FATS AND OILS

FATS AND OILS:-

I had written an article several years ago on fats and oils which we had been reprinting in our Extra Info Book. But in this 2008-2009 edition I removed the article because it was a bit outdated and so many more new oils have become readily available. There are many books which discuss fats and oils (Know Your Fats, by Mary Enig is an example of a good one) and the Internet has lots of information on different oils. So, I don’t feel it’s necessary to describe and tell about each and every oil. But, here are a few tidbits about fats and oils you may want to consider and research further.

You need fat in your diet. A fat-free or nearly fat-free diet is not balanced or healthy. I have two personal stories to tell you about. I knew a very tall, thin, healthy young man who married a somewhat misguided health-enthusiast and she immediately put him on a fat-free diet. Soon his skin became incredibly dry, flaking off like dandruff everywhere. She realized the dietary mistake she had made, added fat back into his diet, and his skin returned to being healthy.

I also knew a young mother who wanted to lose weight quickly and went on a fat-free, low-calorie diet, which also happened to be devoid of everything nutritious because it basically consisted of Saltine crackers and water!! Yes, on this near-starvation diet she lost weight alright — and lost much of her beautiful blonde hair (what was left was thin and brittle) and lost her brain power too. Unable to think properly her life went downhill quickly. The brain is made out of fat and particularly thrives on Omega 3 fats. (This is why certain fats are called EFAs - Essential Fatty Acids.)