Eating Fat: Will it make you fat?

For thousands of generations, humans subsisted on a high fat diet. From our paleolithic ancestors feasting on a fresh saber-tooth tiger kill to or our grandparents drinking real milk, almost straight from the teat, most of human history has consumed large amounts of fat.

So, if there is a preponderance of non-fat and low-fat options in our supermarkets, and our media continues to instill in the public a fear of a high-fat diet, why are two-thirds of U.S. adults not merely overweight, but obese?

Does consuming fat make us fat?

A corollary question to ask is if generations ago didn't have, on average, as high a life span as this current generation has, does that mean that their high fat diets caused them to die earlier?

Well, let's answer the first question: Does FAT = FAT bellies?

It depends on the type of fat you eat. The reason there is an obesity epidemic is because of hydrogenated fat.
Adding hydrogen to a foodstuff extends the shelf life of a certain food. (On a certain level, the Twinkie is a marvel of human engineering. It's amazing that something can last that long on a shelf without spoiling; all hail food science....NOT!)

If you're eating all natural foods and at most, minimally processed foods, you shouldn't even need to read food labels, but if you are someone (or know someone) struggling with weight and caving in to cookies, crackers, cakes, etc..., start getting used to reading food labels and avoid hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated foods. Opt instead for these products that are gluten free and don't contain hydrogenized ingredients.

Since it's only been within the last 100 years that food science has invaded stores where we buy food, our physiology has not yet adapted to hydrogenated stuff. Our livers don't quite know what to do with these altered fats and thus process them as toxins. Our bodies are unable to process these types of fats, so yes, eating some fat can make you fat.

It's interesting to note that World War II served as a catalyst for the preponderance of unhealthy altered foods in our market. Butter didn't last long when shipped overseas to our brave soldiers, but altered fats like margarine did. No wonder the incidence of heart disease, for lack of a better pun, has exploded in the last couple of generations. Altered fats like margarine and vegetable oils (which alter when exposed to high heat) are a major contributor to heart disease.

The best fats to eat, that won't make you fat are those that especially contain high amounts of Omega 3 fatty acids, which we can only get from certain foods like wild salmon, raw walnuts (not roasted; roasting kills the beneficial nutrients), sardines (they don't quite smell like roses but they are supposedly one of the healthiest foods to consume), flax seeds, organic eggs, leafy green vegetables (eat a ton of these!), and grass-fed beef.

Grass contains Omega 3 fatty acids, and when we eat beef, we're eating what the cows ate. If you consume lots of grain-fed beef, you are consuming more Omega 6 fatty acids, which, if eaten too much, can lead to joint inflammation.

If you already know this info, please pass this along to anyone you know who struggles with their weight and is prone to eating junk food. Tell them that short of giving up junk food (all cakes, crackers, pretzels, popcorn are junk foods, even those that claim to be healthier for you), they can at least cheat a little bit but only by avoiding hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated oils.