Good fats vs. bad fats
Good fats vs. bad fats… this is perhaps the most controversial and enduring topic in world of nutrition. To further complicate the fat conundrum, we must not only choose the good fats but use them in a way to preserve their healthful qualities and prevent them from turning into bad fats. For example, cold-pressed sunflower seed oil provides a neutral-flavored base for cold salad dressings. But if you heat that oil, due to the unstable double bonds in the oil (a.k.a. polyunsaturated fatty acids), it will oxidize and become toxic to body cells.
How to use good fats: a print-out!
The image chart below is perfect for your Pinterest boards, but I formatted a print-friendly list so you can stick it on your fridge for easy reference.
Download the print-friendly How To Use Good Fats here (it’s a PDF).
Sources: Know Your Fats by Mary Enig, Put Your Heart In Your Mouth by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon
http://www.foodrenegade.com/your-extravirgin-olive-oil-fake/, http://www.foodrenegade.com/hemp-oil-hemp-seeds-safety/, http://www.marksdailyapple.com/flax-prostate-cancer-risk/#axzz2Nc8cQTxL
We’re having a great discussion down below in the comments! If you have a question after reading this list, check the comments because I might have already answered it there. I’d love for you to join in our discussion!
Actually its not true that we need to avoid all omega 6 fatty acids. My body recently asked for Borage Oil, which is an Omega 6 fatty acid. Its important to have a balance of all the fatty acids, including 3, 6 7, and 9.
I also think we need Omega 6’s in our diet, just in proper balance with omega 3.
Be careful with Ray Peat. I went on to his forums for a while to see what he was all about. He’s way over the top, and so are his followers. He said you should avoid eating all vegetables that are grown above the ground! He basically said if you do eat any vegetable at all, boil the crap out of it, or really just don’t even bother.
And as for Omega 6’s, you really need to customize your intake to your particular body. Some people have too much omega 6 in them, some have too little. I actually had too litte. Muscle testing with a well experienced professional can really help fine tune these things.
Yes, I agree… Dr. Peat and many of his followers are certainly a bit over the top. I think he has some good information, but I take it with a grain of salt 🙂 And I think muscle testing with a professional is a great resource, too!
I’m curious, what do you know about mustard oil? It’s used often in Indian cuisine. I have heard that it’s not heart healthy, but that’s all I’ve heard about it. Thanks for all the useful info!
I don’t have access to raw grass fed dairy where I live so the best I can find is certified organic butter that is mostly grass fed depending on weather and fed certified organic grains including corn and soy. I could however cross the borders to the States and stock up on some Kerrygold butter. Is this better than the butter I have now? I’ve heard that Kerrygold cannot guarantee that their grain feed is GMO free so i’m quite worried there as I avoid all GMOs.
Hi, I was wondering what you thought about macadamia nut oil for cooking as I know it has a high smoke point and is the healthier nut for heating, thanks
Nope, it’s not a good choice for heating. A good rule of thumb to remember which fats to cook with is: “animals fats and coconut oil” 🙂
From what I’ve read, Macadamia nut oil has the best omegs 3 to omega 6 ratio of any oil, making it a wonderful choice for salads. I use canola oil for cooking, as well as coconut oil, but I know many people refuse to use canola for GMO reasons but I personally don’t think genetically modified organisms are a problem in plant breeding.
Hi Lauren,
I love your website and now my wife does to. My newsletter with a link to your article about 10 Reasons Why Low Fat is NOT High Nutrition just went out today so I hope to be sending you lots of new readers. I did find another typo… hope you don’t mind my pointing these out.
In the first line of the first paragraph, you wrote: “enduring topic in world of nutrition.” and I think you mean “enduring topic in *the* world of nutrition.”
Anyway, your sources of information are excellent and I LAUGH at the person who is trying to discredit Weston A. Price as merely a “dentist” and that his info is outdated. That’s hilarious.
Oh, and the person who says that everyone “knows” that eating lard means you’re a “walking heart attack” is demonstrating what we’re up against. People are so convinced that what’s commonly assumed, even if it’s inaccurate, is the truth, that they invalidate accurate information because it seems so preposterous.
I guess what they say is true, “If you tell a lie enough times, people will believe it.”
Happy Valentine’s Day, Elon
I ended up on this site researching almond flour, and I’m glad I did. Lot of information here. Now, I need help in placing all these properly to maintain a ketosis diet. Nitrate free bacon is out of my budget, so is regular bacon really o.k. In our home it is something we have always used for seasoning and I like frying my eggs in it. I love pancakes, is coconut flour an alternative to finally having them guilt free?
Are you saying that flaxseed is bad for health?
Hi – just wondering if you had any thoughts on Rape Seed Oil (no not grape seed). Not so popular in the States but most good chefs only use it for cooking in Europe. Thanks!
In the US and Canada, Rape seed oil is called Canola oil. Strictly a marketing decision — it was thought that “Rape” would repel food shoppers (in most families, the woman).
I am sorry Lauren,
but Palm Oil is the biggest sh*t ever and please do not encourage your readers to buy and use it.