Fat-free does not mean healthy, it's generally pretty much the opposite. Low fat milk, diet yoghurts, margarine, fat-free mayonnaise & 'healthy whole grains' is what has been preached to the public for a number of years now. Since that began people have become fatter & sicker. Heart disease, obesity & diabetes have increased.
We were told that cholesterol & saturated fat is the cause of heart disease. Ba-bow. Incorrect. We were told that fat will make us fat and that saturated fat is is going to clog our arteries. We now know this to be untrue and you can read more about that myth HERE.
If we think about this realistically, our predecessors consumed saturated fats from animals (butter, lard, ghee, tallow), coconut products & the fatty cuts of meat and did not have the obesity, diabetes & plethora of diseases we now have. How can 'old' foods be the cause of modern disease?
Guess what? We need fat. Fat (cholesterol) contributes to the building blocks of every cell in our body. If you consume crappy, damaged & poor quality fats like canola, soybean oil, margarine etc, you are creating a crappy foundation for your body.... No wonder we end up fat & sick. You actually become what you eat. Check out this video on how canola oil is made & tell me if you still think vegetable oils are healthy! VIDEO
News flash. Our bodies are actually very effective at processing and using fat for fuel provided you are not jacked up on sugar & $hitty processed carbs. Fat-free products are generally code for 'chemical shit storm' and are normally loaded with all sorts of weird sweeteners, thickeners, texturisers & random ingredients to make them taste decent again now that the delicious part, the fat, is gone. Unlike sugar, 'franken-foods' & refined carbs, our bodies know exactly what to do with the healthy fats we eat if we give them the chance to utilize them.
So here's the 4-1-1.... Ditch the fat free dairy & find the best quality full fat organic stuff you can. Butter & ghee from pastured cows is loaded with vitamins A, E, D & K2. Coconut oil is rich in medium chain fatty acids that the body quickly turns into energy instead of storing as fat. The lauric acid in coconut is anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and anti-fungal. Eat your egg yolks, they are a brilliant source of choline that is vital for liver function & the whites are virtually devoid of nutrition without the yolks. If you are sourcing good quality pastured animal products then eat the fat! Not only is crispy chicken skin freaking delicious, it is a great source of nutrition & will keep you satiated for much longer than a steamed chicken breast.
Fat's the new black. Get on board.
Loads of great recipes containing healthy fats over at MY FOOD RELIGION