Piece by: shakila mohammed

08 October 2022

• Natural fats are very good for the body.

• Cooking with tallow is the latest health food re-discovery that, it turns out, our ancestors had right all along.

Readily available seed oils might be the most popular in today’s market but increasing research shows that we should strive to find alternatives.

If optimal health is your goal, then you should strive to include well-balanced omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acid ratio.

This can be done by including healthy fats from whole foods sources such as avocado, coconut, wild-caught fatty fish, and grass-fed meats.

Always opt for pasture-raised and grass-fed alternatives because conventional alternatives contain higher omega-6 ratios.

Balance things out by including foods rich in omega-3’s which can include seafood and fish oil supplements.

Cooking with cow fat aka beef tallow is the latest health food re-discovery that, it turns out, our ancestors had right all along.

Cow fat is healthy and easy to get in any butchery and at an affordable cost .

It's easy to prepare it at home, simply heat it under minimum heat and set it aside for use. It is also;

Rich in healthy fats. Beef tallow is rich in a wide variety of healthy fatty acids.
Rich in fat-soluble vitamins.
Promotes fat-burning.
Prevents oxidative damage.
Nourishes the skin.

Seed oils were only recently introduced into the human diet. Prior to this, some of the most common sources of natural fats were;

Olive oil, coconut oil, butter and ghee (cows), lard (pigs), and suet (beef or mutton).

Let's learn more about those natural fats below;

Animal Fats

Tallow, lard, chicken, goose fat and duck fat are some animal fats to note.

Duck fat is known for its delicious taste profile and versatility in different dishes.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Olive oil has been part of the human diet for thousands of years much before the industrialization of seed oils.

It is rich in antioxidants and polyphenols with a wide range of health-promoting properties.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is highly regarded as a superfood.

It contains lauric acid, which is a fatty acid that is readily used by the body for energy and has antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties.

Butter and Ghee

Butter and ghee are also mainly composed of saturated fats.

Grass fed versions of the two contain conjugated linoleic acid a type of fatty acid with anti-cancer and metabolic health promoting