Looking for good information on which fats are good for you and which are harmful can be overwhelming. The information available online is greatly contradicting and it simply cannot be reduced to just good or bad. I have created a list to first create 2 categories, for cooking and for direct consumption.
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Regarding cooking oils and fats, avoid the red list completely because they are either highly processed or become harmful when heated. Examples of cooking oils to avoid are vegetable oil, canola oil, margarine, corn oil and shortening. Your best option is to use organic fats and oils from the green list such as ghee, butter, coconut oil, lard and other items listed in green. If you choose to cook with olive oil, you must only use it for low temperature cooking.
Where it gets a bit more complicated is identifying which fats to avoid when looking at ingredient lists from packages. This step is a bit frustrating but if you put in the effort to learn what to avoid, you will find that you will feel so much better then you have in a long time. I noticed that my kids' energy level increased and they became less picky after a few weeks. Remember that if it's not in the house, you can't eat it. The most important fats to avoid at all cost are trans fats (hydrogenated oil) which are refined by a chemical process, they interfere with nutrient absorption and they are indigestible. Trans fats are found in commercially prepared fries, baked goods, packaged foods, crisco, cool whip, margarine, fast food, mayonnaise, salad dressing, crackers, cookies, pastries, frostings candies and more.
Saturated fats are fats that are solid at room temperature and are often labeled as unhealthy, but I am not in agreement with this opinion. Coconut oil for example is a saturated fat but it is very good for you. Ghee, organic butter and lard are also acceptable.
In the unsaturated category you will find a longer list which is divided into omega 3, omega 6 and omega 9 fats. The problem here is that we don't have enough omega 3 fats in our diet which is resulting in too much inflammation. The ideal ratio should range from 1:1 - 1:4 omega 3 to omega 6. In the US we average 1:15. Omega 9 can be produced by the body so it is left out of this equation, but the bottom line is consume as much omega 3 as possible to bring inflammation down and you will feel better then you knew you could. Always go for good quality and organic when possible.
If you'd like to learn even more, please watch this recent seminar we recently conducted at our offices:
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