The Skinny on Fats
By Rosalind Haney, RN, ACN
ALL fats have value, even saturated fats and even
the cholesterol they contain.
These fats are especially important for babies and children to ensure
proper growth and development of the brain and nervous system. In fact,
mother’s milk delivers 50 percent of its calories as fat to support
this growth.
Saturated fats and cholesterol are also critical to your fertility,
as they are precursors to the production of adequate sex hormones and
cell membranes. They are also necessary for the absorption of essential
nutrients and the conversion of carotene to vitamin A, a nutrient so
vital to fertility.
Therefore, growing children and potential mothers should eat
only regular fat foods and have a healthy oil or fat at each meal and
snack.
Although all fats have value, there are two factors that can
change a healthy fat into a harmful fat, so the choices you
make are extremely important.
1. When oil’s natural configuration is changed through heating,
oxidation, processing, and homogenization it becomes unhealthy. Examples
are:
- Rancid fats: Oils become rancid from high, repeated
heating and from long and improper storage. Choose the right oil for
the temperature you are using to cook (see below). Never reuse oil
– use once and discard. Store oils in a cool place away from
light and heat, or purchase oil in tins or dark bottles for less light
exposure.
- Trans fats: Hydrogen is forced into liquid vegetable
oils at high temperatures to make them more solid at room temperature,
cheaper for processed foods, and to yield a longer shelf life. But
this hydrogenation process changes the chemical structure of the fat
molecule so that our bodies do not recognize it and therefore cannot
process it. These “foreign” trans-fatty acids get deposited
into cell membranes altering their function. Trans fats are much more
harmful to the body than saturated fats will ever be. [Recent
studies show that the risk of infertility increased by 73% when a
woman ate just 2% of her calories from trans fats. This was related
to the interference of the activity of a cell receptor involved in
inflammation, glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. See “In
the News” menu bar for study details.]
Warning: A product can state “No Trans Fats”
on its label and still contain up to .5 grams of trans fats. Therefore
it would take only 8 servings of foods that say “No Trans
Fats” to get 4 grams of trans fats that studies show adversely
affect your fertility.
To avoid hidden trans fats, read food labels and avoid any product
containing “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated”
oils. Margarine, most fried foods, commercial baked goods and packaged
snacks contain trans fats and should be avoided.
2. When fats are contaminated with chemical toxins they become unhealthy.
Man-made chemicals and environmental estrogens are fat-soluble and even
low doses can become more concentrated higher up in the food chain.
Cows and chickens eat contaminated grasses and grains and are fed hormones
and antibiotics, which then become concentrated in their milk, meat
and eggs. When we eat these foods the contaminants store in our fat
and sexual organs – and are passed on to the developing fetus.
[Current studies show mothers who ate multiple servings of beef
daily, had sons who as men had a 24% reduction in sperm count. See “In
the News” menu bar for study details.]
There is a way to get the fats and proteins so beneficial to your fertility,
pregnancy, and child without the harmful contaminants:
- All fat-containing foods (butter, meat, dairy, eggs and
oils) should be “certified organic”. Certified
organic is guaranteed to be pesticide, herbicide and drug free, and
will have a higher nutrient value.
- All meats should be lean with most of the visible fat removed.
- Avoid commercial cow’s milk. The modern cow and the processing
of milk have altered any benefits it once held. Limit consumption
of dairy to those products that are cultured or fermented, a process
that aids in its digestion and value. Choose organic whole-fat yogurt,
kefir, butter or cultured buttermilk.
- Goat milk and goat (or sheep) hard-aged cheese may be an alternative
to cow’s dairy. Goats are less likely to have added contaminants
and their milk proteins are easier to digest. [Manchego 6-month aged
sheep cheese is my personal favorite.]
- It is not advised that you substitute with soymilk. Soy is difficult
to digest, highly allergenic, may cause thyroid dysfunction and during
pregnancy may affect the sexual development of the male fetus due
to soy’s feminizing hormonal effects.
A Guide to Healthy Oil and Fat Choices
Oils for extreme heats (such as deep frying):
Peanut oil, refined (refining reduces nutritional value, but is more
heat stable)
Safflower oil, Super, refined (developed for high heats)
Coconut oil, refined or unrefined
Palm Fruit oil, refined
Note: Canola, corn, soy and cotton are four of the most common genetically
engineered crops. Canola oil is also considered by some to be unsuited
for human consumption.
Best quality oils to choose for cooking (heat stable for baking,
sautéing, pan frying):
Olive oil, (cold-pressed, extra virgin, unrefined, organic)
Peanut oil
Grapeseed oil
Coconut oil
Organic Butter – high in fat-soluble vitamins, which promotes
reproduction
Best oils for salad dressings:
Flax seed oil, Avocado oil
Sesame oil, Olive oil
Walnut oil
When cooking with low heat or no heat (as in salad dressings) use
oils in their most natural state to preserve the nutritional value
and flavor. For this purpose choose oils that are unrefined, unprocessed,
unhydrogenated, cold pressed and organic.
Oils as supplements:
Fish oils (DHA), Evening primrose oil
Flaxseed oil, Borage oil
Black current oil
Sources of fats to include in your meals and snacks:
Sunflower seeds, *Oily fish, Olives
Sesame seeds, Venison, Seaweed
Pumpkin seeds, Eggs (organic,) Avocado
Walnuts, Chicken (organic)
Almonds and other nuts, Game birds
Please see “Minimize Your Mercury Intake with Safe Seafood
Choices”.
Fats to have in smaller amounts:
Organic meats such as beef, pork and lamb
Organic dairy (fermented dairy the preferred choice)
Fats to avoid
Margarine
Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils
Commercial fried foods
In summary, I encourage you to change your thinking about fats. Low
fat and no fat foods so promoted in our society have not made anyone
skinny, nor has it reduced heart disease.
With the exception of rancid and trans fats as described above, it
may not be the fats in our diet that are causing a nation of obesity.
Alcohol, sugars, and refined starches not burned for energy are metabolized
in the body to form triglycerides, which are stored as body fat. Stress
encourages this storage around the abdomen as a quick fuel source.
Stress also increases insulin, which promotes fat storage and inhibits
fat release. The resulting abdominal fat is the most detrimental to
your health.
Whether you eat a traditional diet or a vegetarian diet, including
healthy fats and oils at each meal will promote growth in your children
and sustain your reproduction. If you feel that your diet is lacking
in healthy fats, please contact Rosalind for a fertility or pregnancy
diet evaluation.
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