Bare 5

2.  Eliminate or drastically reduce trans fats and vegetable/seed oils…

This is probably not a surprise when it comes to the trans fats, but many are surprised to know that most industrial vegetable and seed oils are really bad for your health. They came into popularity early last century, and took off, particularly in the 1960s & 70s, when people were convinced of the supposed detriment of animal fat. As a result, many blame the increased rates of heart disease on these manufactured fats.

Trans fats (hydrogenated fats) are the big, bad one right now, and are being blamed by many to be a major, if not the main, factor in heart disease. Known as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fat/oil, basically these are manufactured by injecting nickel and hydrogen atoms into a polyunsaturated fat, with a little bleach and coloring, creating a product that either looks and acts like saturated fat and/or gives majorly extended shelf life.

There is nothing about these fats that our bodies know and or can deal with well. There is much metabolic derangement and consumption of these fats can lead to a number of problems including higher risk of heart disease & diabetes, hormonal disruption, immune system damage, increased risk of allergies & asthma and interference with healthy fat metabolism.

So the bottom line with trans fats- stay away. These are like sweeteners, they are everywhere. If you see “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” oil/fat in the ingredients, stay away. Soy/soybean oil and canola oil are in this category because they contain some trans fats, however government regulations allow these to often be labeled as trans fat free if it falls below a certain serving size. You can usually find trans fats in packaged goods and fast foods- in general, if a product has shelf life, it likely has something bad in there to help it stay fresh. But look for these everywhere. For example, many nut/seed companies roast the nuts & seeds in canola or soybean oil. Staying aware is key.

Vegetable oils and seed oils are right behind although not quite as damaging. Many people still think vegetable oils are good, due to the source…vegetables. Unfortunately, they seem to be so processed, unnatural and full of inflammatory properties that there is no correlation to health from using them. The big ones are soybean, canola, sunflower, safflower, corn and cottonseed oils. These oil contribute negatively to health, in particular due to their rancidity and atherogenic (arterial) impacts. One of the main reasons for avoiding these fats is are the high amounts of omega 6 fat they contain. Although necessary to our diet, omega 6 fats cause inflammation when consumed out of balance with omega 3. Since omega 3 intake is typically not high, over consumption of these can lead to many of the same health problems as the trans fats. They are particularly dangerous when oxidized, as in cooking. So, if you can avoid it, do not use them at all when cooking, particularly frying. As you can guess, commercially fried foods (french fries, fried chicken) are cooked in these (they actually used to use animal fat, which is much healthy for you as it turns out). Same rules apply, look for these everywhere. They are easy and cheap ways to add flavor and substance to food products.

So, what oils/fats can you use in place?

The best for cooking are coconut oil and palm/palm kernel oil, animal fats (including butter, particularly from grass fed sources)

Stir fry with sesame oil (yes, a seed oil, but it does not oxidize at low heats)

Dressings with olive oil

So, all in all, be very aware of the fats you are consuming. If they are from any of the ones mentioned, think twice.

Once again, let me know if you have any questions.