Is Eating Fat Really That Bad For You?

I'm completely confused.

First: I'm a vegetarian. The only animal products for me are eggs. I'd rather not though. I'd rather not contribute to the egg industry - cage free or otherwise. BUT I feel good from the fat and protein (I don't do grains or anything processed).

Second: I LOVE the concept of 811. And I've tried it many times. I love getting all of this nutrients. I feel good on it for awhile and then I start feeling...well, sad. I wake up feeling blue. And as soon as I get some animal protein/fat. I feel better.

Third: So then I say - screw it: I'm only eating eggs and a little bit of fruit and salad. But that leaves me feeling gross (physically and spiritually).

Fourth: and then I just read this fitness article: "Low fat everything has been the craze now for decades and look around. What has that wonderful bit of advice done for the bodies you see? We're fatter, sicker, and more addicted to sugar and carbs than any other time in history. And, we're passing these habits to our kids.

Fats are not to be feared – they're to be embraced. They do not make you fat; rather, they help your body regenerate your power hormones. Testosterone, the 'strength' hormone, for example, is the direct result of cholesterol and dietary fat intake. That's right: "Cholesterol" isn't a dirty word! Your body needs dietary fat and cholesterol in order to produce ANY AND ALL vital hormones.

People on low fat diets look drawn, gaunt, and weak. They are often sick, sometimes to the point of literally breaking down. And, they can never just enjoy eating out. Every meal and every gram must be accounted for. Do you really think this will make you younger? Of course not... it will worry you to death if it doesn't kill you first!"

Five: PLEASE HELP :) what is one to do?

Thank you so much...

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Permalink Reply by gabe on July 3, 2012 at 11:16pm

Thank you so much. But why are fats so bad?

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Permalink Reply by magicreative on July 3, 2012 at 11:30pm

They're not - strictly speaking. It is true - essential fatty acids are indeed "essential".

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Permalink Reply by Peter Csere on July 3, 2012 at 11:54pm

Nothing "is" bad or good. Things do things. And you can have things in varying amounts.

It just so happens that people get the best results in terms of health when they have less than 10% of their calories from fat. There is a biochemical reason for this. There are lots of them, actually. The main one is that dietary fat raises your blood lipid levels and prevents insulin from transporting glucose to the cells, leading to blood sugar fluctuations, insulin resistance, candida, mood swings, brain fog, diabetes, obesity, and death.

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Permalink Reply by Sunshine on July 4, 2012 at 12:55am

'the digestive tract of a carnivore is only 3 times the length of its torso.
This is necessary to avoid rotting or decomposition of flesh inside the
animal. The carnivore depends upon highly acidic secretions to facili-
tate rapid digestion and absorption in its very short tube. Still, the pu-
trefaction of proteins and the rancidity of fats is evident in their feces."

"Tolerance for fat: We do not handle more than small quantities of fat
well. Meat eaters thrive on a high-fat diet."

"glucose and fructose in fruits fuel our cells
without straining our pancreas (unless we eat a high-fat diet). Meat
eaters do not handle sugars well. They are prone to diabetes if they eat
a diet that is predominated by fruit. "

"Fats become rancid and repulsive when they oxidize and decompose. "

"Heated fats and proteins are quite pathogenic - even
carcinogenic. We should eat nuts raw or not at all"

"Ranging from about 55 to 90% fat,
nuts and seeds are best eaten infrequently and in very small amounts. Even
then, their breakdown into fatty acids, amino acids, and glucose requires a
drawn-out process that takes hours. Fats may lie in the small intestine for
several hours before the gallbladder secretes bile with which to emulsify
(break down and liquefy) them. "

i am seeing hormone imbalances too, and the longest lived cultures being low fat.

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Permalink Reply by Chris P. on July 4, 2012 at 6:46am

Gabe, have you read 80/10/10 yet? Dr. Graham really does do a good job of explaining the premise behind high carb low fat eating.

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Permalink Reply by Peter Csere on July 3, 2012 at 11:13pm

"Feeling blue after a while" is because either you are undercarbed or you are experiencing common mood swings/detox.

One of the common claims against low-fat diets is "after the low-fat diet craze, everyone just got fatter and sicker!" Well, if you look at the actual fat consumption in developed nations during and after the low-fat diet craze, statistically, more and more fat was consumed. Of course, when people take fat out of their diet, they don't add any carbs to make up for the caloric loss, so they just end up binging on more fat.

Testosterone is something you don't need a lot of. Most men have way too much testosterone, hence the constantly inflamed libido that plague so many men. The world isn't suffering from a lack of testosterone. Calling it the "strength hormone" is misleading. And saying that the body needs dietary fat and cholesterol to produce hormones is incorrect - the body needs a small amount dietary fat, yes, but this fat does not have to be overt, and the body produces its own cholesterol so that is just a lie to say that you need dietary cholesterol. I've seen articles like that dozens of times.

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Permalink Reply by gabe on July 3, 2012 at 11:17pm

The world is suffering because of an excess of greed...

Thanks so much for your help :)

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Permalink Reply by Ben on July 4, 2012 at 3:25am

I have conducted an experiment on myself after being 811 for almost 3 years. I got my blood tests, then dropped the vegan and low fat for 2 months. I was still eating lots of fruit and veg but ate some eggs, olive oil, dairy, fish and meat in moderate amounts. I would guess around 40-50% fat. I then got my blood tested again and will be making a video shortly with the results. The video is not intended to sway anyone towards or away from 811 or a more paleo approach but it might surprise you with some of the results. Stay tuned.