Week 4
Fat is Fantastic
To help you recover from CFS/ME
Hi,
Fat is really important to your recovery, so I hope this module will banish any fear you may have
of adding good, natural fats to your diet.
What are Real Fats?
Real Fats come from plants and animals – the Real Food our ancestors ate. Plants contain mainly
unsaturated fat - nuts, seeds, olives, avocados, dark green vegetables and seaweed (and oily fish).
Animals contain mainly saturated fat - meat, fish, eggs and dairy (and coconuts).
Why you need Real Fat in your diet
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Your cell membranes are made out of fat and affect all cellular functions
Fats give you a healthy nervous system - your brain is 60% fat
Fats give you sustainable energy
Fats improve your mood and concentration
Fats are used to build stress hormones enabling you to cope with stress
Fat is used to build your sex hormones; oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone;
keeping you youthful and strong
Fats protect you from allergies and skin conditions
Fats give you lovely skin, shiny eyes and glossy hair
Fats speed up your metabolism and keep you slim
Fats prevent sugar cravings and mood swings
Fats help keep your bowels regular
Fats provide you with vitamins A,D,E and K
Fats protect you from gut infections
Fat lubricates your joints and protects your organs
Fats stop you feeling hungry
The most essential fat to eat
We can make saturated fat in our body but we have to get unsaturated fat from our diet - from
plants and oily fish. We don’t eat enough plants and oily fish so we are deficient in these fats
which are essential for our health – mainly omega 3 fats.
If you lack omega 3 fats in your diet (from oily fish, dark green vegetables, sea vegetables, wild
game and walnuts) like most people nowadays in the western world, you may have cell
membranes which are not made out of the correct balance of fats. Cell membranes lacking in
omega 3 fats become stiffer interfering with the free flow of oxygen, nutrients and water into the
cells, and waste out. This not only causes fatigue because a lack of nutrients (sugar and oxygen)
getting into cells means you can’t make energy, but it also deprives your body of the nutrients it
needs for you to get well and creates a stagnant, acidic condition in your cells which leads to
inflammation and reduced mental and physical health.
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Is your diet low in Real Fat?
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Do you eat less than 3 portions of oily fish a week?
Do you leat less than 3 eggs a week?
Hormonal imbalance?
Always thirsty?
Do you urinate frequently? Does water go ‘straight through you?’
Do you suffer from weakness, fatigue and low energy ?
Do you find it difficult to cope with physical and emotional stress?
Frequent infections?
Do you struggle with your weight?
Attaction to sugar and carbs? Snacking on carbs for energy?
Depressed? Anxious? Mood swings?
ADHD, concentration, memory problems?
Inflammatory conditions?
Dry skin, eyes, hair, dandruff, brittle nails, cracked skin on heels?
Eczema, rough patches, bumps on back of upper arms?
Allergies?
High blood pressure or heart condition?
y/n
y/n
y/n
y/n
y/n
y/n
y/n
y/n
y/n
y/n
y/n
y/n
y/n
y/n
y/n
y/n
y/n
The more ‘yes’ answers you give, the more deficient you may be. Eat more natural, Real Fats in
your diet, in particular oily fish, fish oils, olive oil, butter, coconuts, avocados, grass-fed meat, full
fat dairy, nuts and seeds, dark green and sea vegetables.
What are processed fats?
Processed fats are plants (corn, sunflowers, rapeseed) which have been put through a refining
process to remove the oil from the plant. This involves heating the oils, adding chemicals,
bleaches, and altering the chemical make-up of the fats. Humans never ate these oils before
1900. Vegetable oils are the clear yellow oils you find in plastic bottles in the supermarket ie
sunflower oil, corn and canola oils. Spreads, like butter substitutes, involve further chemical
altering to make the oils solid. These processed oils are called hydrogenated fats, partially
hydrogenated fats and transfats and you will find these in vegetable oils, imitation butter spreads
and in packaged processed foods like cakes, pies and biscuits.
Why are processed fats bad for you?
Your body incorporates fats into your cell membranes in pretty much the form in which you ate
them. So these processed fats are incorporated into your cell membranes and don’t function like
the real natural fats which your body is designed to use. They make free flow of water, nutrients,
hormones and waste through your cell membranes in and out of your cells difficult. They lack
the nutrients your body needs. They can’t be used to make energy. They can’t make a healthy
brain. They can’t make properly functioning sex and stress hormones. An excess of the omega
6 fats found in vegetable oils also encourages inflammation which is associated with weight gain,
diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
Don’t be afraid of Fat
Eating fat won’t make you fat. Excess carbohydrates in your diet raises your blood sugar level and
that excess sugar is stored as fat. The fat you eat is mainly used to build your body and provide
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energy. You need real, natural fats to get better and be healthy. Fear of fat is only justified in the
case of processed fats.
How real fat can help you get well
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Eating real fat gives you nutrients your body needs to build and repair itself.
It satisfies you so you don’t over-eat carbohydrates and destabilise your blood sugar
It gives you sustainable energy
It allows normal functioning of your cells
Healthy cell membranes are important for blood sugar balance
Healthy cell membranes are needed to make energy, hormones and use nutrients
Healthy cell membranes are needed to keep you hydrated
You need fat to build stress hormones so you can deal with stress
You need fat to build your sex hormones and keep them in balance
You need fat for healthy brain function, especially omega 3 fats from oily fish
How to get more good fats into your diet
At each meal include some Real Fat. Butter on vegetables, olive oil dressings on salads. Eat oily
fish and take fish oils. Don’t be afraid of chicken skin or steak. You need fat for all the above
reasons.
Your biggest source of excess saturated fat is not the fat you eat, but the processed carbs, sugar
and flour, which raise your blood sugar so that your body has to convert it into saturated fat and
store it out of harm’s way. Processed carbs are probably the biggest cause of excess saturated fat
in your body.
Summary
Avoid processed fats and oils
Eat more omega 3 fats in the form of fish, walnuts, wild game, organic eggs and dark green
vegetables
Eat natural, real fats without fear
Take fish oil every day
Actions of the Week
What will you put in your Action Plan for this week? Some ideas include ....
1. Buy some butter*
2. Plan a few meals around fish
3. Start taking fish oils
*If you are intolerant to dairy products you can usually still eat butter as it is only the fat, not the casein or lactose
part of milk. It is also contains anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties which protect you from gut infections
and CLA which protects you from cancer.
Homework – look at the Food & Drink Diary you filled in. Do you think you are getting
enough Real Fat in your diet?
Fear of fat is common among my clients and many have eaten low fat diets in the past. A lack of
fat in the diet causes a lot of stress in the body as carbohydrates eaten instead cause unstable
blood sugar levels, triggering the adrenal glands to be constantly pumping out stress hormones.
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This leaves the adrenals exhausted and depleted, leaving you less able to deal with stress, whether
physical or emotional, and less able to balance blood sugar, blood pressure, and deal with
allergies. It is a double whammy because stress hormones are made out of fat, and if you aren’t
eating enough fat, you can’t even replace the hormones that you are depleting. Nourish your
body and brain with healthy fats - they will help you to feel better, deal with stress, balance your
blood sugar, look better, lose weight and give you the nutrients your body needs to heal.
Next week – we are looking at the importance of choosing your carbohydrates wisely to help
you recover.
Have a good week.
All the best,
Alex
Recommended books
“Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill” by Udo Erasmus
“Eat Fat, Lose Fat Dr Mary Enig”
“Cholesterol Clarity” by Jimmy More and Dr Eric Westman
This information is solely for the purpose of education. It should not be construed nor is intended to be used for medical diagnosis or
treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider. Always consult with your doctor
or other qualified health provider before embarking on a new diet or supplement programme.
Copyright: Alexandra Barton, Nutritional Therapist, BANT
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Good Fats, Bad Fats
REAL Fats to eat
Oily fish *
Fish oil *
Walnuts
Flax seeds
Dark green vegetables
Seaweed
Nuts and seeds
Meat
Fish
Eggs
Dairy
Butter
Avocados
Coconuts
Olives
REAL fats to cook with – these are fats which are stable and less damaged by cooking
Coconut oil
Butter
Ghee
Duck Fat
Lard
Dripping
Olive Oil – not to smoking point
REAL fats for DRESSINGS
Olive oil
Flax seed oil
Nut oils like walnut, macademia, sesame seed oils in dark bottles
REAL fats for SPREADS
Butter
PROCESSED fats to avoid
Hydrogenated/partially hydrogenated fats and trans fats – found in spreads & processed foods
Vegetable oils
Spreads that aren’t butter.
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Fears About Fats
“I’ve been told not to eat saturated fat!” Animal fat has had a bad press. Our ancestors
evolved on saturated animal and plant fats and they didn’t have high blood pressure and heart
attacks. The fear about saturated fat started when heart disease became a problem. What was
clogging up our arteries? Saturated fat. The “obvious” conclusion therefore was that saturated
fat was bad for us. However, what most people don’t consider is the fact that when you eat too
much sugar your body turns it into saturated fat. If eating fat was the problem we would have reduced
heart disease as we have all avoided fat the last 40 years – instead it has increased along with the
increased intake of sugar.
“I’ve been told not to eat eggs!” Your brain is 60% fat – and half that fat is made out of
phospholipid fats. The best source of phospholipids fats are eggs. The British Nutrition
Foundation and the British Heart Foundation now agree that eggs are good for you and there is
no correlation between eating eggs and cholesterol levels or heart disease. So eat eggs plentifully,
happy in the knowledge that they are good for you – just as are most foods which have not been
processed by man. Eggs do not make you constipated. What makes you constipated is a
processed food diet which encourages a lax gut. When you start introducing more protein into
your diet, your gut can take a little while to realise it has to put in some effort again, so just give it
time to adjust, meanwhile help it along with a regular spoonful of flax seeds if you are stuck !
“I’m afraid of getting fat!” Fat does not make you fat – you only need to do the high fat
Atkin's diet and lose weight to understand that for yourself. The myth that fat makes you fat is
perpetuated by the food industry because it is cheaper to produce low fat food and gives them
massive profits. Avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates and you can eat fat without fear of
putting on weight.
“I’m afraid of high cholesterol levels!” Recent science believes that cholesterol is the good
guy not the bad guy. When your arteries become inflamed cholesterol is sent to patch them up
like a plaster. We see the cholesterol and think that is the problem, but recent discoveries suggest
that the underlying cause of blocked arteries may be inflammation, triggered by lack of omega 3
fats in our diet. 75% of the cholesterol in our body is made by our liver. Our sex and stress
hormones are made out of cholesterol so if we don't eat enough our body starts making more to
make up for the lack, so cutting down on fats to lower a cholesterol level doesn’t always work.
Consider this, high cholesterol levels have never been proven to be a cause of heart disease, yet
low cholesterol levels are well associated with stress, depression, anxiety and have even been
linked to cancer.
“How much fat should I eat?” Your body will tell you! You have an inbuilt system which
prevents you from over-eating fat and protein – when you have had enough you know it.
Imagine eating butter by the spoonful – you know when to stop.
However this system only works for food - food which our body recognises as food. Your body
does not recognise hydrogenated fats as food, so you can eat hydrogenated fat until you are fat as
a house and you will still not feel satisfied. In fact, because you are not satisfied you will
continue to eat and eat and eat, until you really are as fat as a house.
This information is solely for the purpose of education. It should not be construed nor is intended to be used for medical diagnosis or
treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provide. Always consult with your doctor or
other qualified health provider before embarking on a new diet or supplement programme.
Copyright Alexandra Barton. BANT
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Week 4
Two Healthy Dressings
1. Balsamic Vinegar & Udo’s Oil Blend Dressing
Mix the 2 together 50/50 for an instantly delicious dressing providing you with plenty of healthy
omega 3 fats. Udo’s oil (or use Flaxseed oil) can be bought in health food shops.
2. Olive Oil & Apple Cider Vinegar dressing
Mix about 3:1 oil to vinegar – or to taste
If you want add garlic or onions or fresh or dried herbs
A generous pinch of sea salt and black pepper
Add Dijon mustard or raw egg yolk if you want the oil and vinegar mixed together – otherwise
just shake each time you use it.
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Week 4
How to Make Delicious Live Cream Cheese
Equipment
Sieve
Muslin or fine dish cloth
Ingredients
Tub of live natural yoghurt
Method
Line a sieve with muslin or a fine dish cloth. Pour in the live yoghurt. Leave to drain over a
bowl all day or overnight. The whey will drip into the bowl and the ‘curd’ ie the milk solids, will
stay in the cloth. Tie up the cloth with the curd inside, taking care not to squash it. Make a little
sack by tying the tops with an elastic band and attach it to a cupboard door handle or wooden
spoon, so it can drip over the top of the whey bowl. When the bag stops dripping after a few
hours or overnight, the cheese is ready. Store the whey in a mason jar and the curd – which is
now a delicious live cream cheese - in a covered glass container in the fridge. The whey lasts 6
months and cheese one month.
Benefits of homemade cream cheese: Full of healthy live bacteria which is good for your
health and which you can’t buy in the supermarket.
Benefits of whey: potent anti-aging effect, improved mental and physical performance,
improved immunity, helps build muscle, enhances circulation.
Uses
Eat cream cheese as you would normal cream cheese.
Add whey to drinks, sauces, soups or just take a tablespoon every day for good health.
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Flaxseed Oil Smoothie – great for energy and weight loss
Flaxseed oil – 2 Tblspns
Ground flax seeds – 1 Tblspn
plain yogurt – ½ cup
plain cottage cheese – ¼ cup
whey protein powder -1/2 scoop
Pinapple or banana or berries ½ cup
Mix everything together in a blender – yummy !
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Week 4
Avocado Pudding
Avocados make a delicious healthy pudding. Process a ripe avocado in the food processor and add
anything you like to it, for example:
Lemon Avocado Pudding
1 avocado
1 lemon
Sweetener to taste ie stevia, honey, or dates
Process all together until smooth. Leave in fridge to thicken and then eat.
Other ideas to process with an avocado ....
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Mango and ½ lemon
Apple, raisins and grated coconut
Peach
Berries
Cocoa powder 1 Tablespoon and 125g soft dates
Banana
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ACTION PLAN – WEEK 4
GOAL
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