I’ve heard it my whole life from my parents. “Fat is bad for you. It will make you fat.” They used to always tell me to leave behind the fat on my steak. They used to meticulously cut out the fat on my bacon. And I respect them for trying, don’t get me wrong. But I think they, and many people (maybe you), are just misinformed. And that’s okay. I hope to educate you on something that is new, but welcomed to me (I love cheese). Firstly, fat doesn’t make you fat. Fat is actually an essential part of your diet. Fats are a great energy source. They are necessary for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (like A, D, E, and K). Fat is also fundamental for the production of hormones. The brain is composed of largely fat, and consuming fat rich in omega-3 and cholesterol a crucial for brain health. The list goes on. What’s recommended for my diet is 50% fat, 30% protein, and 20% carbs. So I am eating a whole bunch of cheese, butter, tallow, and fat in my ground beef and on my steaks. Secondly, there are more than one type of fat. Stay with me, this is gonna get scientific. There are 4 main types of fats. Saturated Fats Found in animal fats and some different oils. Monounsaturated Fats Found in plant-based oils, nuts and seeds, avocados, animal products. Polyunsaturated Fats 2 main kinds, omega-3 and omega-6. We will touch on this later. Omega 3 is found in fatty fish, seeds, nuts, plant oils. Omega 6 is found in seed oils, nuts and seeds, processed foods. Trans Fats Found in margarine, shortening, packaged snacks, baked goods (like cookies, cakes, and pastries), and some fast foods. That’s great. But you may ask, what’s the takeaway? Well, saturated and monounsaturated fats are extremely beneficial for humans. Saturated fats are essential for optimal health, supporting brain function, hormone production, and cell structure. Populations consuming diets high in saturated fat, like certain indigenous groups, have low incidences of heart disease and other chronic illnesses. These ones are often vilified, not exactly sure why.

Just a normal day, in grade 4. I am just 10 years old. My teacher asks the class to move into the library for a presentation. My classmates and I walk down the hallway and enter the library. We sit down criss-cross in a 9 or 10 rows. After waiting for a few minutes, this strange man walks in. He seems like a nice guy. He puts his presentation up on the board. Its titled, “Pizza - The secret health food”. I see the logo in the bottom right of the screen. He works for a pizza company. We get pizza every Friday for “pizza day” from the same company. I laughed in my head. Everyone else seemed to pay attention, as any 10 year old pizza lover would. The strange man goes on to talk about the different components of pizza. Bread - bread is a grain and grains are an essential part of the food pyramid Tomato sauce - tomatoes are a vegetable and vegetables are healthy for you (side note: tomatoes are a fruit) Cheese - cheese is a diary product and diary is good for you Pepperoni - pepperoni is made from pork and meat is good for you “Put it all together, and you have a healthy lunch” he reasoned. I remember seeing the looks on most of the teachers faces. “Who the hell is this guy?” is all I saw. To be honest, looking back on it today I have no idea how that presentation would get approved. Actually on second thought, they teach way more fked up things nowadays. Today, I take two lessons from this. Firstly, these companies have no interest in our health. I am all for capitalism, but to me this isn’t it. Capitalism is the only political system where after a transaction both parties say, “thank you”. Both parties benefit from the transaction. But these companies go out there and try to brainwash children into believing something that is not. Instead of making a better product, these companies focus on hiding the truth. I don’t think any sane person can actually try to argue that pizza is a health food. Or at least the pizza they used to feed us in grade 4. That brings me to my second lesson. Most foods can actually be healthy if you use better quality ingredients.

You've heard it before. Veganism is the BEST diet ever! What are you doing? Carnivore is the BEST diet ever! Why aren't you on it bro? Low carb / keto is the BEST diet ever! Get on it now! And to be fair, many different people have seen results on many different diets. How can there be so many answers to the same problem? Let's look at blue zones. Blue zones are where people live longer lives on average than the rest of the world. Here are some: Okinawa, Japan Sardinia, Italy Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica Ikaria, Greece Loma Linda, California, USA (Seventh-day Adventists - a Protestant religious group) As you can see, very different cultures. What's the one thing they have in common? Their diet. Predominantly plant-based, rich in whole grains, vegetables, legumes, and fruits, with moderate consumption of fish, dairy, and wine. Zero processed food. To me this is the key to understanding why there are thriving vegans, thriving carnivores, and thriving whatever other popular diet you want. I do believe that some diets come with downsides. On a vegan diet, you have to ensure you are getting all of the micronutrients you need. And it can be really hard. But one thing is for sure. Cutting out McDonald's is the foundation to living a long and healthy life.