The Big Fat Surprise

1.      Meat/Steak: We have avoided meat for decades for the main reason that it contains saturated fat. But saturated fat turns out not to be cause heart disease. This is the news from 3 big meta-analyses that have examined all the science. Saturated fat does slightly raise the "bad" cholesterol, true, but the ultimate effect on heart-attack risk is nil. So, there’s no reason not to eat the steak.

2.      Cold-Cuts (processed meats). Another concern about meat, especially processed meats, is they cause cancer. But this idea is based on very weak evidence, the kind of study that shows association not causation. And the associations that are seen are extremely weak--below the standard that the National Cancer Inst. itself uses as a cut-off for whether this kind of result is reliable. We have been living with a bias against meat for a long time, so these weak kinds of results are overplayed, but the reality of the science is that it doesn't support the idea that meat causes cancer.

3.      Cheese. We avoided cheese also due to the fact that it contains saturated fats. Repeat: saturated fats have not been shown to cause heart disease.

4.      Whole Milk: Your children need the fat in milk to get all the good nutrition in milk. Without the fat, you can't absorb fat soluble vitamins A and D. And without the fat, the calcium turns into insoluble calcium soaps in your intestines instead of being absorbed. Plus, low-fat milk is higher in sugar. Children need fat to grow properly. It fills them up better than low-fat or skim milk. 

5.      Eggs: We were told to avoid eggs because they contain a lot of cholesterol, but it turns out that your body can up or down regulate the cholesterol it makes depending on what you eat. So, no problem eating a lot of cholesterol, your body just adjusts. That's why just in the past year, officials have finally dropped their advice to limit the cholesterol you eat (every other western nation did this years ago). And it's a shame we haven't eaten eggs because they're a great source of nutrition: lutein, which are essential for eye health and choline, which is essential for the functioning of cell membranes and neuron functioning in the brain. And where are they? The part of the egg we've avoided: the yolk.

6.      Butter versus Margarine (as a spread): Margarine is basically vegetable oils like soybean and safflower oil that have been hardened--through a process called hydrogenation. But one of the byproducts of that process is that it creates trans fats--which are not good for health. So that's why we've seen people go back to butter in droves. And butter is fine for health. We avoided it (again) because they contain saturated fats, but these are not a problem. And butter is full of vitamins. Before saturated fat got a bad reputation, butter used to be known among nutrition researchers as a "miracle food," uniquely capable of reversing growth faltering in children. 

7.       Butter or Lard versus Olive Oil or Vegetable Oils (for cooking): Before 1910, pretty much the only fats that American housewives cooked with were butter and lard. True in Europe, too. Then vegetable oils were developed. The problem with them is that they degrade when heated--creating hundreds of oxidation products. This causes inflammation in the body. Also creates the worst kind of oxidized cholesterol in the blood--the kind that's thought to be the unstable kind that breaks off and causes heart attacks. So stay away from these oils for cooking. Butter, lard and tallow (and coconut oil) are all more stable and don't oxidize when heated.

8.       Regular Salad Dressing versus Low Fat version: Fat is essential in foods. It's essential for flavor, texture and the structure of food. Any time a manufacturer takes out fat they must use something called a "fat replacer" to make up for what's lost. Fat replacers are almost always carbohydrate-based, and often just sugar. So low-fat versions of food are almost inevitably higher in carbs and sugar. 

9.       Granola Bars versus Low-Fat versions: Same point as above. Also true of peanut butter, yogurt, and ice cream. These foods are all higher in sugar and carbs. A low-fat yogurt is like eating a Hershey bar for breakfast. 10. Nuts/Avocados: These have been known as the only "good" fats, but don't just have to stick to these foods.

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NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void in Quebec and where prohibited. Open to permanent legal residents of the 50 states of the U.S., D.C., and Canada (excluding Quebec), who are 18 years of age or older as of the date of entry. Starts at 9:00 am ET on 1/12/2015. Entries must be received by 11:59 pm ET on 1/25/2015. Prize restrictions apply. For details/Official Rules visit CLICK HERE

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