If you've been around this blog for a while, you know how I feel about that glorious gift of God...Coconut Oil. If not, take some time and go back to learn more (and more, then more) about this non-synthetic and YES, saturated fat. You need to do this because if you don't, you risk living the rest of your life believing the lie that it's bad for you. No, it is not. Coconut oil...non-refined, expellar-pressed, virgin coconut oil, is very good for you. Very good, indeed.
Now if you, unlike me, but like one of my sisters, hate the taste of coconut, this post is not for you. Some advocate the use of the refined product for those who do not like the taste of coconut, because the refined is without coconut taste. However, the act of refining coconut oil renders it an extremely poor substitute for the real deal and in fact, best left alone. See the mind-reeling truth about that here.
Even if you've never considered it before, if the taste of coconut is appealing, try using it in baked goods...It truly gives a unique, rich and marvelous flavor to brownies, cakes...and even pastries.
Again, if you've been around awhile, you know that canola oil, that oil promoted by the food industry as the oil that is good for you, is actually terrible for you. If you're new here or to the concept of real food, this will rock your boat, for sure, but truth is truth, so have a look at the Weston A. Price report on canola oil. ("The Great Con-ola") Even if you opt to stick with canola, at least you'll know that of which you partake!
So, to get to the Baked Goodies. EVEN if you're using a boxed cake mix, you can make it better by using better ingredients, like pasture-grazed eggs, filtered water, and instead of vegetable oil or even olive oil which can have a heavy taste and has a tendency to stick to the hips, use coconut oil. Same measure. If the room is cool, you may need to melt it, but really, the slightest bit of warmth accomplishes this task so it's no long, drawn-out affair.
If you went back and read about coconut oil, you have hopefully remembered that one of it's attributes is that it increases metabolism and unlike olive oils and other oils, is not an oil tending to add padding to the frame. It is also known as a great thyroid booster and some who have used it have been able to safely omit the use of their synthetic thyroid hormone (with their doctor's supervision). It would have been wise for me to have remembered this prior to my recent illness as it may have decreased the time spent finding my 'problem'!
And so, as we endeavor to eliminate that which is not so good from our diets and add instead, those things that are good and better, the use of coconut oil comes in as not only a wonderful alternative oil in our baked goodies, but one that greatly increases the palate's pleasure as well.
...Brownies, anyone?
Would you like to know more about the research into coconut oil? There is much to be found...marvelous, marvelous reports found in medical journals-reports of research conducted at universities and medical institutions. Check it out HERE.
Showing posts with label coconut oil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coconut oil. Show all posts
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Carousel Changes
Just a really quick FYI...I'm excited about just having updated the carousel at the top of this page. I am limited as to the amount I can offer and didn't want to lose some I've been recommending all along. But I just had to add one of Joel Salatin's books, (in my personal opinion, THE sharpest guy out there regarding sustainable farming...and to add to his expertise, the guy's a flat-out hoot!) The hard part was in deciding which one to add. For now, we'll settle with this one...Enjoy as you learn!
I am also very happy to show-off a 5-star-reviewed book on something close to my own heart...URBAN Homesteading. As they say, "You can take the girl out of the country, but not the country out of the girl." Well, I'm glad about that, to tell the truth...and glad to find this book to help us convert our small city back yard into something more on the sustainable, and yes...country side of life. As always, there is The Book...which is the version of the Bible that drew me to knowing Jesus.
And Nourishing Traditions is a must-have in any traditional foods kitchen.
Education about the truth of fats, the good and the bad, (if not familiar with traditional foods, you may be surprised at the fallacy in what our culture has been taught), is a must for this site, as is the information about real, unadulterated milk. (ie: raw)
Peruse. Click. Read reviews. Choose. Always keep learning!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Homemade, Long-Lasting, Better for You Biscuit Mix
Who hasn't used Bisquick? One of my most 'famous' recipes uses it, and I have been wanting, for a long time, to re-create the mix using homemade biscuit mix with healthier, WAPF-Friendly ingredients. And so, at last, I have taken some time and done just that.
As always, it's flexible. As always, you don't have to do it 'my way'. But because my Eastern Shore-Style Sweet Potato Biscuits, (next post), turned out so well using this recipe, I will give it to you exactly my way, and let you know what can be done instead for those of you not on the Weston A. Price train...yet. ;)
This recipe makes a whopping bag full, so have a 1-2 Gallon freezer bag ready. Stored in the freezer, it will keep 8 months (at least!)
The recipe calls for 9 Cups of flour. Here's how I divided it up:
4 C. King Arthur Bread Flour, unbleached
2 & 1/2 C. Bob's Red Mill Whole Wheat Stone Ground Organic Pastry Flour
2 & 1/2 C. Freshly-milled (my mill) organic/chemical-free hard wheat flour
You may use any healthy combo of flours or a single flour, if you like. I do not suggest all Pastry Flour, as it is quite low in gluten and your biscuits could end up looking like flattened cookies. At the same time, I wouldn't suggest only Wheat flour, either, as they will turn out heavier than you will like. If the pastry flour scares you, use a combination of the bread flour and wheat flour instead.
1/4 C. Rumford Baking Powder (or you may use your own home-made baking powder.)
1 TBS. Celtic Sea Salt
1/3 C. Grassfed lard
1/3 C. Grassfed tallow
1/3 C. Butter
1 C. Coconut Oil in solid state
For the last 4 ingredients (fat), you may use any combination that totals 2 Cups. It is also ok to use any ONE of the fats alone.
Regarding coconut oil: It is liquid at room temp unless you keep a chilly room. Also, if it is unrefined, it will have a coconut taste-wonderful for me because I LOVE coconut taste, but I know many who prefer not to taste it at all. A slightly less-healthy, but still healthier than the other 'stuff' out there, is to buy it in a refined state. This way, no coconut taste. (BTW: I recently learned that for those of us having difficulty with fat accumulation, coconut oil is an excellent fat choice!)
I truly believe for this recipe, the hardest part is the accumulation of the ingredients...Here's what to do next:
Combine all the dry ingredients and mix well. You can use a whisk, but I just use my clean hands.
Cut in the fats with a fork, pastry blender, or clean hands until it all looks like coarse crumbs.
Put it all in a freezer bag and freeze or refrigerate until ready to use. At the time of use, you may need to crush some clumps in the mix. This causes no problems.
Use for any recipe calling for Bisquick or other biscuit mix.
As always, it's flexible. As always, you don't have to do it 'my way'. But because my Eastern Shore-Style Sweet Potato Biscuits, (next post), turned out so well using this recipe, I will give it to you exactly my way, and let you know what can be done instead for those of you not on the Weston A. Price train...yet. ;)
This recipe makes a whopping bag full, so have a 1-2 Gallon freezer bag ready. Stored in the freezer, it will keep 8 months (at least!)
The recipe calls for 9 Cups of flour. Here's how I divided it up:
4 C. King Arthur Bread Flour, unbleached
2 & 1/2 C. Bob's Red Mill Whole Wheat Stone Ground Organic Pastry Flour
2 & 1/2 C. Freshly-milled (my mill) organic/chemical-free hard wheat flour
You may use any healthy combo of flours or a single flour, if you like. I do not suggest all Pastry Flour, as it is quite low in gluten and your biscuits could end up looking like flattened cookies. At the same time, I wouldn't suggest only Wheat flour, either, as they will turn out heavier than you will like. If the pastry flour scares you, use a combination of the bread flour and wheat flour instead.
1/4 C. Rumford Baking Powder (or you may use your own home-made baking powder.)
1 TBS. Celtic Sea Salt
1/3 C. Grassfed lard
1/3 C. Grassfed tallow
1/3 C. Butter
1 C. Coconut Oil in solid state
For the last 4 ingredients (fat), you may use any combination that totals 2 Cups. It is also ok to use any ONE of the fats alone.
Regarding coconut oil: It is liquid at room temp unless you keep a chilly room. Also, if it is unrefined, it will have a coconut taste-wonderful for me because I LOVE coconut taste, but I know many who prefer not to taste it at all. A slightly less-healthy, but still healthier than the other 'stuff' out there, is to buy it in a refined state. This way, no coconut taste. (BTW: I recently learned that for those of us having difficulty with fat accumulation, coconut oil is an excellent fat choice!)
I truly believe for this recipe, the hardest part is the accumulation of the ingredients...Here's what to do next:
Combine all the dry ingredients and mix well. You can use a whisk, but I just use my clean hands.
Cut in the fats with a fork, pastry blender, or clean hands until it all looks like coarse crumbs.
Put it all in a freezer bag and freeze or refrigerate until ready to use. At the time of use, you may need to crush some clumps in the mix. This causes no problems.
Use for any recipe calling for Bisquick or other biscuit mix.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Home-made Mayo Oils-Fats and Skinnies of Good Fats
Some time ago, I posted a how-to article for making your own mayo. I have been happy with our results, but I'm always interested in how others go about it. When Sarah Pope, author of The Healthy Home Economist blog, posted a new article on the oils used in Mayo, I read. Sarah is a Chapter Leader for The Weston A. Price Foundation and I have followed her blog often. She is what I admirably consider to be a 'food purist' and better about non-sweets than I or my family, so I have found that I sometimes need to sweeten up her recipes by adding a bit of raw honey or maple syrup. The knowledge I gain from her teaching is very valuable...enough so that I probably should stop right here and just give you the link to the post I read that got me going on this mayo thing.
Well, it's not so much the mayo part I'm in to, it's the fat of the oils used in making home-made mayo that intrigued me...and surprised me because this is important information that has evaded me up until now.
Two years ago, I had no idea there was much difference between canola oil and lard, tallow, olive, or coconut oil, but even with the advancements in my understanding since then, I didn't realize there was a difference between the good fats in regard to weight gain.
Now, this may not be news to you, but to me, it is, so I want to share it pronto.
In a nutshell, although the fats recommended by The Weston A. Price Foundation are all good for us, the fact is, some of them are more likely to make those of us prone to weight gain, well...gain weight.
Which ones? The long-chain fatty acid ones.
Like...(sorry)...Olive Oil.
But coconut oil is a winner as is sesame oil and several others.
For those of you who, like I, may have a thyroid issue, here's another oil that's good for many, but not us...Flax. Apparently, it slipped under my 'radar' regarding goiterogenic foods. I was using it occasionally, but now plan to avoid it.
In the exciting world of good, better and best nutrition, it's easy for some things to go unnoticed or unlearned. At least, for me, that seem to be the case. So, as I come across these little jewels of information, I will try to get them posted...(Haha!...Just for those of you who may be more like me than you care to admit.)
Rather than attempt to reiterate all Sarah's teaching here, I'm going to give you her link. She's well-worth following!
If you get curious and check out her mayo recipe, do understand that most mayo's we've grown up with contain sugar. If you haven't purged yourself and your family from sweetness, or don't plan to, you may want to revise her recipe a tad by adding 1-3 Tbs. of raw honey to the mix.
Also, because I use super-fresh (back-yard) eggs, my mayo never looks white, (the picture in my post is a poor image of the real thing, color-wise.) I thought it would be less yellow, (for my family's sake, not mine), if I made it Sarah's way, rather than my usual way of using only the egg yolks. It was a little less yellow, but not much. So, I say, do it whichever way suits you regarding egg whites and yolks. Also, Sarah's recipe calls for one less egg. I have found I like this better as the end result is not as thick and more like what I grew up with as far as thickness goes.
Here's the link on oils for mayo. And here's the link to my recipe for mayo. (You'll need to scroll down the page a bit to get to the actual recipe.) It uses peanut oil and I'm not sure about the greatness of that yet, except that I did read it was 'quasi-okay' in Nourishing Traditions, and opted for that after finding we weren't real excited about the taste of olive oil in our mayo. I made a new batch of mayo today and opted to use Sunflower and Coconut Oil in equal amounts instead and my husband and I both liked the final result very much. If you read Sarah's post, you'll better understand why I chose these oils.Oh and also, whereas my recipe calls for other sweeteners, I experimented with honey today by adding about 2 Tbs, and as I said, the final outcome was a winner.
For those of you just tripping in here, the big point regarding the oils is to GET AWAY from canola and other oils touted as healthy that really aren't. You can read more about that here.
If you are interested in more sauces and dressings, Sarah gives a great video-blog for several types, including fermented ketchup and thousand island dressing. You may want to try them. When you go to her page, look to the column on the right or use her search feature.
Well, it's not so much the mayo part I'm in to, it's the fat of the oils used in making home-made mayo that intrigued me...and surprised me because this is important information that has evaded me up until now.
Two years ago, I had no idea there was much difference between canola oil and lard, tallow, olive, or coconut oil, but even with the advancements in my understanding since then, I didn't realize there was a difference between the good fats in regard to weight gain.
Now, this may not be news to you, but to me, it is, so I want to share it pronto.
In a nutshell, although the fats recommended by The Weston A. Price Foundation are all good for us, the fact is, some of them are more likely to make those of us prone to weight gain, well...gain weight.
Which ones? The long-chain fatty acid ones.
Like...(sorry)...Olive Oil.
But coconut oil is a winner as is sesame oil and several others.
For those of you who, like I, may have a thyroid issue, here's another oil that's good for many, but not us...Flax. Apparently, it slipped under my 'radar' regarding goiterogenic foods. I was using it occasionally, but now plan to avoid it.
In the exciting world of good, better and best nutrition, it's easy for some things to go unnoticed or unlearned. At least, for me, that seem to be the case. So, as I come across these little jewels of information, I will try to get them posted...(Haha!...Just for those of you who may be more like me than you care to admit.)
Rather than attempt to reiterate all Sarah's teaching here, I'm going to give you her link. She's well-worth following!
If you get curious and check out her mayo recipe, do understand that most mayo's we've grown up with contain sugar. If you haven't purged yourself and your family from sweetness, or don't plan to, you may want to revise her recipe a tad by adding 1-3 Tbs. of raw honey to the mix.
Also, because I use super-fresh (back-yard) eggs, my mayo never looks white, (the picture in my post is a poor image of the real thing, color-wise.) I thought it would be less yellow, (for my family's sake, not mine), if I made it Sarah's way, rather than my usual way of using only the egg yolks. It was a little less yellow, but not much. So, I say, do it whichever way suits you regarding egg whites and yolks. Also, Sarah's recipe calls for one less egg. I have found I like this better as the end result is not as thick and more like what I grew up with as far as thickness goes.
Here's the link on oils for mayo. And here's the link to my recipe for mayo. (You'll need to scroll down the page a bit to get to the actual recipe.) It uses peanut oil and I'm not sure about the greatness of that yet, except that I did read it was 'quasi-okay' in Nourishing Traditions, and opted for that after finding we weren't real excited about the taste of olive oil in our mayo. I made a new batch of mayo today and opted to use Sunflower and Coconut Oil in equal amounts instead and my husband and I both liked the final result very much. If you read Sarah's post, you'll better understand why I chose these oils.Oh and also, whereas my recipe calls for other sweeteners, I experimented with honey today by adding about 2 Tbs, and as I said, the final outcome was a winner.
For those of you just tripping in here, the big point regarding the oils is to GET AWAY from canola and other oils touted as healthy that really aren't. You can read more about that here.
If you are interested in more sauces and dressings, Sarah gives a great video-blog for several types, including fermented ketchup and thousand island dressing. You may want to try them. When you go to her page, look to the column on the right or use her search feature.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Coconut/Coconut Oil/Saturated Fat & Cholesterol: Myth Buster #2
Everybody knows that when cholesterol is found in high levels in the blood, heart disease is just around the corner. We know it because that's what we've been told. Again and again and again. Is there evidence to support this? Well, there is evidence that disagrees with this idea. Let's look.
The Framingham Study: This study spanned 40 years, beginning in 1948. It was government-sponsored and the first heart disease study of its kind. Five hundred Framingham, Massachusetts residents participated in the study. Early in the study, high cholesterol was thought to be a risk factor for heart disease, but 16 years later, the follow-up showed that half of the participants who had suffered heart attacks had LOW cholesterol. And overall, there was very little difference in the levels of cholesterol of those with and without heart attacks.
Thirty years later, another portion of the study showed there was no difference in cholesterol levels in men aged 47 and older who had died. This same study gave some more shocking evidence...Those who had lowered their cholesterol had a greater risk of death than those whose cholesterol levels had increased. Sound crazy? Here's a direct quote: "For each 1mg/dl drop in cholesterol, there was an 11 percent increase in coronary and total mortality." [Italics mine.]
Here's the sad political twist to this truth, however. In 1990 the AHA and National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute used this same information and published it with a definite 'twist', (I would call it something else, actually), in Circulation:
"The results of the Framingham study indicate that a 1 percent reduction...of cholesterol [corresponds to] a 2 percent reduction in CHD [Coronary Heart Disease] risk."
This is nearly unbelievable evidence showing how facts that disprove the 'almighty' lipid hypothesis, (see last post), are twisted to appear to support it.
The International Atherosclerosis Project spanned 14 nations and autopsied 22,000 bodies in 1968. Whether the people of each region ate a lot of fatty animal foods or were more vegetarian, there was the same amount of fatty plaque blocking arteries. Even in comparing high cholesterol to low cholesterol in these corpses, the artery blockage was the same. These worldwide populations included areas where heart disease was prevalent, areas where there was little, and areas where there was none.
DID YOU KNOW that high cholesterol in women is a good thing? Again...I KNOW! In light of the information we've been fed through the years, this sounds absolutely absurd. But ALL studies that include women in regard to cholesterol and heart disease show that high levels do not make women at risk for heart disease. A workshop held at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute concluded that low cholesterol is more dangerous to women than high cholesterol! The report was given in the journal, Circulation, in 1992.
The Lancet published a study based in Paris in 1989. This study found that old women with high cholesterol win in the race of longevity. Once again, low cholesterol showed itself to be a problem. Women with low cholesterol had a death rate five times higher than those with high cholesterol.
In 2003, the British Medical Journal reported the conclusion of University of British Columbia research...Are you ready? Well, you may or may not know that statin drugs are used to lower cholesterol. This study showed that these drugs are useless in preventing heart disease in women.
Canada: According to1990 research of the Quebec Cardiovascular Study, while there is a slight, link between high cholesterol and the risk of heart disease in American men...for some reason, even this slight risk is non-existent in Canadian men. The study followed nearly 5,000 middle-aged men in good health over a span of 12 years. Unfortunately, these results were once again twisted, (because they were not the results they had hoped to find), via a lame explanation that it takes more than 12 years for the effects of high cholesterol to manifest. However, the previous Framingham study proves this explanation invalid.
Russia: You know how we are told to keep our LDL ('bad cholesterol') levels down? Sure you do. Anyone over 30 knows. Or at least has heard something about it. Circulation published the results of a study by the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences in 1993. This study showed that those low levels we're shooting for are associated with an increased risk of heart disease.
And you know how we've been told that there is 'good cholesterol', (HDL)? Apparently, this is supposed to make us less at risk. But this same study showed that the people with the low LDL and high HDL...which should be a good thing according to what we've been taught, were the ones with the increased risk of heart disease. In short: "Low cholesterol = Increased Risk".
So, what does U.S. Government have to say about the LDL factor? There are many reports beyond what's spoken of here that refute the lipid hypothesis. Still Diet and Health maintains that LDL is the greatest risk factor for heart disease. It really pushes the envelope by referring to cases as supporting this theory when they in fact, do not. One example of this is the use of the Framingham study. They actually say that this study supports the theory that high LDL levels are dangerous. However, that study, in reality, showed that "LDL ...is a marginal risk factor for people over 50"...and that "...women over 70 had a greater risk of heart disease if their LDL was low."
The Honolulu Heart Program: Covering 20 years of research, scientists compared cholesterol concentrations with mortality from all causes. The final conclusion of this study? "Our data accords with previous findings of increased mortality in elderly people with low serum cholesterol, and show that...the earlier that patients start to have lower cholesterol concentrations, the greater the risk of death..." These findings tell us that the earlier we start eating low-fat diets as prescribed by government agencies, the greater our risk of death from all causes.
By now, you have either decided that this information is balderdash or you have decided that maybe it's time to make some dietary changes. But, what if you're on a cholesterol-lowering drug? Arm yourself with information and talk to your doctor. Studies over more than the past 15 years, concentrating on cholesterol-lowering drugs and whether or not they are effective, reveal the following: Whether a patient was taking Lipitor, other cholesterol-lowering drugs, or nothing, the death rate was identical. Identical. IDENTICAL. Think perhaps it was a half-shod study? Think again. It covered 44 trials with nearly 10,000 patients and was apparently considered news-worthy enough to be published by the American Journal of Cardiology in 2003.
Across the world, eyebrows are being raised...the unquestionable question is coming into play...Is cholesterol really linked to heart disease? Is it's presence a precursor to coronary issues?
I think the answer is, "I think not."
So is that expensive bucket of unrefined coconut oil really a good buy?
No.
It's a great buy.
Get it.
Use it.
Enjoy it.
Your body will love you for it. And while you're at it, get the lard. And the tallow. And the butter. Just get the best quality you can. Toxins are stored in the fat of animals so don't get lard from conventionally raised pork. Don't get or make tallow from the fat of conventionally raised beef. All these products need to come from animals that are raised without hormones and antibiotics. They need to be eating in real fields with real, green, pesticide-free grass. Green grass is a major component. It cleanses the animal's system and raises it's nutrient value exponentially.
Yes, eat your saturated fat. Know you're doing yourself good when you do. Throw your fat phobia out the window.
There now...One less thing to worry about...Isn't that better?
'Myth Buster' information from today's post, as well as the last post, comes mostly from that found in "Nourishing Traditions" and "Eat Fat, Lose Fat". I highly recommend them to any wanting to dig deeper.
The Framingham Study: This study spanned 40 years, beginning in 1948. It was government-sponsored and the first heart disease study of its kind. Five hundred Framingham, Massachusetts residents participated in the study. Early in the study, high cholesterol was thought to be a risk factor for heart disease, but 16 years later, the follow-up showed that half of the participants who had suffered heart attacks had LOW cholesterol. And overall, there was very little difference in the levels of cholesterol of those with and without heart attacks.
Thirty years later, another portion of the study showed there was no difference in cholesterol levels in men aged 47 and older who had died. This same study gave some more shocking evidence...Those who had lowered their cholesterol had a greater risk of death than those whose cholesterol levels had increased. Sound crazy? Here's a direct quote: "For each 1mg/dl drop in cholesterol, there was an 11 percent increase in coronary and total mortality." [Italics mine.]
Here's the sad political twist to this truth, however. In 1990 the AHA and National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute used this same information and published it with a definite 'twist', (I would call it something else, actually), in Circulation:
"The results of the Framingham study indicate that a 1 percent reduction...of cholesterol [corresponds to] a 2 percent reduction in CHD [Coronary Heart Disease] risk."
This is nearly unbelievable evidence showing how facts that disprove the 'almighty' lipid hypothesis, (see last post), are twisted to appear to support it.
The International Atherosclerosis Project spanned 14 nations and autopsied 22,000 bodies in 1968. Whether the people of each region ate a lot of fatty animal foods or were more vegetarian, there was the same amount of fatty plaque blocking arteries. Even in comparing high cholesterol to low cholesterol in these corpses, the artery blockage was the same. These worldwide populations included areas where heart disease was prevalent, areas where there was little, and areas where there was none.
DID YOU KNOW that high cholesterol in women is a good thing? Again...I KNOW! In light of the information we've been fed through the years, this sounds absolutely absurd. But ALL studies that include women in regard to cholesterol and heart disease show that high levels do not make women at risk for heart disease. A workshop held at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute concluded that low cholesterol is more dangerous to women than high cholesterol! The report was given in the journal, Circulation, in 1992.
The Lancet published a study based in Paris in 1989. This study found that old women with high cholesterol win in the race of longevity. Once again, low cholesterol showed itself to be a problem. Women with low cholesterol had a death rate five times higher than those with high cholesterol.
In 2003, the British Medical Journal reported the conclusion of University of British Columbia research...Are you ready? Well, you may or may not know that statin drugs are used to lower cholesterol. This study showed that these drugs are useless in preventing heart disease in women.
Canada: According to1990 research of the Quebec Cardiovascular Study, while there is a slight, link between high cholesterol and the risk of heart disease in American men...for some reason, even this slight risk is non-existent in Canadian men. The study followed nearly 5,000 middle-aged men in good health over a span of 12 years. Unfortunately, these results were once again twisted, (because they were not the results they had hoped to find), via a lame explanation that it takes more than 12 years for the effects of high cholesterol to manifest. However, the previous Framingham study proves this explanation invalid.
Russia: You know how we are told to keep our LDL ('bad cholesterol') levels down? Sure you do. Anyone over 30 knows. Or at least has heard something about it. Circulation published the results of a study by the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences in 1993. This study showed that those low levels we're shooting for are associated with an increased risk of heart disease.
And you know how we've been told that there is 'good cholesterol', (HDL)? Apparently, this is supposed to make us less at risk. But this same study showed that the people with the low LDL and high HDL...which should be a good thing according to what we've been taught, were the ones with the increased risk of heart disease. In short: "Low cholesterol = Increased Risk".
So, what does U.S. Government have to say about the LDL factor? There are many reports beyond what's spoken of here that refute the lipid hypothesis. Still Diet and Health maintains that LDL is the greatest risk factor for heart disease. It really pushes the envelope by referring to cases as supporting this theory when they in fact, do not. One example of this is the use of the Framingham study. They actually say that this study supports the theory that high LDL levels are dangerous. However, that study, in reality, showed that "LDL ...is a marginal risk factor for people over 50"...and that "...women over 70 had a greater risk of heart disease if their LDL was low."
The Honolulu Heart Program: Covering 20 years of research, scientists compared cholesterol concentrations with mortality from all causes. The final conclusion of this study? "Our data accords with previous findings of increased mortality in elderly people with low serum cholesterol, and show that...the earlier that patients start to have lower cholesterol concentrations, the greater the risk of death..." These findings tell us that the earlier we start eating low-fat diets as prescribed by government agencies, the greater our risk of death from all causes.
By now, you have either decided that this information is balderdash or you have decided that maybe it's time to make some dietary changes. But, what if you're on a cholesterol-lowering drug? Arm yourself with information and talk to your doctor. Studies over more than the past 15 years, concentrating on cholesterol-lowering drugs and whether or not they are effective, reveal the following: Whether a patient was taking Lipitor, other cholesterol-lowering drugs, or nothing, the death rate was identical. Identical. IDENTICAL. Think perhaps it was a half-shod study? Think again. It covered 44 trials with nearly 10,000 patients and was apparently considered news-worthy enough to be published by the American Journal of Cardiology in 2003.
Across the world, eyebrows are being raised...the unquestionable question is coming into play...Is cholesterol really linked to heart disease? Is it's presence a precursor to coronary issues?
I think the answer is, "I think not."
So is that expensive bucket of unrefined coconut oil really a good buy?
No.
It's a great buy.
Get it.
Use it.
Enjoy it.
Your body will love you for it. And while you're at it, get the lard. And the tallow. And the butter. Just get the best quality you can. Toxins are stored in the fat of animals so don't get lard from conventionally raised pork. Don't get or make tallow from the fat of conventionally raised beef. All these products need to come from animals that are raised without hormones and antibiotics. They need to be eating in real fields with real, green, pesticide-free grass. Green grass is a major component. It cleanses the animal's system and raises it's nutrient value exponentially.
Yes, eat your saturated fat. Know you're doing yourself good when you do. Throw your fat phobia out the window.
There now...One less thing to worry about...Isn't that better?
'Myth Buster' information from today's post, as well as the last post, comes mostly from that found in "Nourishing Traditions" and "Eat Fat, Lose Fat". I highly recommend them to any wanting to dig deeper.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Book Review Tuesday: "Eat Fat, Lose Fat-The Healthy Alternative to Trans Fats"-by Dr. Mary Enig & Sally Fallon
I think the main thing we need to remember is to keep the main thing the main thing. Traditional eating and food preparation is about nutrient-dense eating. Weight loss comes slowly and gradually, as a by-product of this lifestyle and has never been the primary goal.
Eat Fat, Lose Fat is not on my carousel at the top of the page. I could only chose ten books for that, and this one just didn't make it to my 'Top 10' list. However, that's not to say it isn't packed full of some fantastic information.
Eat Fat, Lose Fat is written by the same great authors as Nourishing Traditions, so it has to be good. Dr. Enig is an international expert on fats and Sally Fallon (Morrell) is the president of the Weston A. Price Foundation.
Although much smaller, this book covers much of the same materials as Nourishing Traditions...much of it in more detail. It hones in on the truth about fats and especially applauds the natural goodness of coconut oil. The book is divided into three parts, 'The Truth About Fats', 'Real Foods-for Healing and Health' and 'Recipes and Resources'.
Inside, you will find three options for traditional eating: One is for rapid weight loss, another is for health recovery, and the third is for maintenance of both with gourmet recipes.
My only real objection with the book is in knowing how difficult it could be for the newcomer to traditional foods and traditional food preparation. It's almost as if it were written for those already on the traditional path. For a newcomer, the changes required to switch from the modern American diet to a traditional diet can be drastic and include a major culling and replacement of pantry foods, learning to plan ahead much more than we do with processed foods, and also learning a new way to prepare and cook these different foods. You have to admit, that's a lot of changes. Changes generally equal stress and stress often triggers us to react in old, unhealthy ways.
The financial expense of a sudden change can be great, and most of the people I know who have successfully made the changeover to a traditional diet, have done so gradually...My WAPF Chapter Leader and I like to call it 'baby steps'. Eat Fat, Lose Fat allows a week for the pantry overhaul and gives great details on how to go about it, but to my simple thinking, it's not enough time, so if you feel pressured, I would think this is an area that could be curbed according to your own ability to embark upon a transformed food lifestyle.
For me, it's important to keep transitions as simple and easy as possible, whenever possible. Otherwise, discouragement may set in causing us to stray from new commitments...no matter how healthy that commitment may be.
There may be many who are kitchen whizzes and maybe just a bit more organized with their day than I am, who will get this book and easily follow every page. For the rest of us, who may feel a little overwhelmed, take heart. It really is packed with healthful, helpful information and the recipes are more than just tasty. And there are many testimonies of how well it has worked.
Do be sure to glean the knowledge and information imparted about fats. If you are unfamiliar with these truths, it may take some time to wrap your head around it. You will be pleasantly amazed by the information supplied about the superfood/superfat, coconut, and you will likely learn some new things about the harm that can be and has been brought to our bodies via the supposedly healthy, polyunsaturated fats. You will read firm research and studies as well as personal testimonies. You will also learn the reason behind failure in fad diets as well as the 'made-to-fail-so-you'll-have-to-pay-good-money-to-come-back-and-lose-weight-again' programs.
The 'Health Recovery' section tells about bone broths, how to get non-synthetic, non-toxic A & D into your diet, lacto-fermented beverages that give beneficial enzymes and nutrients, raw foods like milk and marinated meats/fish, superfoods and soaked grains. Here, you will also find listed several illnesses and what they tell us our body needs. It is really quite amazing.
The weight loss section tells how to achieve weight loss and I was relieved that it discusses what is right for us as far as 'correct' weight loss. There are two phases here...a two week plan that goes into a second phase, but only if needed. The 'core principles' here are to eat three meals each day...ALWAYS breakfast, eat traditional fats-including (especially) coconut oil, eat nutrient-dense foods, and moderate...not immense...calorie restriction. There are some other important factors as well: no in-between snacks, listening to your body...head hunger or true hunger? The core principles are explained in detail and 25 ways to incorporate unrefined coconut into the diet are included. Amazing, again.
Phase One, Phase Two and Health Recovery all offer 14 days worth of meal planning, with recipes to all in the back of the book. But be prepared, a recipe often calls for something else that must be made-from-scratch before the recipe can be completed. And this isn't for one meal a day, (many of them are gourmet), but for three. This is where planning comes in, and you will have to be quite diligent in that
Also included in the book is a section full of resources for things like unrefined coconut oil, and why to use unrefined as opposed to refined...and a host of other coconut products. Other resources are for raw milk, Pasture-raised egg and meat products, dolomite, milk and water kefir grains, kombucha mushrooms, lacto-fermented condiments, stocks, acceptable sweeteners, and pages or 'other' food products.
If you buy this book, do so with the consideration that you will need to give yourself time to study it, plan well, buy well, (often via online ordering), and please, give yourself time to learn how to make some of the recipes in the back. I would suggest trying them out before you actually embark on the plan so when you do eat, you'll be choosing the recipes you love. If you haven't set aside a great deal of funds to change the products on your shelves, then start by doing as the book teaches, only do so gradually. Our Weston A. Price Foundation Chapter Leader recently spoke some very wise words to a mutual friend regarding this transition and financial stewardship. She told her not to throw away everything in her pantry, but instead, as items are used up, replace them with those recommended by the Weston A. Price Foundation. I had already used, and continue to use, that system. I know it doesn't make everything perfect fast, but it is less daunting and certainly spreads the cost out over time. And let's be real, it's less about perfection than progress in the right direction.
You may want to cull some things immediately, (we chose canola oils, shortening and boxed cereals first), and replace them with better foods. The trick for some of us is to do what we are comfortable with and then, maybe push a tiny bit more, just to prevent inertia.
Consider the process in the book as an ideal, not a mandate. Consider the information excellent for your health. In this way, you may save yourself from becoming overwhelmed and giving up. Use the marvelous truths found within the text to form better eating habits and reach toward a healthier you. If you eat as prescribed in the book, you will lose weight. But newbies to traditional eating may want to take a little time to get the concepts, (and proper foods), under the wing a bit before trying to fly.
Eat Fat, Lose Fat is not on my carousel at the top of the page. I could only chose ten books for that, and this one just didn't make it to my 'Top 10' list. However, that's not to say it isn't packed full of some fantastic information.
Eat Fat, Lose Fat is written by the same great authors as Nourishing Traditions, so it has to be good. Dr. Enig is an international expert on fats and Sally Fallon (Morrell) is the president of the Weston A. Price Foundation.
Although much smaller, this book covers much of the same materials as Nourishing Traditions...much of it in more detail. It hones in on the truth about fats and especially applauds the natural goodness of coconut oil. The book is divided into three parts, 'The Truth About Fats', 'Real Foods-for Healing and Health' and 'Recipes and Resources'.
Inside, you will find three options for traditional eating: One is for rapid weight loss, another is for health recovery, and the third is for maintenance of both with gourmet recipes.
My only real objection with the book is in knowing how difficult it could be for the newcomer to traditional foods and traditional food preparation. It's almost as if it were written for those already on the traditional path. For a newcomer, the changes required to switch from the modern American diet to a traditional diet can be drastic and include a major culling and replacement of pantry foods, learning to plan ahead much more than we do with processed foods, and also learning a new way to prepare and cook these different foods. You have to admit, that's a lot of changes. Changes generally equal stress and stress often triggers us to react in old, unhealthy ways.
The financial expense of a sudden change can be great, and most of the people I know who have successfully made the changeover to a traditional diet, have done so gradually...My WAPF Chapter Leader and I like to call it 'baby steps'. Eat Fat, Lose Fat allows a week for the pantry overhaul and gives great details on how to go about it, but to my simple thinking, it's not enough time, so if you feel pressured, I would think this is an area that could be curbed according to your own ability to embark upon a transformed food lifestyle.
For me, it's important to keep transitions as simple and easy as possible, whenever possible. Otherwise, discouragement may set in causing us to stray from new commitments...no matter how healthy that commitment may be.
There may be many who are kitchen whizzes and maybe just a bit more organized with their day than I am, who will get this book and easily follow every page. For the rest of us, who may feel a little overwhelmed, take heart. It really is packed with healthful, helpful information and the recipes are more than just tasty. And there are many testimonies of how well it has worked.
Do be sure to glean the knowledge and information imparted about fats. If you are unfamiliar with these truths, it may take some time to wrap your head around it. You will be pleasantly amazed by the information supplied about the superfood/superfat, coconut, and you will likely learn some new things about the harm that can be and has been brought to our bodies via the supposedly healthy, polyunsaturated fats. You will read firm research and studies as well as personal testimonies. You will also learn the reason behind failure in fad diets as well as the 'made-to-fail-so-you'll-have-to-pay-good-money-to-come-back-and-lose-weight-again' programs.
The 'Health Recovery' section tells about bone broths, how to get non-synthetic, non-toxic A & D into your diet, lacto-fermented beverages that give beneficial enzymes and nutrients, raw foods like milk and marinated meats/fish, superfoods and soaked grains. Here, you will also find listed several illnesses and what they tell us our body needs. It is really quite amazing.
The weight loss section tells how to achieve weight loss and I was relieved that it discusses what is right for us as far as 'correct' weight loss. There are two phases here...a two week plan that goes into a second phase, but only if needed. The 'core principles' here are to eat three meals each day...ALWAYS breakfast, eat traditional fats-including (especially) coconut oil, eat nutrient-dense foods, and moderate...not immense...calorie restriction. There are some other important factors as well: no in-between snacks, listening to your body...head hunger or true hunger? The core principles are explained in detail and 25 ways to incorporate unrefined coconut into the diet are included. Amazing, again.
Phase One, Phase Two and Health Recovery all offer 14 days worth of meal planning, with recipes to all in the back of the book. But be prepared, a recipe often calls for something else that must be made-from-scratch before the recipe can be completed. And this isn't for one meal a day, (many of them are gourmet), but for three. This is where planning comes in, and you will have to be quite diligent in that
Also included in the book is a section full of resources for things like unrefined coconut oil, and why to use unrefined as opposed to refined...and a host of other coconut products. Other resources are for raw milk, Pasture-raised egg and meat products, dolomite, milk and water kefir grains, kombucha mushrooms, lacto-fermented condiments, stocks, acceptable sweeteners, and pages or 'other' food products.
If you buy this book, do so with the consideration that you will need to give yourself time to study it, plan well, buy well, (often via online ordering), and please, give yourself time to learn how to make some of the recipes in the back. I would suggest trying them out before you actually embark on the plan so when you do eat, you'll be choosing the recipes you love. If you haven't set aside a great deal of funds to change the products on your shelves, then start by doing as the book teaches, only do so gradually. Our Weston A. Price Foundation Chapter Leader recently spoke some very wise words to a mutual friend regarding this transition and financial stewardship. She told her not to throw away everything in her pantry, but instead, as items are used up, replace them with those recommended by the Weston A. Price Foundation. I had already used, and continue to use, that system. I know it doesn't make everything perfect fast, but it is less daunting and certainly spreads the cost out over time. And let's be real, it's less about perfection than progress in the right direction.
You may want to cull some things immediately, (we chose canola oils, shortening and boxed cereals first), and replace them with better foods. The trick for some of us is to do what we are comfortable with and then, maybe push a tiny bit more, just to prevent inertia.
Consider the process in the book as an ideal, not a mandate. Consider the information excellent for your health. In this way, you may save yourself from becoming overwhelmed and giving up. Use the marvelous truths found within the text to form better eating habits and reach toward a healthier you. If you eat as prescribed in the book, you will lose weight. But newbies to traditional eating may want to take a little time to get the concepts, (and proper foods), under the wing a bit before trying to fly.
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