by Amanda Box

Healthy Fat For Good Cholesterol

The American Heart Association recommends a “heart healthy“diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Essentially, we are told to throw out butter, eat limited red meat and instead replace them with low fat products.

However, have you ever read the labels of fat free and low fat food items?  Shockingly, there isn’t much “food” on the list.  You see lots of sugar and salt, and even worse, artificial sweeteners and MSG in the ingredient list.  Low fat food is rather tasteless, so sugar and flavor enhancers are added to make it more palatable.  How is this low fat and fat free “food” healthier than pure, fresh, quality foods?  It’s not and the increasing numbers of obesity and heart disease prove it!

I’m about to suggest something very shocking: not all fat is bad for you!  We are a healthy-fat starved society!  For thousands of years people lived off fresh milk, eggs, butter and livestock.  But, now in this modern society, these foods are deemed as unhealthy and artery clogging.  Instead, we must fill our bellies with ingredients we can barely pronounce, including processed, refined foods and sugar – lots and lots of sugar.

Are You Fat Deficient?

Even if you’re overweight or have high cholesterol, you may still be fat deficient.  Here are some ways to tell if you’re lacking the good healthy fat you need:

  • Do you eat lots of fat-free foods and count fat grams, only to find yourself starving and craving sugar?
  • Do you replace butter with margarine?
  • Do you watch your fat grams so closely, only to find yourself craving and even binging on fatty foods like doughnuts and potato chips?
  • Are you unable to lose weight no matter what you try?
  • Are your energy levels extremely low?
  • Do you need caffeine to get you through your afternoon?
  • Are you too tired to exercise?
  • Are you depressed or deal with anxiety?
  • Do you have chronic fatigue, hypothyroidism or hormonal issues?

If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, then the problem may be attributed to lack of good fat in your diet.  Getting the good, healthy fats you need will help get you on the road to health and wellness.

Good Fats for Good Health

There is a big distinction between good fat and bad fat.  You may be eating a lot of fat per se, but if it’s the wrong kind of fat then you will still have symptoms of deficiency.

Fats to Avoid

Stay clear of any kind of trans fat like hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.  Hydrogenated oils are the worst kind of fat you can put into your body.  They are very closely linked to heart disease because they are artificially made solid, like shortening, in order to have a longer shelf life.

Trans fats are toxic to the body and compromise the immune system, insulin metabolism and many other body functions.These polyunsaturated fats are highly unstable and can easily become toxic when exposed to heat or oxygen:

  • Corn
  • Soy
  • Canola
  • Safflower
  • Sunflower
  • Vegetable Oil

Most of these oils are also high in pesticide residue and are refined or processed so that little to no nutrient value is left.

Healthy Fats

Saturated fats, on the other hand, are some of the healthiest fats you can put into your body. We need saturated fat and if we don’t consume enough then our bodies will start to convert sugar into saturated fat.  This is why so many people crave sugar.  By incorporating some of these fats into your daily diet your sugar cravings will disappear.

Healthy saturated fats include the following:

  • Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
  • Extra Virgin Palm Oil
  • Organic or Grassfed Butterfat

These oils have antimicrobial properties, boost the immune system and are less likely to cause weight gain because they burn quickly to convert to energy.  Coconut oil is even said to stimulate the thyroid and increase metabolism.

These healthy fats are not guilty in causing the rise in cholesterol today, but the excess consumption of sugar, vegetable oils and hydrogenated fat.

If we would just eat like our ancestors, we would be surprised at how much better we  feel and how much healthier we would be.  Throw out that processed boxed food full of trans fat and start preparing your own meals from scratch.

Incorporate 2-4 tbsp a day of healthy fat, like coconut oil, into your diet and watch your health soar – and your cholesterol drop.

 

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