Wise Dietary Choices

When it comes to animal fats, it's still wise to consume them in small amounts.

People have eaten small portions of animal products throughout history or have eaten them primarily on special occasions, due to scarcity. A portion as big as a deck of cards is all that's recommended. Historically, a plant-based diet has been dominant for most people in most cultures. Organic vegetables are still the best choice for the bulk of our diet.

Choose organic, range-grazed or pastured, grass-fed beef and lamb, and choose butter over margarine.

Grass-fed beef and lamb and dairy products from grass-fed animals are the only source of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Only grass-fed animals produce CLA, which has strong cancer-fighting benefits and builds muscle and prevents weight gain.

Use virgin coconut oil for cooking and as a spread.

Because coconut oil doesn't have molecular bonds that can be broken easily, it won't oxidize (turn rancid) easily, which makes it very desirable for cooking. It makes a great spread on toast. It tastes great on popcorn and is one of the healthiest oils you can choose for popping. Coconut oil is made of medium chain triglycerides, which researchers at McGill University discovered use up energy when they are metabolized and act as weight loss agents. Coconut oil also has "thermogenic effects," meaning it raises body temperature, boosting energy and metabolic rate. It has no cholesterol and has not been shown to raise LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and many people have reported it has raised their HDL (the good cholesterol).

For cooking, rely on butter, ghee or coconut oil.

As naturally saturated fats, these remain stable and don't oxidize easily when exposed to heat. Butter will burn, however, and if you need to cook with a higher heat, choose ghee or coconut oil.

Use extra-virgin olive oil for salad dressings and cold foods.

Olive oil is known for its heart-protective properties. Be aware that monounsaturated fats, such as those found in olives and nuts, will put on weight. Use them sparingly.

Completely avoid polyunsaturated oils such as corn, soy, safflower and sunflower.

These oils typically are used for cooking and are found commonly in snack foods, salad dressings, mayonnaise and fried foods. They oxidize easily because the unpaired electrons located at the molecular bonds make them highly reactive. When they're subjected to heat or oxygen, as in extraction, processing and cooking, free radicals form. Free radicals are implicated in heart disease and cancer. Polyunsaturated oils easily turn to trans-fatty acids when processed and heated to high temperatures. They must be heavily refined and then hydrogenated to become a solid fat such as margarine, which is loaded with toxic transfatty acids. Many studies show that these oils lead to modern diseases, such as heart disease, that were not common among people eating traditional diets.

For more information

G. Cristakis, "Effect of the Anti-Coronary Club Program on Coronary Heart Disease Risk-Factor Status," Journal of the American Medical Association, Nov 7, 1966, 198:(6):129-35

Rose G.A., Thomson W.B., Williams R.T. "Corn oil in treatment of ischaemic heart disease," British Medical Journal 1965;1:1531-3.