Fat content in recipes

#1

All the keto info I read about pushes using good fats in your diet. The mono and poly’s and keeping the sats at a minimum. Yet every single keto recipe or weekly/monthly diet plan I see out there pushes heavily on using heavy cream, bacon, lard, butter, coconut oil and others all of which are brutal with saturated fats. I realize fat content is the key but what I don’t understand is where is the focus on good fats vs bad?

(Bob M) #2

In my opinion, those ARE the good fats.

Whether you should eat that much of any fat is a different question.

#3

I agree sat fats are the ‘good’ fats. Mainstream dietary advice is just plain wrong about sat fats and there are lots of studies out there that show it to be wrong. There are two essential PUFAs: Omega6 and Omega3. They are required in very small amounts and in the proportions of 1:1. I think the best sources for these PUFAs are ‘oily’ fish. In my opinion, seed/nut oils (canola, corn, etc) are not suitable for human consumption. MUFAs such as olive oil and avocado oil are OK.

As for how much fat to eat… You have to replace the energy you formerly got from carbs with energy from fats. At 9 kcals per gram, you can do the math and come up with how much fat is the energy equivalent of however much carbs you ate pre-keto. That’s your start point, adjust from there for whatever your goals are. Best wishes.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #4

Saturated and monounsaturated fats are far healthier than polyunsaturates, especially those from industrial seed oils (soybean, cornflower, safflower, corn, peanut, and the like), because the seed oils are far too rich in ω-6 fatty acids. While the body requires a small amount of ω-6 fats, consuming too much of them causes systemic inflammation.

The notion of “artery-clogging saturated fat” was manufactured out of cherry-picked data. The main study that showed a correlation between saturated fat intake and coronary heart disease picked seven countries to report on, out of twenty-two from which the researchers had gathered data. When the data from all twenty-two countries are analysed, this correlation vanishes (interestingly, there is also a correlation between sugar intake and coronary heart disease, which does not vanish when data from all the countries are analysed; but that correlation was not considered significant by the lead researcher).

Later, large well-funded studies intended to support this “diet-heart” hypothesis in fact showed that lowering cholesterol was associated with increased cardiovascular risk, as well as with increased all-cause mortality (which makes sense, given the role of cholesterol in the immune system). So, while consuming seed oils will in fact lower cholesterol, the increase in systemic inflammation, together with the indications that lower cholesterol is actually bad for health, has led some researchers to a reassessment of what, precisely, the “good” and “bad” fats actually are.

In fact, increased levels of lipid in the blood are actually caused by excessive carbohydrate intake, a fact which was demonstrated in a number of studies in the 1960’s. Unfortunately, the researchers behind these studies were shouted down by other researchers, who, according to sugar industry memos, were being paid by the Sugar Research Foundation to downplay the risks of eating sugar and emphasise the risks of eating fat. This is all documented in two books by respected science journalists: Good Calories, Bad Calories, by Gary Taubes; and The Big Fat Surprise, by Nina Teicholz.

#5

Good vs Bad is an outdated incorrect mindset. Real food fats = GOOD! man made trans fats are more or less the only bad. People can nitpick mono vs poly vs saturated but it’s just that, nitpicking. Some people may find they do better with one type over the others, but in the end real fats are fine.

(Bob M) #6

I think we still overeat PUFAs. We’re far beyond what our ancestors ate. Even eating low carb, it’s shocking to the extent PUFAs are everywhere. If you buy olives, see what oil they are in. Used to like stuffed peppers (cheese and prosciutto), in sunflower oil. Anything prepared with oil is suspect.

I no longer think PUFAs play a large role in creating hunger, but I do think they have a role to play in heart disease and other diseases. I’d guess PUFAs are much bigger contributors to heart disease than is LDL.

#7

You may choose not to use any of these items, actually… But most of us don’t see problem in consuming some of these (or the only thing that stops us is that they are way too fatty… but that’s just me, it seems. and even I use these just very rarely and/or in tiny amounts. it you don’t count the fat in my pork but rendered lard is very minimal and very fatty pork is limited too).

I can’t help with “good fats” but it makes little sense to me that proper food that my body likes would be so bad for me. My opinion isn’t scientific at all and I honestly don’t care as I couldn’t just change my woe anyway. I must live on pork and eggs, mostly so I do that and it feels pretty good :). I am sure I have pretty good genes though and I am not particularly sensitive (though I am a bit to carbs, my body isn’t happy with much :smiley: fat is rarely the problem, only when I overeat it or when the ratio isn’t what I am comfortable with).

Recipes probably use tons of fat because the normal ketoers need way more than before. We still don’t need to use any added fat if that isn’t good for our goals. And people should decide which fats to use. I eat very much saturated and unsaturated fat alike as I can’t avoid that, not sure about mono- vs polyunsaturated though. But if it works, why to fix it, it works okay for me unless I mess up something else which is surely important not to.

(Bob M) #8

For a lot of the recipes we use, even if they use “good” fats like butter, we’ve taken to reducing the amount of fat. Have a great casserole that uses cabbage, but it used so much butter… We halved the amount of butter, and it was still great.

I still emphasize saturated fat if I can when I eat, so butter, ghee, tallow. A2 cheeses. Raw milk. Goat’s milk. I just use a lot less than I once did.

(Gregory - You can teach an old dog new tricks.) #9

The same people who say those are bad fats are the same people who say you should eat plenty of whole ( processed ) grains, seed oils and the Standard American Diet in general. A diet that is driving a world-wide epidemic of T2D, cardiovascular disease and obesity.

(Scott) #10

Well said Olddog!

#11

Who are these people? :thinking:

(Stickin' with mammoth) #12

Follow the money.

#13

lol. More like…
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_road_to_hell_is_paved_with_good_intentions

Seeds oil were pushed by the supposed health experts because PUFAs were shown to lower LDL but at the expense of causing obesity. The supposed health experts couldn’t prevent people from overeating whatever they wanted to eat. So they tried to manipulate the diet to keep people alive.

Whole grains were pushed but practically nobody consumes them because of the digestive issues we all experience after consuming them. Grains don’t really need to be pushed since they’re addicting.

“Follow the money” would only apply to junk food corporations and fast food chains such as McDonald’s. Are they saying that saturated fat is bad?

(Stickin' with mammoth) #14

Think again. The biggest food companies in the world have one goal and one goal only: To thine investors, be true. To stay alive, they need profits to keep rolling in. Anything that threatens that, threatens their survival. They have and will continue to skew research, test results, scientific data, anything at all that will hurt their bottom line–namely, customer trust.

Right now, most of the world thinks processed grain and seed foods are the height of “health food,” which is a testament to the millions those companies have invested in advertising, PR campaigns, and lawyers to help them maintain that facade. The “plant based” label is the most recent iteration of their technique, and they’re very pleased with it, it’s taken off nicely. The useful idiots out there with money in their wallets and fear in their hearts have fallen for it hook, line, and sinker. Amazing what you can do with flashy ads and a few celebrities…and no critical thinking or research on the consumer end.

So, yes, “Follow the money” does only apply to junk food corporations. They are ALL junk food corporations, in sheep’s clothing. And the sheep are following.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #15

Not to mention the effect of organisations such as the American Heart Association, which was nothing until Crisco Oil put them on the map with a large donation in 1948. Ever since, the AHA has been touting the virtues of seed oils, even though it has no evidence on which to base its recommendation.

It is true, of course, that consuming a great deal of polyunsaturated fats will lower cholesterol, but there is very little evidence to show that lowering cholesterol lowers cardiovascular risk. In fact, there is quite a bit of evidence to suggest the reverse. Yet ever since Ancel Keys and his friends gained control of the AHA’s Nutrition Committee, the organisation has recommended a “prudent diet” low in saturated fat. A look at their sponsor’s list will explain why.

#16

Do you actually believe most of the world is even thinking what is going down their gullet?

The whole food degenerating plant based diet pushers aren’t in bed with the seed oil companies and their derivative companies. The plant based pushers believe they’re doing good because plants are excellent at cleaning out the gunk caused by the junk food but long term consumption of plant cleaning chemicals such as saponins, lectins, etc. leads to degeneration and they don’t see this.

The majority of people can’t see over the horizon and eventually jump off the cliff with their health.

(Stickin' with mammoth) #17

Think again.

#18

Lol. Where’s your proof?

Plant based pusher…

(Bob M) #19

There is absolutely no evidence at all any of this is true. In fact, many of us find the fewer plants we eat, the better we feel.

I do still eat plants, but eating too many or the wrong types CAUSE issues, not cure issues. I have to be careful with how many I eat, and what kind.

(Stickin' with mammoth) #20

Hahahahahahaa!

I just got a prompt from Ketogenic Forums saying, “You’ve already replied 3 times to @Joyfulness in this particular topic. Have you considered replying to other people in the discussion, too? A great discussion involves many voices and perspectives.”

And I couldn’t agree more. I’ll let others educate you, if they have the interest. I do not. I’ve been in this rodeo for 4 years, I have over 500 articles, websites, and documentaries bookmarked on my computer canvassing every possible topic of research on keto, fasting, plant based hypocrisy, the underhanded shenanigans of food corporations, etc, etc. It’s all such old hat to me now, it’s just common sense.

I won’t deprive you of the joy of discovering it for yourself. There’s a lot out there for you to learn. Tally ho.