This debate on Fat

[wisslewj]

Dear Peops

I have noticed much talk about fat in here and think that some stuff is good and other stuff perhaps lacking a bit. I firmly belive we should make up our own minds on things based on all facts. That said, i wanted to present some facts about fats that many may not know as from what I see in here it seems people eat very little of them. (keep in mind these are RAW fats)

SATURATED FATS
1. Each cell in the body is 50% saturated fat! It is this fat that gives cells the proper firmness that allows nutrients to pass in freely and toxins out. If there is no saturated fat the body will use what is available....transfats, polyunsaturated, mono.....this leaves cells "floppy" and hence in poor health.
2. For calcium to be absorbed properly we must have saturated fats in the diet. About 50% is optimum.
3. Saturated fats lower Lp(a) --Lpa is an indicator of heart disease
4. They absorb toxins and help flush them from the system. In doing so they protect the liver
5. EFA's are better absorbed and retained in the tissues when saturated fats are present in enough quantity
6. Saturated fat is the prefrred food for the heart. (the heart is surrounded by a fat layer that is saturated)
7. It is antimicrobial and boosts the immune system.

There are MANY good sources. The best vegan source would be Coconut oil.

Mono unsaturated fats are quite healthy as are polyunsaturated but in small quantieties. Too much poly is actually dangerous. (74% of the gunk in clogged arteries is actually polyunsaturated fats!)

There are some GREAT articles here on fat:

http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/index.html

Specifically good are the articles titled:
-The Importance of Saturated Fats for Biological Functions
-A New Look at Coconut Oil

By the way, for those wanting to lose weight, cutting out alot of carbs and upping the level of saturated fat will literally drop the weight right off. Fat doesnt make fat. Fat absorbs toxins. When one is fat they are over toxic. New fat taken in will replace the old and get rid of the toxins and excess weight. The eskimos ate a diet of 80% saturated fat and not a one of them was overweight. My wife and i eat alot of healthy raw saturated fat. Niether of us has a lick of fat on us. It is a huge misconception that we dont need fat. fat is actually one of the most important things we can eat. Just needs to be raw and te right kind of fat.

Healthfully :)
Jeff

[pdx kris]

While I do follow a fairly low-fat diet (about 15% of my calories), I find that I feel my best when the fats I am eating are primarily saturated. Specifically, I do much better on avocados and coconut than I do on oils. I try to make my salad dressings with these whole foods rather than blending in completely unsaturated sources.

It really is a shame how the soybean industry has soiled our regard for plant-based saturated fats.

[alex]

This is great info - thanks!!

By far the best info on fats that I have ever come across is a book by Udo Erasmus called: Fats that Heal Fats that Kill.

The book is a little techinical in parts but the information that it contains is priceless. I believe Udo may be the best authority on fats on the planet.


alex

[Revvell]

By the way, for those wanting to lose weight, cutting out alot of carbs and upping the level of saturated fat will literally drop the weight right off. Jeff

Great information on the fats ~ thank you, yet, I think a distinction needs to be made here between simple and complex carbohydrates. When people say ~ "cut out the carbs" many are now programmed to believe that means all the good stuff as well as the "bad" and also they are programmed to think "low carbs, high protein".

Alissa has pointed us to the way of the easiest way to eat ~ a varied diet balanced in all essentials ~ fats, protein, complex carbohydrates.

It is soooooo simple yet people feel the need to make it soooo complicated.

Just remember, eat raw and always, play with your food.

Revvell

[wisslewj]

PDX, aye i agree it is a shame.

Alex, yeah that is a good book I did enjoy i as well. Alex, read some books by Mary Enig. She is quite the authority on fats as well. When one truely understand te chemical makeup of saturated fat and the hydrogen bonds etc one can see WHY it is so healthy and so vital.

Revell, you are absoluetly right. One must find a balance for their body types. No one diet really is right. In my experience some thrive on a more vegan fare whilest others a more carnivore fare. (all raw of course) Rather than hold to one diet dictorate, we must realize that we all have different insides and what works for us may not work for another. things like the autonic nervous systems dominant type, liver reserves and capacity as well as a host of things go into dictating what we would thrive on. But, balance is always key and a wise approach. :)

God Bless
Jeff

[Revvell]

Jeff,

First of all, I don't agree that ANYone needs "carnivore fare" and if you've not read the mission statement, it's not something that is advocated or discussed here. If you've not read The China Study, you might wish to do so.

I was only speaking of raw fruits, nuts, seeds, veggies and greens as advocated by Alissa. As one who NEVER counts calories, fat, carbs, protein, etc., I'm finding my health, aliveness and awareness expanding because of the variety of my raw vegan food program and lifestyle.

Make it a great one.

Revvell

Revell, you are absoluetly right. One must find a balance for their body types. No one diet really is right. In my experience some thrive on a more vegan fare whilest others a more carnivore fare. (all raw of course) Rather than hold to one diet dictorate, we must realize that we all have different insides and what works for us may not work for another. things like the autonic nervous systems dominant type, liver reserves and capacity as well as a host of things go into dictating what we would thrive on. But, balance is always key and a wise approach. :)

Jeff

[LightLover]

wisslewj:

* Don't forget the omega-3 acids, these are also essential fat acids!
These keep your brain flexible, if not available, your brainmembrane gets rigid.
* Your thread on saturated acids is excellent.
* I can highly recommend you to read the books of Dr. Young
(ph miracle and ph miracle for weight loss), this text is in line with your
thinking about fats and will open new doors for you, especially on the chapter
of toxins, while he is describing how your bodyfat is protecting you against toxins, without your bodyfat you would die.
* there are essential fats and aminoacids (objective), but nobody ever did came up with essentail carbohydrates.

But who are we to deny the results of low-fat rawfoodeaters, if they look healthy and feel healthy? The problem is that there are no (big) results of studies in the rawfoodworld about distinctions in diets.
All important studies have been done in the sadworld.
* We are all pioniers speaking each for ourselves and not for all, and I don't feel yet the urge in this sector for responding to polls or getting a little objective in a wider view, most people are focused on feeling well themselves and trying to get rid off their bounds with the sadworld, and I don't gonna complain about this, I think it is to early to join the believes, we are still in a kind of schock between the raw and sadworld.

LL

[wisslewj]

Hey Revell and Light,

Both the book and the study sound interesting. i love reading so I will check em both out thanks.

Revell I wasnt advocating any diet in my post, only that as people we need to recognize we are all different and what works for one of us, for whatever reason (beit health, moral choices, etc.) may not work for another. Some thrive on some foods while others will not. I think we can both agree on that lol and that was all I was pointing out.

If a person thrives on lowfat diets as Light pointed out, then that is probably because at the time THAT is what they need. And that is good then for them. I just think when we become too rigid we may lose site of the journey of health we are all on.

Anyway, thanks again for the info guys.
God Bless
Jeff
wisslewj@yahoo.com

[Revvell]

Hey Revell and Light,
Revell I wasnt advocating any diet in my post, only that as people we need to recognize we are all different and what works for one of us, for whatever reason (beit health, moral choices, etc.) may not work for another. Some thrive on some foods while others will not. I think we can both agree on that lol and that was all I was pointing out. wisslewj@yahoo.com

Gotcha. I wish I had the wherewithal to undertake a large enough study to put a specific amount of people, say 100 or so, put them on the same foods for the same amount of time and see what happens. lol

Being that I don't, guess I'll just have to experiment on meself.

Be well,

Revvell

[Sharon in Colorado]

I'm finding that people starting out on a wildcard raw diet will eat upwards of 50% of their caloric intake of fat.

Once many of them are accustomed to the raw diet, often they will naturally desire less concentrated or processed fat and eat more fresh foods.

Of course this varies from person to person.

Also concentrated, dehydrated fats don't have as many benefits as fresh, whole sources of fats.

Concentrated and/or dehydrated and processed fats being the various oils and some of the commercially made nut butters.

Non-fresh, dried and sometimes rehydrated sources being seeds and nuts and some of the homemade nut butters, and dried olives.

Whole fresh sources being avocadoes, coconuts and other kinds of olives.

This just coming from the point of logic from the raw & living food standpoint - our bodies being whole living organic organisms recognizing other whole living organic organisms introduced to them.

[Missrawdiva]

Also, a good source of fat which people forget out are HEMPSEEDS! I eat hemp butter (homemade ofcourse!) every morning! It has 45 percent fat!! And it is a proven fact that coconut oil which is also high in fat, will actually speed up the metabolism and help you to loose weight.
ok.. just my 2cents!

[wisslewj]

mmmmmmmm....homemade hemp butter!!! :)

whens lunch i will be there!!! :P

[Sharon in Colorado]

When I had mentioned that raw fooders initially take in more fat, was because I believe it was in place of the heavy feeling that cooked food gives. I don't think that 50% calories through fat in the long term is terribly healthy - as too much fat can inhibit many of the body's processes.

It is true that certain raw food diets can take in much more fat than cooked.

On cooked most of the calories come through simple and complex although processed carbs. Think of bread, pasta, rice, potatoes etc. which are eaten so heavily on the standard cooked diet.

But on the raw diet, because cooked starches and grains are to be avoided, many times the diet swings right off to denser 'raw' foods such as nuts and the heavier recipes, instead of replacing cooked carbs for natural whole plant carbs (fruit).

This tends to be necessary in order to satisfy stomach and mind, and is more of an emotional necessity and in time a fresher, lighter diet with less fat and in less concentrated forms is what many will gravitate toward.

[Kerilyn]

ok, so coconut oil... how do you consume it on a raw diet. I am quite new.. just a few months, I don't make any recipes- just fruit, salads and green smoothies and can't think of how I would get in coconut oil besides staight off the spoon and I can't do that... When I use to eat SAD I would make toast in the morning and would spread coconut oil and honey on it...but now what?! And how much coconut oil are we talkin' about!? One more thing- what about dehydrated coconut flakes- I can snack on those by the cup full...YUMMMM : )

[misslinda]

hmmm. I'm not a big fan of supplemeting with fats/oils. If I happen to crave an avacado so be it but I do not make it an effort to add it in unless it's orders by the inner voice. There are trivial amounts of fats in fruits too. ;)