extra virgin oils (olive, palm and coconut) and meat
products.
For
more than half a century, saturated fat has been regarded as a deadly nutrient
that clogs your arteries and causes heart disease. However, when you consider
the fact that we’ve been eating saturated fat for millions of years, it just
doesn’t make sense that it could be so unhealthy.
Modern science often neglects the importance of nature
and this is one of the more prominent examples. Many reputable sources of
information are now revealing that we’ve been misled and saturated fat does not
cause heart disease. In fact, the “heart healthy” vegetable oils that we’ve
been told to use instead of saturated fat pose a much more significant risk.
Despite the bad reputation that saturated fat has
undeservedly earned, it supports many of the body’s critical functions. The
following are 12 reasons why saturated fat is an essential part of a healthy
diet.
1.
Physical Protection
Because saturated fat is dense and is able to remain
solid at body temperature, it’s used to pad bony surfaces such as the palms,
soles, and sitting bones and cushion vital organs such as the heart, kidneys,
and intestines.
2.
A Good Source of Energy
Fat
contains more than twice as many calories per gram as carbohydrates and protein
making it an efficient source of energy. When consumed, fat can be used
immediately for energy or stored for later use. Saturated fat accounts for
nearly half of our body fat and can be produced by the body from excess
carbohydrate consumption. This ability to produce and store body fat is what
enabled our prehistoric ancestors to survive long winters and avoid starvation.
The
heart, the liver, and resting muscles consume most of the energy used by the
body and prefer fat as their source of fuel. In fact, the saturated fats stearic
acid and palmitic acid are the preferred source of energy for the heart which is
a major contradiction to the idea that saturated fat causes heart disease.
Unlike most other fats, short and medium chain fatty
acids such as caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid and lauric acid are
easily absorbed through the intestines without the need to be broken down by
bile acids. They’re transported directly to the liver, and as such, are an
excellent and quick source of energy. Coconut oil and palm kernel oil are both
abundant sources of medium chain fatty acids, particularly lauric acid.
3.
Safe Cooking
The
high temperatures of cooking can easily damage fats and oils and make them a
health concern. This is especially the case with unsaturated fats because of
their shared bonds. Polyunsaturated fats are the most unstable, and when exposed
to the high temperatures of cooking, they easily become oxidized and form free
radicals that are highly damaging to cells. In fact, free radical damage from
polyunsaturated fats is now believed to be a major contributor to
atherosclerosis and heart disease. As such, the polyunsaturated vegetable oils
that have been pushed as “heart healthy”alternatives, such as soybean oil, corn
oil, safflower oil, and canola oil, are anything but, especially for cooking.
These oils are also commonly used in restaurants and in the manufacturing of
processed foods.
Fats
that contain a higher percentage of saturated fatty acids, such as butter,
coconut oil, and palm oil, are excellent to cook with because they’re very
stable and are also highly nutritious.
4.
Healthy Brain and Nervous System Function
More
than half of the human brain consists of fat and cholesterol, and between a
third to more than half of the fat in the brain is saturated. Both saturated fat
and cholesterol represent a significant portion of the myelin sheath that
surrounds nerve fibers and preserves proper function of the brain and nervous
system. If this protective layer is compromised in any way, it can lead to a
number of neurological disorders.
5.
A Source of Fat Soluble Vitamins
Saturated animal fats are an excellent source of fat
soluble vitamins such as A, D, and K2 which are essential for good health and are deficient
in most diets. These vitamins are important to immunity, gene expression, bone
production, and many other critical functions.
6.
Healthy Cell Function
According to Bruce Lipton, a cell biologist and the
author of The
Biology of Belief,
the cell membrane regulates gene expression based on its surroundings and has a
significant influence on our health and wellbeing. Saturated fat constitutes
more than half of the cell membrane, and as such, contributes greatly to this
influence. Because saturated fat increases the strength of cell membranes, it
also provides cells with physical protection.
7.
Strong Bones
According to research cited from Purdue University,
saturated fat is essential to proper bone development and it’s incorporation of
calcium. The fat soluble vitamins D and K2that
can be obtained from saturated animal fats are critical for healthy bone
development as well.
8.
Protection Against Toxins
Research has shown that saturated fatty acids help to
reverse liver damage caused by alcohol and other toxic substances. Because
saturated fats produce fewer free radicals, they’re also less likely to cause
liver damage and impair it’s detoxification
capabilities.
9.
Stronger Immunity
Short and medium chain saturated fatty acids,
particularly the lauric acid found in coconut oil and palm kernel oil, have
natural antimicrobial properties that can provide protection against undesirable
microorganisms in the intestines and promote a healthy balance of intestinal
bacteria. This is important because the intestines account for more than two
thirds of the immune system and have a tremendous influence on our
health.
10.
Good Lung Capacity
The
alveoli of the lungs, which are where gas exchange occurs with blood, are lined
with a material called surfactant. This material is what enables the alveoli to
expand and facilitates the ease of breathing. As such, saturated fat is
essential to healthy lung function, and it’s believed that when trans fats are
consumed and used by alvoli cells to produce surfactant, lung function can
become compromised and lead to the development of asthma.
11.
Resilient Skin
Saturated fat makes skin cells more resistant to
oxidative damage from the sun which can help to prevent sunburn, wrinkles, and
skin cancer.
12.
Proper Utilization of Essential Fatty Acids
Essential fatty acids are criticial to our health, and
because they cannot be produced by the body, they must be obtained through
diet. Among the many ways in which they support optimal health, they are
important for proper immune, brain, and cardiovascular function. Saturated fats
are believed to play a key role in the importance of essential fatty acids by
promoting their proper utilization and protecting them from oxidation.
BUTTER:
-
at least 30% of the fat
in butter is monounsaturated (same heart healthy stuff in olive
oil)
-
contains CLA (conjugated
linoleic acid) which is shown to be anti-carcinogenic and can aid in fat
loss
-
good source of vitamin A
which boosts immune system
-
contains lauric acid
which inhibits growth of pathogens
-
contains glycolipids
which help fight infection
Omega-3 fatty
acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are considered essential fatty acids:
They are necessary for human health but the body can' t make them -- you have to
get them through food. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in fish, such as salmon,
tuna, and halibut, other seafood including algae and krill, some plants, and nut
oils.
Also known as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs),
omega-3 fatty acids play a crucial role in brain function, as well as normal
growth and development. They may reduce the risk of heart disease. Research
shows that omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and may help lower risk of
chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and arthritis. Omega-3 fatty
acids are highly concentrated in the brain and appear to be important for
cognitive (brain memory and performance) and behavioral function. In fact,
infants who do not get enough omega-3 fatty acids from their mothers during
pregnancy are at risk for developing vision and nerve problems.
Symptoms of omega-3 fatty acid deficiency include
fatigue, poor memory, dry skin, heart problems, mood swings or depression, and
poor circulation.
It is important to have the proper ratio of omega-3 and
omega-6 (another essential fatty acid) in the diet. Omega-3 fatty acids help
reduce inflammation, and most omega-6 fatty acids tend to promote inflammation.
The typical American diet tends to contain 14 - 25 times more omega-6 fatty
acids than omega-3 fatty acids. The proper ratio is between 4:1 to 2:1, Omega 6:
Omega 3. Most of us are at a 20:1 ratio, due to the amount of vegetable oil we
consume. We need to increase our Omega 3 intake with things like flaxseeds and
oily fish.
The added bonus of flaxseed is that it provides fibre and
lignans – natural compounds that help protect us against cancer. Flax also
contains antioxidants that help promote heart health by fighting free
radicals.
2 teaspoons NATUNOLA HEALTH’S DELIGHT SHELLED FLAX KERNEL
contains 1.5 grams of Omega 3 – Health Canada’s daily recommendation. ( I
would double that!)
diet?
·
Fat provides needed
energy. It is difficult to eat the large amounts of food in a very low fat
diet to get all the energy you need.
·
Fat is needed to prevent
essential fatty acid deficiency.
·
Fat is needed so your body
can absorb the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, K, and prevent deficiencies of
these vitamins.
·
Fat provides flavor and
texture to help prevent food from being bland and
dry.
·
Fat helps food to stay in
the stomach longer, giving a greater sense of satisfaction and preventing hunger
soon after meals.
·
Fat may help your body
produce endorphins (natural substances in the brain that produce pleasurable
feelings).
·
Diets too low in fat (less than 20
- 25%) may trigger cravings.
·
Promotes and maintains healthy,
beautiful skin.
What does fat do
for our body?
·
Provides back-up energy if
blood sugar supplies run out (after 4-6 hours without
food).
·
Keeps your brain healthy –
70 % of your brain is made of fat and
cholesterol.
·
Keeps the arterial walls
flexible and improves blood flow.
·
Provides insulation under
the skin from the cold and the heat.
·
Protects organs and bones
from shock and provides support for
organs.
·
Fat surrounds and
insulates nerve fibers to help transmit nerve
impulses.
·
Fat is part of every cell
membrane in the body. Membranes regulate the outside barrier of your cells
that allow the transport of nutrients and glucose and protect against
toxins.
·
Your body uses fat to make
a variety of other building blocks needed for everything from hormones to immune
function. Hormones are what regulate the body’s
functions.
What happens when
we don't have enough fat in our diet?
·
Dry, scaly
skin
·
Hair
loss
·
Low body
weight
·
Cold
intolerance
·
Bruising
·
Poor
growth
·
Lower resistance to
infection
·
Poor wound
healing
·
Loss of
menstruation
·
Brain
fog
·
Depression, anxiety, mood
swings
·
Lethargy
There are two kinds of fats: the bad fats we must avoid
because they make us sick, and the good fats and oils, which we need for our
bodies to function properly and stay healthy.
All
fats are not equal. Although they each have nine calories per gram, the way fats
are stored and their ability to be used as an energy source differ
significantly. Omega-3 fatty acids are most readily used as an energy source.
Polyunsaturated fats from fish are stored in lean muscle
tissue. The opposite can be said of saturated fats such as those found in meat,
dairy, and fried foods. These saturated fats are a poor energy source, readily
sent to storage (usually in the abdominal region), and once in storage, are
difficult to remove.
Although the healthcare industries tout the supposed
danger of saturated fat, it is an important component in our diet and should not
be eliminated from the diet entirely. Saturated fats are used to build cell
membranes and comprise a large component of very important hormones. They are
also the preferred fuel for your heart and a number of other tissues. If we
fail to eat saturated fat our body is forced to make it. Unfortunately, the
saturated fat that our body makes is not the same as the kind we get from
foods, such as lauric acid, stearic acid, and palmitic acid. It is important to
get a good source of natural saturated fats from the diet, such as that from
extra virgin oils (olive, palm and coconut) and meat
products.
For
more than half a century, saturated fat has been regarded as a deadly nutrient
that clogs your arteries and causes heart disease. However, when you consider
the fact that we’ve been eating saturated fat for millions of years, it just
doesn’t make sense that it could be so unhealthy.
Modern science often neglects the importance of nature
and this is one of the more prominent examples. Many reputable sources of
information are now revealing that we’ve been misled and saturated fat does not
cause heart disease. In fact, the “heart healthy” vegetable oils that we’ve
been told to use instead of saturated fat pose a much more significant risk.
Despite the bad reputation that saturated fat has
undeservedly earned, it supports many of the body’s critical functions. The
following are 12 reasons why saturated fat is an essential part of a healthy
diet.
1.
Physical Protection
Because saturated fat is dense and is able to remain
solid at body temperature, it’s used to pad bony surfaces such as the palms,
soles, and sitting bones and cushion vital organs such as the heart, kidneys,
and intestines.
2.
A Good Source of Energy
Fat
contains more than twice as many calories per gram as carbohydrates and protein
making it an efficient source of energy. When consumed, fat can be used
immediately for energy or stored for later use. Saturated fat accounts for
nearly half of our body fat and can be produced by the body from excess
carbohydrate consumption. This ability to produce and store body fat is what
enabled our prehistoric ancestors to survive long winters and avoid starvation.
The
heart, the liver, and resting muscles consume most of the energy used by the
body and prefer fat as their source of fuel. In fact, the saturated fats stearic
acid and palmitic acid are the preferred source of energy for the heart which is
a major contradiction to the idea that saturated fat causes heart disease.
Unlike most other fats, short and medium chain fatty
acids such as caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid and lauric acid are
easily absorbed through the intestines without the need to be broken down by
bile acids. They’re transported directly to the liver, and as such, are an
excellent and quick source of energy. Coconut oil and palm kernel oil are both
abundant sources of medium chain fatty acids, particularly lauric acid.
3.
Safe Cooking
The
high temperatures of cooking can easily damage fats and oils and make them a
health concern. This is especially the case with unsaturated fats because of
their shared bonds. Polyunsaturated fats are the most unstable, and when exposed
to the high temperatures of cooking, they easily become oxidized and form free
radicals that are highly damaging to cells. In fact, free radical damage from
polyunsaturated fats is now believed to be a major contributor to
atherosclerosis and heart disease. As such, the polyunsaturated vegetable oils
that have been pushed as “heart healthy”alternatives, such as soybean oil, corn
oil, safflower oil, and canola oil, are anything but, especially for cooking.
These oils are also commonly used in restaurants and in the manufacturing of
processed foods.
Fats
that contain a higher percentage of saturated fatty acids, such as butter,
coconut oil, and palm oil, are excellent to cook with because they’re very
stable and are also highly nutritious.
4.
Healthy Brain and Nervous System Function
More
than half of the human brain consists of fat and cholesterol, and between a
third to more than half of the fat in the brain is saturated. Both saturated fat
and cholesterol represent a significant portion of the myelin sheath that
surrounds nerve fibers and preserves proper function of the brain and nervous
system. If this protective layer is compromised in any way, it can lead to a
number of neurological disorders.
5.
A Source of Fat Soluble Vitamins
Saturated animal fats are an excellent source of fat
soluble vitamins such as A, D, and K2 which are essential for good health and are deficient
in most diets. These vitamins are important to immunity, gene expression, bone
production, and many other critical functions.
6.
Healthy Cell Function
According to Bruce Lipton, a cell biologist and the
author of The
Biology of Belief,
the cell membrane regulates gene expression based on its surroundings and has a
significant influence on our health and wellbeing. Saturated fat constitutes
more than half of the cell membrane, and as such, contributes greatly to this
influence. Because saturated fat increases the strength of cell membranes, it
also provides cells with physical protection.
7.
Strong Bones
According to research cited from Purdue University,
saturated fat is essential to proper bone development and it’s incorporation of
calcium. The fat soluble vitamins D and K2that
can be obtained from saturated animal fats are critical for healthy bone
development as well.
8.
Protection Against Toxins
Research has shown that saturated fatty acids help to
reverse liver damage caused by alcohol and other toxic substances. Because
saturated fats produce fewer free radicals, they’re also less likely to cause
liver damage and impair it’s detoxification
capabilities.
9.
Stronger Immunity
Short and medium chain saturated fatty acids,
particularly the lauric acid found in coconut oil and palm kernel oil, have
natural antimicrobial properties that can provide protection against undesirable
microorganisms in the intestines and promote a healthy balance of intestinal
bacteria. This is important because the intestines account for more than two
thirds of the immune system and have a tremendous influence on our
health.
10.
Good Lung Capacity
The
alveoli of the lungs, which are where gas exchange occurs with blood, are lined
with a material called surfactant. This material is what enables the alveoli to
expand and facilitates the ease of breathing. As such, saturated fat is
essential to healthy lung function, and it’s believed that when trans fats are
consumed and used by alvoli cells to produce surfactant, lung function can
become compromised and lead to the development of asthma.
11.
Resilient Skin
Saturated fat makes skin cells more resistant to
oxidative damage from the sun which can help to prevent sunburn, wrinkles, and
skin cancer.
12.
Proper Utilization of Essential Fatty Acids
Essential fatty acids are criticial to our health, and
because they cannot be produced by the body, they must be obtained through
diet. Among the many ways in which they support optimal health, they are
important for proper immune, brain, and cardiovascular function. Saturated fats
are believed to play a key role in the importance of essential fatty acids by
promoting their proper utilization and protecting them from oxidation.
BUTTER:
-
at least 30% of the fat
in butter is monounsaturated (same heart healthy stuff in olive
oil)
-
contains CLA (conjugated
linoleic acid) which is shown to be anti-carcinogenic and can aid in fat
loss
-
good source of vitamin A
which boosts immune system
-
contains lauric acid
which inhibits growth of pathogens
-
contains glycolipids
which help fight infection
Omega-3 fatty
acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are considered essential fatty acids:
They are necessary for human health but the body can' t make them -- you have to
get them through food. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in fish, such as salmon,
tuna, and halibut, other seafood including algae and krill, some plants, and nut
oils.
Also known as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs),
omega-3 fatty acids play a crucial role in brain function, as well as normal
growth and development. They may reduce the risk of heart disease. Research
shows that omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and may help lower risk of
chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and arthritis. Omega-3 fatty
acids are highly concentrated in the brain and appear to be important for
cognitive (brain memory and performance) and behavioral function. In fact,
infants who do not get enough omega-3 fatty acids from their mothers during
pregnancy are at risk for developing vision and nerve problems.
Symptoms of omega-3 fatty acid deficiency include
fatigue, poor memory, dry skin, heart problems, mood swings or depression, and
poor circulation.
It is important to have the proper ratio of omega-3 and
omega-6 (another essential fatty acid) in the diet. Omega-3 fatty acids help
reduce inflammation, and most omega-6 fatty acids tend to promote inflammation.
The typical American diet tends to contain 14 - 25 times more omega-6 fatty
acids than omega-3 fatty acids. The proper ratio is between 4:1 to 2:1, Omega 6:
Omega 3. Most of us are at a 20:1 ratio, due to the amount of vegetable oil we
consume. We need to increase our Omega 3 intake with things like flaxseeds and
oily fish.
The added bonus of flaxseed is that it provides fibre and
lignans – natural compounds that help protect us against cancer. Flax also
contains antioxidants that help promote heart health by fighting free
radicals.
2 teaspoons NATUNOLA HEALTH’S DELIGHT SHELLED FLAX KERNEL
contains 1.5 grams of Omega 3 – Health Canada’s daily recommendation. ( I
would double that!)
