Should we eat more fat? Time Mag says yes!

I’m sure, by now, many of you have seen the recent time magazine cover telling us to “Eat Butter”. In case you missed it, here it is:

You’re probably expecting me to jump around and say “Haha! I told you so!”, while I do a little Irish jig, because, well, I did tell you so a couple of years ago in this post. However, I’m not going to do that. Oh wait, did I just do it? Oops!

What I actually want to do in this post is cover off the key points from the Time article and see how we can apply this and that perhaps we do not need to eat MORE butter. Yes, I am going to play the Devil’s advocate!

OK, let’s dive in. Here are the salient point from the article:

• In the 1980’s, dodgy science reported that high intakes of saturated fat increased your risk of heart disease. The USDA took note, created dietary guidelines that recommended avoiding fat, and subsequently a whole realm of low fat foods were produced
• Fat intake decreased, junky grain-based carb consumption increased, the prevalence of chronic disease (heart disease, diabetes, obesity) was on the rise
• In the mid-1990s, Dr Walter Willet found that if people replaced foods high in saturated fat with carbohydrates, there was no reduction in heart disease. Go figure! More people then started to question the role of fat
• The Mediterranean Diet began to take flight as the heart-healthy diet, with its preponderance of poly and monounsaturated fats (note – these were from nuts, seeds, fish, olives and olive oil NOT refined vegetable/seed oils)
• Arrogant wanker quote of the year** from Dr Robert Eckel, past president of the American Heart Association (AHA) – “When you replace saturated fats with polyunsaturated  and monounsaturated fats, you lower cholesterol. That’s all I need to know”. This kind of closed-minded, egotistical view is what is stifling the health of the world. We need to put our egos aside and be open to new evidence and admitting when we were wrong. This is the nature of science!
• A 2010 meta-analysis (a study of many relevant studies) found that there was no significant evidence of an association between saturated fat and increased risk of heart disease. These findings were further supported by another study this year
• Saturated fat increase LDL cholesterol AND HDL cholesterol, which negates the heart disease risk
• Refined carbs stimulate the production of insulin, which drives fat storage
• Low-carb diets have shown potential in helping with diabetes and obesity
• Increasing meat may have environmental consequences. Read why I disagree HERE (the Allan Savory vid)
• Some experts are concerned that if we spread the message that saturated fat is fine, this may increase unhealthy habits and instead, we should focus on whole, real foods

**Time Magazine did not call this dude an arrogant wanker. That was me being on my soap box 

Now for my thoughts on the situation.

First off, I think it is awesome, and long overdue, that this information is out in mainstream media. And it is only fitting that Time Magazine publish this, considering they were the catalyst for everyone freaking out in the first place with this cover in 1984:

I whole-heartedly agree that we should not avoid saturated fat. The research clearly does not support the thinking that this nutrient increases the risk of heart disease. HOWEVER I think there are a few things we need to be wary of

1. Healthy, “risk-free” saturated fat does not mean party pies, sausage rolls and pop-tarts.

Saturated fat from REAL FOOD is what we are talking about here, peeps, so do not use this research as a license to go and feast at McDonald’s or your local 7/11! Instead, enjoy real-food sources of saturated fat, such as:

• Meat and organs (choose grass-fed, which is also a great source of omega-3 fatty acids)
• Chicken (again, free range and organic is best)
• Egg yolks
• Fish (31% of the fatty acids in salmon are saturated)
• Olives (YES they are actually 13% saturated fat!)
• Nuts (macadamias are highest in saturated fat of all nuts)
• Coconut and coconut products (the main fatty acid, lauric acid, has been shown to increase HDL/”good” cholesterol, and is also the predominant fatty acid in breast milk)
• Dairy products
• Avocado (23.5% of fats are saturated)

Note that those foods that we often associate with being good sources of poly- or mono-unsaturated fats (e.g. salmon, nuts, avocado, olives) are actually also good sources of saturated fat? That is because these fatty acids never exist in isolation! We need to start thinking of WHOLE foods, rather than their individual constituents.

2. Carbohydrates are not the devil

Image by Fonda LaShay, via pinterest

When the original research came out regarding fat causing heart disease and making us fat, we all went gung-ho and took the stance of “the less fat we can have in our diet, the better”.  We know this is not true. We need fats for the optimal functioning of a number of bodily processes, such as hormone production, health bone metabolism, cell membrane integrity, satiety, immune health and more.

What concerns me is that people will take the “low-fat=no-fat” attitude and apply it to carbohydrates, going extremely low carb, or cutting them out altogether. While this may be beneficial for some (such as those suffering from epilepsy, pre-diabetes or un-medicated diabetes, or even obesity), this does not mean it is the best choice for everyone. I made the mistake of going too low-carb for too long. Learn from my mistakes and be mindful that you need carbs for a few things:

• Carbohydrates feed the good bacteria in our digestive system. If we go too low carb, they can be starved, creating dysbiosis and digestive problems
• Carbohydrates provide bulk to the stool to help with passing a bowel motion, and we are all aiming for the perfect poop, right?
• Carbohydrates help with the conversion of the inactive (T4) to the active (T3) form of thyroid hormone, thus helping fuel metabolism. Go too low carb and you may find yourself in a bit of a weight pickle as your thyroid stops working as it should
• Carbohydrates prevent the body from relying on the adrenal glands and cortisol to keep blood sugar levels in balance, thereby limiting the likelihood of adrenal fatigue
• Carbohydrates help to refuel muscle glycogen stores after an intense workout, and prevent the breakdown if muscle

There are more, but I think you get the point. Carbs can be useful. How much you need is dependent on your lifestyle and individual situation. If you are active and/or stressed, you may need slightly more. If you are sedentary and/or chilled out, maybe a little less will suit. Play around with it and see how you feel!

All in all, I recommend that you avoid low-fat junky “foods” and not fear fat, while also being mindful that some carbohydrate-rich foods (such as sweet potato, potato, parsnip, beetroot, rice, a little fruit and even quinoa or legumes, if tolerated) are also great sources of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and can help our body to function at its peak. Do I think they should be the bulk of our diet? No. But they should not be demonised, either.

Moral to the story – eat real food. If it needs an ingredients label, or if you don’t know what all of the ingredients are, don’t eat it. Simple. Don’t get caught up in the minutia – life is too short!

What are your thoughts on this whole dealio?

Dairy do's and don'ts

So apparently my last blog was s*#t-house. I know this because I had a conversation wih my best friend that went like this:

Her: You haven’t done a blog in a while

Me: I did one last week!

Her: On coconut? That wasn’t a blog.

Me: So it wasn’t good?

Her: How many comments did you get?

Me: (staring squinty-eyed seeing where she is heading with this one. Less than usual, for the record)

Her: I’m just saying it wasn’t your best

Harsh but fair. You see when you have been friends for 17 years, there is no bulls#*tting or beating around the bush.

Wow! I have already sworn twice. And it’s only the beginning! Hold onto your seats friends – this one is going to be a doozy! Just kidding, I promise* not to swear any more.

(*maybe)

So I proceeded to ask what I should write about.

“Are solariums beneficial?”

She has been asking me to write about this for a while now. She wants me to say yes. I’m still a little wary.

“Dairy! Talk about dairy!”

Then we had a conversation about how dairy can cause skin problems for us both. Next, we proceeded to devour a square of dark chocolate covered with a thick dollop of raw cream….And so the story begins….

DAIRY – YES? NO? MAYBE?

Image via Pixie Market, pinterest

 Well, in a nut-shell. It depends. It depends on the product, and it depends on YOU. Everyone is different. What is right for your friend, might not be right for you. What works for you now, might not work for you next year. Let’s take a few steps back.

Is dairy “paleo”?

Well, no according to most. HOWEVER some traditional tribes do rely on dairy for a large proportion of their diet, such as the Maasai from Africa. And they are some pretty healthy people. Trust me – I’ve met them. I’ve seen them jump. And man – can they jump! Check it out:

Check out that jump! Image link HERE

Is dairy healthy? 

It depends. Are you getting frustrated yet with all this indecisiveness? Keep your panties on. I’ll explain myself.

The dairy that most of us consume is pasteurized, homogenized cow’s milk from animals that may have been fed on grain (rather than grass) and kept in less than optimal cow-friendly conditions (i.e. not grazing peacefully on roaming pastures). Herein lies the basis of the vegan argument against grain. But as you know, I’m no vegan. 

Nutritionally, here are the problems with the milk we consume:

1. Homogenisation – squeezes all of the fat globules through tiny little holes to make them smaller and evenly dispersed throughout the liquid. They say this makes the milk “creamier”. I say this damages the fat molecules in the milk and makes it harder for our bodies to digest.

2. Pasteurisation – heats the milk at high temperature in order to kill off all of the bacteria. They say this makes the milk “safer to drink”. I say “you morons – you’re killing the good with the bad!”. You see, real, unprocessed milk is loaded with beneficial bacteria that can aid digestion, immune function and overall health. Pasteurisation also destroys the enzymes naturally present in the milk that help us to digest the sugars, namely lactase, which helps us digest lactose. Interestingly, many people who are “lactose intolerant” report being able to tolerate raw dairy products.

If you want to learn more about the processing of milk, you can watch this incredibly boring video, which has some awesome 80's music at the end. 

3. Grain-feeding – cows eat grass. They say “it is cheaper and provides more energy-dense calories”. I say “f#*k you”. Sorry. But this really bothers me, for a few reasons:

1.    A) Cows eat grass! They have 4 stomachs, designed specifically to digest grass. Not soy. Not corn. Grass! When fed grain, they get fatter faster. This disrupts the fatty acid profile, leading to a high proportion of inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids and a lower proportion of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. Did you know that grass-fed beef is an excellent source of omega-3, second to wild salmon? No? Well there you go. OK back on track – feeding grains to cows can lead to a disruption in their gut bacteria, promoting bad bacteria, rather than good. If your cow eats grain, you probably want to pasteurise its milk.

2.    B) Feeding cows grains requires large amounts of land to grow grains. Hello vegan argument slipping back in. Rolling pastures and forests are being cleared to make way for the growing of these grains. This means less space for grass and trees and rivers and a multitude of creatures that make up an ecosystem. One big argument against milk/meat production from cows is that they contribute to global warming by producing methane gas. What do you think trees and grass do? They sequester carbon and improve global warming! Do you see how this could all work if we just let nature do its thing?

3.    C) As these cows are not eating their normal diet, they are more likely to get sick. Sick cows often need treatment – with antibiotics, and just like in humans, antibiotics really mess with your gut health. Moral – you can’t get health from a sick animal!

I strongly encourage you to watch this short TED talk by Allan Savory, explaining how we can help heal the planet with hooved animals (e.g. cows). If the video doesn't show up below, go HERE. 

Alrighty then, now that we have established most of the down-sides (there are more) of your run-of-the-mill store-bought milk, let’s talk about when dairy can be healthy. This is why I don’t write blog posts very often – they just get too long!

Raw milk. Are you scared? First off, if you’re concerned about the health risks associated with raw milk, I suggest you check out Chris Kresser’s blog series HERE. Second, I am not telling you to drink raw cows milk, as that would be illegal. Note you should NOT drink raw cows milk.**

This is me winking at you, via this awkward shot of Robert Pattinson.
Image by Nona Adams via pinterest

Raw dairy, from well-raised, well-fed and well-treated cows can be an incredibly nutrient-dense food. That’s why the Masaai can jump so high (this may or may not be true). Here’s just a few reasons why raw milk trumps crappy-processed milk every time:

11. It is rich in beneficial bacteria, which promote healthy digestion, strong immune function and happy hormones. Health (and disease) begins in the gut. Pretty sure some dude named Hippocrates said that a few years back.

22. It contains enzymes intact. As I mentioned above – raw milk has lactase, which helps digest lactose, the predominant sugar in milk

33. It is a great source of vitamins A, D and K2, all important for bone health. I know what you’re thinking – “what about calcium?” Yes, raw dairy is a great source of calcium and is more bioavailable (easier for us to “use”) than the calcium in processed dairy

44. It is loaded with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which studies are showing may potentially play a beneficial role in many chronic diseases, as well as improving body composition. Side note: it’s more abundant in the meat than the milk

55. Colostrum. Sometimes referred to as the “magic milk”, this is also produced by humans  and is full of immunoglobulins, antibodies, prebiotics, probiotics, growth factors and sugars that help with immunity.

66. It is a great source of bioavailable protein and is loaded with healthy fats

On the subject of calcium, if you’re having your milk (raw or processed) with cereal or coffee, you probably aren’t going to absorb much of this vital mineral, as there are components in these foods (tannins, phytates, lectins etc) that inhibit absorption. Your best bet is to throw it into a smoothie, drink it straight, or make yoghurt/kefir with it.

Right, so we have covered a lot (but not as much as I would have liked to). Moral to the story – dairy can be good and bad. If you can tolerate cows milk and want to try raw milk, I strongly encourage you to know where it is coming from. Ideally, you want it straight from the source, so try and hunt down a local farmer who will let you milk his cow in the wee hours of the morning. If you don’t tolerate cows milk, try goat/sheep. I’m no good with cows milk, so I stick with raw goat milk, which is easier to obtain too. If you’re allergic to milk, perhaps stay clear, but you probably already knew that. But remember, I'm not telling you that you should drink raw milk anyway, as it is illegal.**

Oh, one last thing – full fat all the way! The fat is important to absorb the vitamins, minerals and protein. It also slows down absorption and helps improve satiety, which may aid in weight management. 

Phew. Any questions feel free to comment below! And apologies again for the persistent swearing. I’m working on it. Much love to all! x

**UPDATE: When I say raw milk is "illegal", I mean it is illegal to sell (at least in Australia, but I believe the situation is similar in the US and other countries). It is not illegal for you to drink it (i.e. it is not quite in the same department as cocaine....yet). 

Links to where I pulled some of this mumbo-jumbo from (the rest is from my own noggin): 
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0377840106002616

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10531600 

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0308814694900507

http://www.realmilk.com/health/lactose-intolerance-survey/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC242162/

http://repository.lib.ncsu.edu/ir/bitstream/1840.16/1045/1/etd.pdf

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15172479 

http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/food_and_agriculture/greener-pastures.pdf