The Slowcook at Spydog Farm The Slowcook at Spydog Farm

Is Fat Back?

March 4th, 2010 · 3 Comments · Posted in food news

The media are taking a welcome second look at fat

The media are taking a welcome second look at fat

Even the Washington Post is climbing onto the recent media trend toward a reconsideration of fat. A column in today’s paper says the Atkins diet is making a resurgence, and cites a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that found no significant link between saturated fat and heart disease. A second article in the same issue found that the real culprit behind modern diseases is too much carbohydrate consumption. (Sound familiar? It’s what we’ve been saying all along.)

Renewed interest in fat has prompted a newly revised edition of the famous Atkins diet book. Even the American Dietic Assocation has acknowledged that urging people to restrict their fat intake merely encourages them to eat more carbs.

At The Slow Cook, we are confirmed carnivores and especially love the grassfed meats we get delivered from our local dairy. We also eat lots of pastured eggs, cheese and yogurt we make at home from grassfed, creamtop milk and cream. But if you aren’t ready to dive into animal fats, make sure you include in your diet lots of healthful, mono-unsaturated fats from olive oil, avocados, nuts and even canola oil. Avoid super-processed, industrial oils from corn, soybeans and cotton. And look for sources of heart-healthy Omega-3 oils, such as oily fish and flax seed.

Seeing the media re-connect with the value of fat, and finally recognize the link between too many carbs and serious health problems, is a great development. We hope it spreads.

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  • heatherroses

    Please explain why you have Canola listed as an acceptable fat… it’s an industrial byproduct that gets highly refined in order to be considered safe, doesn’t it? The only benefit I’ve heard is that it’s cheap.

  • Ed Bruske

    Canola oil is a variety of rapeseed oil developed in Canada (hence the name). Humans have been using rapeseed oil for eons. This particular variety is much lower in euric acid, making it conducive to everyday use. There’s nothing “industrial byproduct” about it. It is a modern oil, true. But I don’t see why that should count against it. Canola oil is even more mono-unsaturated than olive oil and a good source of Omega-3. You might want to do a little more research before dismissing it.

  • Sylvie

    Animal fat from pastured animals never left my house. Taste good, good fat profile and readily available if you are willing to get bulk (so you know, you can render lard…)