Fat is a fearsome word to most people. For decades nutritionists and medical professionals have warned us that fats are bad for us. They raise our cholesterol, clog our arteries and tend to make us…. well fat. But if you take this at face value then you will avoid fat like the plague. But that’s just plain wrong.
We need fats. We’d be dead without them. They’re critical to the well being of every cell in our bodies, and they’re critical building blocks for the construction of every neuron in our brains.
Did you know your brain is mostly made up of fat?
It sounds like a straight line from a stand-up comedy routine but it’s true. The human is about 60% fat by dry weigh. Fat molecules (sometimes called fatty acids) play a critical role in the construction of brain cells and the insulation of nerve fibers.
But all fats are not created equal. The essential dietary fats come in tow versions – Omega-3 and omega-6. They play a complementary roles in the brain and the rest of the body. When all goes well, omega-3 and omega-6 work in harmony to keep us firing on all cylinders. But when our dietary fats fall out of balance, we become vulnerable to many forms of illness. Depression is one of the most common.
According to studies, hour hunter-gather ancestors maintained a superb balance of omega-6s and omega-3s in their diets, usual in a 1:1 ratio. The typical American, on the other hand, has a radically imbalanced fat intake heavily slated in favor of omega-6s. The ration in the modern American diet now stands at a staggering 16:1 ratio.
Fortunately, the body is able to make many of the fat molecules the brain needs. But their are some forms that the body can’t manufacture on its own, these fats can be obtain only form our diet. And among the most important dietary fats is a group called omega-3 fatty acids- critical building blocks for brain structure an function.
Omega-3 fatty acids are found mainly in fish, wild game, nuts, seeds and leafy vegetable, all thing found in abundance. Our distance ancestors ate five to ten times more omega-3 fat than we do today. In fact, omega-3s have gradually disappeared from the American diet over the past century.
In the past our great-grandparents, for example, ate beef cattle that were free range, where the cattle ate grasses and wild plants sources of omega-3. Remarkably beef used to be good for us. Today’s cattle in contract are mostly grain-fed, and have little beneficial omega-3
Omega-3 fats are made in the leaves of plants, grasses, and algae. Any animal that eats one of these omega-3 plant sources quickly absorbs the essential fats directly into its own body. So, for example we find high levels of omega-3 fats in wild game, which feed on grasses. and many species of wild fish that fee on algae.
Omega-6s fats on the other hand, are usually concentrated in plant seeds. These fats are also abundant in nuts and grains. One of the biggest changes involved the shift form leaves to seed in the diet of livestock.
To restore your dietary balance of omega-6 and omega-3 fats, there are really only two major possibilities to consider. You can either
- Increase your intake of omega-3s
- Decrease your intake of omega-6s
You can do this by:
- Switiching to grass-feed beef or simply drop beef from your diet
- Stick mostly with lean meats like chicken breast and fish
- Cook with olive oil, or coconut oil
- Use butter instead of margine
- supplement with a good omega-3 supplement.
So now that you know that it’s good to be a fathead. What are you going to do to add omega-3s to your diet and decrease your intake of omega 6s.
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