The best healing and wellness support system we have is Nature. Yes, Mother Nature!
Here is the latest edition of 1 thing I’m doing, 2 things I’ve learnt and 3 things to explore lovingly created so you can live a happier, healthier and longer life. Much love, Sandy xx
1 THING I’M DOING
Rethinking Saturated Fats
I remember the ’80s like it was yesterday—low-fat yoghurt, zero-fat cheese, skim milk everywhere, fluoro leotards, and Olivia Newton-John belting out “Let’s Get Physical”. I was right there, fully swept up in the craze and in Jane Fonda’s workout videos. Fat was public enemy number one, and even foods with a mere 1% fat content suddenly had a low-fat alternative on the shelf. I mean, wasn’t 1% already low-fat? How low can you go?
It was all part of a slick marketing campaign, no doubt masterminded by mega food corporations. And I fell for it too, hook, line, and low-fat stinker. My shopping basket was brimming with skim milk, low-fat yoghurts, and cheese that tasted like plastic. I genuinely believed I was doing the right thing.
Then, one day, it hit me. I was standing in the dairy aisle scrutinising yet another “light” yoghurt label when I thought, “What am I even looking for?” The sugar content in these so-called healthy options was through the roof. That’s when I realised I’d been sold a lie. Today, I also know that the natural goodness of full-fat dairy had been stripped away as well.
Since then, I’ve embraced full-fat everything: creamy yoghurts, rich butter, and sharp, delicious cheeses. Not only do they taste infinitely better, but they’re also more satisfying and nourishing. Life is too short to eat bland plastic cheese so here are my simple tips for embracing healthy fats.
4 Easy Tips for Embracing Healthy Fats
✔️ Ditch the Low-Fat Labels: Opt for full-fat dairy products like cheese, milk, and yoghurt. They’re less processed and more nutrient-dense. Remember, quality over quantity.
✔️ Read the Ingredients: Be wary of sugar and additives sneaking into “light” or “low-fat” products. It’s really sugar that should be public enemy number one.
✔️ Cook with Real Fats: Swap seed oils for natural fats like butter, ghee, tallow or coconut oil when cooking. If these aren’t for you then a generous glug of olive oil is great too. And don’t stress about scrimping. I go through about two blocks of butter at least every week.
✔️ Indulge Wholeheartedly: Always enjoy your full-fat options without guilt. Food is to be enjoyed. Eating mindfully and savouring every bite can help you feel fuller and more satisfied.
It’s time to stop fearing fat and start embracing its natural, nourishing power.
✔️ Action Item: This week, take a closer look at your fridge and pantry. Swap out any low-fat or light-labelled products for full-fat, whole-food alternatives. Start small—perhaps with yoghurt, milk, or cheese. Pay attention to how they taste and how they make you feel. Your body needs and deserves real, nourishing fats, so embrace them and enjoy!
2 THINGS I’VE LEARNT
Saturated Fats Do Not Cause Heart Disease – The $20M Con
It was in 1961 that the American Heart Association (AHA) issued the advice that people should limit their intake of saturated fats due to its association with heart disease. Part of what’s called, the diet-heart hypothesis that started in the 1950’s, this message is still alive and well today and is arguably the single-most influential nutrition policy ever published.
First adopted by the US government, as official policy for all Americans, it was then adopted by governments around the world as well as the World Health Organisation. Sixty years later, this message is still parroted every single day by doctor’s, is represented on food pyramids, in dietary guidelines and given as advice by dieticians and nutritionists everywhere (because that’s what they’ve been taught?)!!
But are saturated fats actually bad for you and your heart, or was someone greasing the wheels behind the scenes?
American Heart Association Paid $20 Million by Procter & Gamble
In 1948 the American Heart Association received US $1.7 million, or about US $20 million in today’s dollars, from Procter & Gamble (P&G), who are the makers of, wait for it, Crisco oil. If it looks like a conflict of interest and sounds like conflict of interest, it probably is.
This “donation” was the catalyst for the AHA’s transformation from a small, unknown group into a national and international organisation. Even their own website and official history page proudly professes how this “donation” launched their organisation. Today the AHA is a well-greased behemoth.
Since that oily deal the nutritional recommendation was solidified. Down with saturated fats. Up with vegetable oils. It’s not surprising then that vegetable oils such as Crisco have obviously reaped the benefits with Americans increasing their consumption of seed oils by nearly 90% from 1970 to 2014. In Australia, I wouldn’t expect things to be much different.
Burying Science That Doesn’t Match The Story
By the late 1960s, a bias in favour of the diet-heart hypothesis was so strong that any researchers with contrary results found themselves unable or unwilling to publish their results.
In the study, titled “A short history of saturated fat: the making and unmaking of a scientific consensus” it was uncovered that the largest test of the diet-heart hypothesis, the Minnesota Coronary Survey, involving 9057 men and women over 4.5 years, tested a diet of 18% saturated fat against controls eating 9%, yet it did not find any reduction in cardiovascular events, cardiovascular deaths, or total mortality in the group eating less saturated fat. But yet, this report and study was buried quicker than someone could say, would you like some extra seed oil with that?
Like most things I’ve been uncovering of late, science and studies have been captured for quite some time. You can read the full thrilling study here and the next time you consider using a seed oil over butter percolate on this quote from the study….
“The idea that saturated fats cause heart disease, called the diet-heart hypothesis, was introduced in the 1950s, based on weak, associational evidence.”
Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Obesity30(1):65-71, February 2023.
Healthy Saturated Fats vs Unhealthy Saturated Fats & Foods
Take a look at the Dieticians Australia website for nutritional advice on fats and you’ll get the same story. You’ll see the list of “bad” saturated fats that includes everything from take-away foods like chips and chicken nuggets to processed foods such as pastries and pies to wholefoods including coconut oil, butter, milk and cream.
It seems all saturated fats have been lumped together and tarred with the same oily brush.
Then, check out the Dietician’s Australia list of “healthy” unsaturated fats, and you’ll see a mix of everything from fish, seafood, walnuts, and pine nuts to canola, soybean, corn, cottonseed, and grapeseed oils.
Once again, they’ve lumped all unsaturated fats together, put them on the “good egg” scale, and professed how these unsaturated fats are the best type of fat for a healthy heart:
Source: Dieticians Australia
Saturated and Unsaturated Fats Are Both Good For You
Could it be that life isn’t as simple as “good” and “bad” fats? That perhaps there are amazing, nutrient-packed saturated fats, full of brain-boosting DHAs, and then there are unsaturated fats—praised by many—that are actually inflammatory and harmful? I’d argue so.
Trusting the Experts? Think Again
We’ve been conditioned to take what organisations like Dietician’s Australia or the Health Association say as gospel. After all, these groups are the experts and should be trusted right? Wrong! It’s time to challenge the narratives. You are the expert of your own body, and it’s time to become a truth-seeker, a hunter of what truly serves your health.
Regardless of what any doctor or organisation tells me, there is no way I’m believing that a highly refined canola oil (and a by-product of the industrial oil industry) is better for me than a pure, unprocessed butter. Or that cottonseed oil should take precedence over nutrient-rich coconut oil. In fact, when doctors and organisations spew out this type of information, it makes me trust them even less. They are not doing themselves any favours here.
It’s About More Than “Fat”
We know take-away foods aren’t exactly healthy, and that piling on cakes and processed foods, is not going to do our body any favours. But it’s not just about “fat” as a category or even saturated fat as a category; it’s about what you’re really putting on your plate.
The days of blindly believing doctors, dietitians, nutritionists, corporations, and governments are over. Heck, don’t even believe me. You need to do your own research, fact-check that data and make up your own mind. It’s time for decentralised health to take centre stage, where you’re empowered, and the system actually works for you. Otherwise, you could just end up following bad advice from the Australian Heart Foundation like this…
✔️ Action Item – It’s time to apply discernment to your sources of health advice. Don’t feel guilty about enjoying healthy saturated fats from wholefoods and enjoy doing your own research. If you find anything interesting, don’t forget to share 😊
3 THINGS TO EXPLORE
Healthy Sources of Saturated Fats: A Nutritional Powerhouse
When it comes to saturated fats, it’s important to separate the nutrient-dense, health-promoting options from the processed junk foods they’ve been unfairly grouped with. Saturated fats from whole, unprocessed foods are vital for optimal health. They provide a great source of energy, support hormone production, and have brain boosting benefits.
If you’re ready to include more friendly saturated fats in your diet here are some of the best sources:
Butter, Ghee & Tallow: These are rich in fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K, essential for bone health and immune function. Opt for organic, grass-fed varieties to maximize nutrients.
Coconut Oil: Packed with medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), coconut oil supports energy production and may even boost your metabolism.
Grass-Fed Meats: Loaded with omega-3s, iron, and other essential nutrients, organic grass-fed meats are a nutritional powerhouse
Organic Eggs: Not only a great source of healthy fats, these little oval gems are a complete protein and include choline, crucial for brain and liver health.
Full-Fat Dairy: Choose options like cream, yogurt, and cheese, preferably organic, from grass-fed animals and locally made (or as close as possible).
These saturated fats have been staples in traditional diets for centuries, and long before modern diseases became prevalent. Incorporating them into your meals will not only elevate the deliciousness of your meals but will bring a healthy balance and vitality to your diet. Don’t fear fat – just embrace the right ones!
How a Vegan Diet Increased Cholesterol
Nick Norwitz is on a science experimental journey. Recently going viral for his experiment of eating 720 eggs, headlines of “Harvard Medical Student Eats 720 Eggs” sprung up across the world. This egg-eating worthy news collected tens of millions of reads and views across media platforms and whilst it rang of goofy clickbait, it was far more than that.
Nick is on a mission to first and foremost promote metabolic health. But rather than using long winded peer-reviewed papers, he is using himself as the test subject effectively making him the total sample of N= 1.
In a recent experiment that aligns with our saturated fat theme, Nick switched from an Animal-Based Keto Diet to a Vegan-Keto Diet. And whilst this change would make the likes of the Heart Foundation dance with joy, as Nick’s saturated fat intake (the supposed bad ones) dropped over 4 fold, from 121g to 29g, this tremendous decrease in saturated fats actually increased Nick’s LDL levels by 14%!
How could this be? Nick goes on to give quite a long detailed explanation of this result based on metabolic health principals and his unique circumstances in particular but the real gem and learning is this.
N=1 Science: A Personalised Approach
We can’t assume that just because a large research study professes a certain result that the same result will be reflected in us. Another bonus of decentralised health, the cookie-cutter approach is thrown out the window and the future of health research and solutions lies in a more individualised approach.
N=1 experimentation or a study with just one participant (which is you) — offers an alternative to population-based research. Instead of drawing conclusions from large groups and believing they will be replicated in everyone, N=1 studies focus on the individual, allowing you to directly test how specific interventions affect you unique health profile.
Whilst I have my personal preferences in regards to my diet, I don’t publicly support or condone any diet as this is a very personal choice so this isn’t about vegan being bad per se. This is about critical thinking and the possibility that saturated fats doesn’t necessarily equal high levels of cholesterol and heart disease. I also fully support the notion of being our own N=1. In taking ownership of your health and becoming your own health boss, it’s time for you to start your own experiments to see what your body needs, likes and responds positively to the most.
✔️ Action Item – If you were to run your own N=1 experiment, what would that experiment be? And what’s stopping you from starting that experiment now? It’s time to put your figurative lab coat on and start studying yourself.
It’s Your Road
“It’s your road, and yours alone, others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.” – Rumi
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