Nourish
Why Good Fats are Important
One of my biggest ah-ha moments this month is how great I feel now that I am adding healthy fats to each and every meal. I sat down with Andrea Nakayama to ask her why this works so well!
* * * * * *
SADIE: Andrea, can you start by giving us an overview on good fats?
ANDREA: It’s important to remember that each cell in our body has a membrane that is made of fat. Our brains are made primarily of fats! So every part of our body, right down to our cells, needs to be fed good fat to function at top notch.
Another thing I like to emphasize to people is that there is a difference in fats. We don’t want to throw the baby out with the bath water! Good fats are olive oil, ghee and coconut oil, as well as the fats we get from our healthy nuts and seeds. We don’t want to eat chemically altered fats or heat our fats beyond their natural heat point, as happens in frying. That’s when the good becomes bad. And where many of us got confused.
I often hear people concerned about fat and heart disease. Besides adhering the the rules of using good fats (as noted above), in their good forms, it’s now been well proven that sugar leads to heart disease (by turning to those disruptive fats called Triglycerides), far more readily that fat does.
Give it a try. See how you feel. Consider which fats you’re eating: you may even find that when you eat fat, you lose fat!
SADIE: Andrea, as you know, I was a little timid about adding fat to all my meals. I thought this would go right to my waistline. I was amazed to find a reverse effect. Why is this?
ANDREA: As I noted, fat fuels us at a very deep level. Fat also leaves us feeling sated. As you know, Sadie, the mantra I like to teach is Fat/Fiber/Protein. All should be present at every single meal or snack. This not only keeps your energy levels up, but also allows you to make it from meal to meal (or meal to snack), without a big blood sugar dip that keeps your brain on the cookie at the bakery around the corner. When you’re sated, you’re better able to manage your blood sugar, your stress levels, and your hunger!
Dips in blood sugar, high stress that we cannot manager internally and hunger that drives us are more often the things that lead to weight gain and belly fat.
SADIE: What are your favorite “healthy fats”? Any rules about these we should know about?
ANDREA: As noted previously, olive oil, ghee and coconut oil are my faves when it comes to oils. They can all be eaten as you find suits your body and feel free to experiment with that. This might be different for everyone. These are the only fats I have for cooking or baking in my house.
The biggest rule of thumb is not to heat these above what is called their “heat point”. This is the place where the oil begins to smoke. Ghee and coconut oil have a higher heat point than olive oil and are better for cooking. What happens when we heat oils above their heat point is that they oxidize and create free radicals in our body. That’s the stuff that increases our risk for inflammation and cancer.
I like to tell people that if they put oil in a pan and see it come to a smoke, to remove the pan from the heat, wipe it out, and start again. Plus, it’s always better to cook at a slightly lower temperature.
SADIE: What fats are the ones we should avoid? Why?
ANDREA: We definitely want to avoid any trans or hydrogenated fats. These are fats that have been chemically altered to maintain stability on the shelf. They are not naturally, and, to put it in a nutshell, the body cannot process them! Be sure to read labels for ingredients. You’ll be surprised to find that even labels that say “0 Trans Fats” on them will include some hydrogenated or trans fats in them.
I also recommend eliminating any seed oils like safflower oil. These are highly refined and lead to a more inflammatory state in our bodies.
I’ve actually created a whole class on the subject of fats. If this information makes you curious, feel free to head over and check that out at the Replenish site Fat or Fiction.
Looking for healthy and delicious recipes? Check out the b3 Kitchen.
One of my biggest ah-ha moments this month is how great I feel now that I am adding healthy fats to each and every meal. I sat down with Andrea Nakayama to ask her why this works so well!
* * * * * *
SADIE: Andrea, can you start by giving us an overview on good fats?
ANDREA: It’s important to remember that each cell in our body has a membrane that is made of fat. Our brains are made primarily of fats! So every part of our body, right down to our cells, needs to be fed good fat to function at top notch.
Another thing I like to emphasize to people is that there is a difference in fats. We don’t want to throw the baby out with the bath water! Good fats are olive oil, ghee and coconut oil, as well as the fats we get from our healthy nuts and seeds. We don’t want to eat chemically altered fats or heat our fats beyond their natural heat point, as happens in frying. That’s when the good becomes bad. And where many of us got confused.
I often hear people concerned about fat and heart disease. Besides adhering the the rules of using good fats (as noted above), in their good forms, it’s now been well proven that sugar leads to heart disease (by turning to those disruptive fats called Triglycerides), far more readily that fat does.
Give it a try. See how you feel. Consider which fats you’re eating: you may even find that when you eat fat, you lose fat!
SADIE: Andrea, as you know, I was a little timid about adding fat to all my meals. I thought this would go right to my waistline. I was amazed to find a reverse effect. Why is this?
ANDREA: As I noted, fat fuels us at a very deep level. Fat also leaves us feeling sated. As you know, Sadie, the mantra I like to teach is Fat/Fiber/Protein. All should be present at every single meal or snack. This not only keeps your energy levels up, but also allows you to make it from meal to meal (or meal to snack), without a big blood sugar dip that keeps your brain on the cookie at the bakery around the corner. When you’re sated, you’re better able to manage your blood sugar, your stress levels, and your hunger!
Dips in blood sugar, high stress that we cannot manager internally and hunger that drives us are more often the things that lead to weight gain and belly fat.
SADIE: What are your favorite “healthy fats”? Any rules about these we should know about?
ANDREA: As noted previously, olive oil, ghee and coconut oil are my faves when it comes to oils. They can all be eaten as you find suits your body and feel free to experiment with that. This might be different for everyone. These are the only fats I have for cooking or baking in my house.
The biggest rule of thumb is not to heat these above what is called their “heat point”. This is the place where the oil begins to smoke. Ghee and coconut oil have a higher heat point than olive oil and are better for cooking. What happens when we heat oils above their heat point is that they oxidize and create free radicals in our body. That’s the stuff that increases our risk for inflammation and cancer.
I like to tell people that if they put oil in a pan and see it come to a smoke, to remove the pan from the heat, wipe it out, and start again. Plus, it’s always better to cook at a slightly lower temperature.
SADIE: What fats are the ones we should avoid? Why?
ANDREA: We definitely want to avoid any trans or hydrogenated fats. These are fats that have been chemically altered to maintain stability on the shelf. They are not naturally, and, to put it in a nutshell, the body cannot process them! Be sure to read labels for ingredients. You’ll be surprised to find that even labels that say “0 Trans Fats” on them will include some hydrogenated or trans fats in them.
I also recommend eliminating any seed oils like safflower oil. These are highly refined and lead to a more inflammatory state in our bodies.
I’ve actually created a whole class on the subject of fats. If this information makes you curious, feel free to head over and check that out at the Replenish site Fat or Fiction.
Looking for healthy and delicious recipes? Check out the b3 Kitchen.
