FATS: A forgotten Love Story

For a long time, fat was my enemy.

Not only because I heard everywhere that "fat makes you fat", but also because it was stated as common knowledge that fat gives you bad cholesterol and increases heart disease risk. Unfortunately, my body suffered because of that. My hormones were completely imbalanced, my immune system was weak, my mood constantly fluctuating.

Today I share what I know now: good fats are good, and necessary.

1. The Bad Fats — What to Actually Avoid

The fats to avoid are trans-fatty acids — the result of shortening or hardening vegetable oils (like margarine), found mostly in processed foods, fried foods, pastries and crackers. They have been proven to increase heart disease, arterial clogging and risk of type 2 diabetes.

Anything labelled as shortening, hydrogenated, or partially hydrogenated belongs to this category.

Also avoid: canola oil, soy/corn/safflower oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil, commercial vegetable and seed oils.

2. Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)

Called "essential" because your body cannot produce them — you MUST get them from food. EFAs provide energy, build cell membranes and are required to produce vital hormones.

The two main groups: Omega-3 and Omega-6 (both polyunsaturated fatty acids).

The key is the ratio — ideally 1:1, with 1:4 tolerated. Today's modern diet pushes this ratio to an average of 1:20, which causes chronic systemic inflammation.

How to increase Omega-3 naturally:

• -Walnuts, organic leafy greens, flax/hemp/chia seeds
• -Animal sources: fish, shellfish, krill, cod liver oil
• -Plant-based superfood: Spirulina — highly concentrated in essential fatty acids, proteins and nutrients

Omega-3 benefits: stronger bones, anti-inflammatory properties, improved mood and depression, reduced arthritis symptoms, reduced risk of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

3. Saturated Fats — The Wrongly Vilified

Butter, eggs, animal fats, coconut oil — these are supposedly the villain. But they are not. We need them to live.

Saturated fats represent 50% of our cell membranes. They are essential for strong, healthy bones. And they are responsible for only 26% of arterial clogging — the rest (74%) is caused by unsaturated fats.

A brief history: From 1910 to 1970, consumption of traditional animal fats declined while vegetable oil consumption rose by ~400% and sugar consumption rose by 60%. Before 1920, clogged arteries were rare. Over the following 40 years, heart disease rose dramatically — and by the mid-1950s it was the leading cause of death.

The variation in saturated fat consumption does not match the rise in heart disease. The myth that saturated fats cause heart disease is due to the misinterpretation of studies.

Saturated fats play critical roles: immune system function, anti-viral properties, anti-candida properties, anti-inflammatory effects.

The Bottom Line

Cutting good fats out of your diet does no good. We need to go back to basics — listen to our bodies and return to the foods humans have always thrived on.

Always choose clean sources: organic, grass-fed meat and wild-caught fish. Get away from all processed and transformed foods.

As you start feeling the difference, you will never want to go back.

In Love and Happiness,

Stephanie