If you are a patient of mine you know that I talk about eating fat a lot. The more research and study I do on fats the more I realize that eating the right fats is one of the smartest things you can do to be healthy. In fact, this blog may be one of the most important ones I have written.
Very few people are eating the best types and amounts of fat with the most benefits. It’s not our fault, really. Blame the Standard American Diet and the Big Food companies. The wrong fats are cheap.
Finding out the fats your body really needs can make all the difference to normal weight, physical healing, hormone balance, mental clarity and memory, energy, blood-sugar balance, longevity, and living a pain-free life.
Whew! That is quite a list of benefits. We can get so used to grappling with body ailments and not feeling all that great. Just the avoidance of a serious disease state seems like a miracle these days. And the common reality is that it is just a matter of time before each of us falls prey to illness and symptoms that run in our families or fall from the trees.
Lately, it has been hard not to eye those around us as potential carriers of a mysterious new disease that must be everywhere, based on the fact that we are instructed to walk around looking like we were just transferred to the infectious disease unit of our local hospital.
And, by the way, it is not the virus that is killing people. It is the inflammatory over-response from the immune system that is lethal. Getting inflammation under control is the key to recovery.
Vibrant health is not a pipedream. But it is certainly not a given, either. Right now, if you have anything less than perfect health, a smart place to start is by examining the types and amounts of oils and fats in your diet.
Fat, fat, fat. First of all, we have to get past the word "fat" itself. We hate being fat, even as we are, collectively, fatter than any previous generation by miles. You know analytically that not all fats are equal and that some are “good” and some are “bad”.
Since so many bad fats taste good, it can get pretty crossed up when it comes time to choose the sides that come with a burger at every restaurant in America.
So, let's look at fat through a fisheye lens The healthy fats from marine and ocean sources are pretty phenomenal. These amazing fats are Omega 3’s. Omega fats have a certain type of bond in the fat chain, which is composed of particles called fatty acids. What is important to know is that these are “essential fats” that we can’t make inside our bodies, but have to get from our foods.
Omega 3 fats lower triglycerides, the fats formed by the liver when you eat starches and sugars. High triglycerides are associated with heart risk. Omega 3’s have been shown to reduce depression. Two grams of fish oil per day may reduce anxiety.
These O-3’s can reduce pain and inflammation, quite dramatically.
They aid healthy blood sugar balance and cut sugar cravings to help normalize weight, reduce risk of all disease, and help with memory and mental sharpness. This will often lead to better sleep, more energy, and beautiful skin. Quite a package.
The protective envelope around nerve cells needs Omega 3 fatty acids. Nerve cells are not just vital to the brain, but act as an information highway in the body.
Omega 6 Fats are also essential. Vegetable oils are used in every type of processed and fast foods. These are Omega 6 fats, and often the fats are altered through industrial processes or frying, which alters the fatty making them into trans-fats. These may contribute to heart disease, diabetes, and inflammation.
It is easy to see why so many Omega 6 fats are used in processed foods because vegetable sources are cheaper than marine/fish sources.
Too much Omega 6 fat, from foods like vegetable oils and land animals, may bring on pain and inflammation, add weight, increase cravings, and contribute to the risk of heart disease and cancer. They may increase risk of Alzheimer’s, and cause premature aging, rough, scaly skin, and facial wrinkles.
Humans do need fats from sources like meat, eggs, dairy, some (unrefined) vegetable oils, and grains, which contain Omega 6 fats. It is just that we are eating too much fat from these Omega 6 sources and not enough fat from Omega 3 sources. Wild game, such as our ancestors ate before we started taking our animals to the feedlot to fatten them up, contained a better ratio of Omega 6’s to Omega 3’s.
The usual American diet is 20:1 Omega 6 to Omega 3 fats. The ideal ratio is 4:1. Simple math says cut back on Omega 6’s and bump up the Omega 3’s. When the ratio is off, and the diet is weighted towards Omega 6’s, obesity risk increases.
The important thing to take away from this is that changing your ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fats may be one of most important changes you can make for improved quality of life and reduction of disease risk.
Best dietary sources of Omega 3 ‘s are fatty fish, like salmon, mackerel, and anchovies, walnuts (raw) and cod liver oil or other “clean” fish oil supplements. Flaxseed and Chia seeds are another source. Small amounts can be found in pasture-raised meats and eggs.
Corn oil, Sunflower oil, and soybean oil contain the highest amounts of pro-inflammatory Omega 6. All of these other plant-source oils should also be avoided: Cottonseed oil, Canola oil, Rapeseed oil, Sesame oil, Grapeseed oil, Safflower oil, Rice bran oil.
Coconut Oil, butter, palm oil, lard (bacon fat) and olive oil are all relatively low in Omega 6’s. These oils can be used for cooking.
Other plant sources of Omega 3 fats include organic hemp seeds, Brussels sprouts, Algal (from algae.)
Three or more servings of fatty fish per week are recommended for general maintenance. If fish is not your thing, or to treat mood, pain, or inflammation, I suggest fish oil supplementation. You can’t afford to miss out on the benefits of the ideal balance of Omega 3’s to Omega 6’s. Suggested adult dosage is 1 gram per day for general health.
In my next blog I will explain more about the types of Omega 3’s and recommended dosage so you can use them to handle specific symptoms you may be having.
The worst of our modern chronic diseases appear to be linked to inflammation.
So, if we can decrease inflammation just by increasing Omega 3’s and reducing Omega 6’s, it seems like a no-brainer to make these small changes for a better life.