Question of the Week: The Truth About Raw Fats
Happy Raw Wednesday!!
I hope you’re all enjoying the final Wednesday of our challenge! As usual, I can’t wait to hear all about your raw eats.
So I wasn’t planning on a lengthy post today, but a topic keeps coming to my attention that’s just too important to ignore. This is the topic of fats on a raw food diet. I’ve been getting a high volume of questions from you guys about avocados (and my high consumption of them). Just last night, I got the following two comments:
“hi gena!
i know avo’s are your favorite food, but i CAN’T seem to get over their fat content! PLEASE devote a whole post to them & help dispel all of the myths about how fattening they are. i feel like if i eat a avo everyday, i will turn into one (if you know what i mean). thanks gena. you are a true inspiration.”
And
“I am with Lisa about the avocados, please make a post about it! I’ve never really eaten them before and always hated guacamole (I know, crazy right?) but I really want to try them! I’m hesitant about their fat content mostly, but I’m thinking if I just start out with 1/4 of one I can work my way up to 1/2 or whole?”
Nothing frustrates me more than the bad rap so often attributed to the poor, innocent avocado—not to mention society’s generally foolhardy ideas about what is or isn’t “fattening.” Don’t get me wrong, Lisa and Justine: these misconceptions are not your fault! They’re the fault of lousy nutritional information that’s reinforced by doctors, health and fitness magazines, TV, and the media at large. If I can accomplish anything here, I hope I can get you all to start thinking for yourself, rather than heeding these ridiculous claims about what is and isn’t going to make you fat.
To dispel the “fat myth,” we need a two-pronged attack plan. We need to address the health angle (“are raw fats ‘bad’ for me?”) and the cosmetic angle (“will eating raw, plant-based fats make me gain weight?”). Let’s start with the health angle.
All fats are not created equal. I cannot stress this enough! When you’re wondering whether or not something is “fattening” or “bad for you,” it’s not the quantity of fat in the food you need to worry about, but rather what kind of fat it is. Raw, plant-based fats (avos, young coconuts, nuts, and raw, cold-pressed oils) are the “good fats” we hear so much about: mono-unsaturated fats (avos), Omega-3 fatty acids (flax and hemp), and polyunsaturated fats (e.g., walnuts). They contain antioxidants, oils that help joints, nerves, and bones, properties that help to lower the risk of heart disease and high cholesterol, and proven effects on lowering high blood pressure. They also help us to feel sated, to digest fat-soluble vitamins (A,K, D and E), and they promote brain function. These fats—provided we eat them in reasonable quantities—are not only beneficial, but vital to our diets.
It’s hard to get “fat” from these fats. Why? Raw fats enter the body with the lipase enzyme, which helps us to digest the fat itself, intact. This makes us easy to digest and assimilate them. Cooked fats don’t contain lipase, which makes it tougher for us to assimilate them properly. When we don’t assimilate fat well, we store it; that’s when it begins to clog up the blood and arteries, causing all kinds of chronic and degenerative diseases. And that’s when it begins to sit on our hips and thighs.
And there’s much more reason for us to fear cooked fats. There have been some widely publicized studies lately on the effects of heat on oils, amounting to the discovery that heating oil at high temperatures releases carcinogens, including acrolein, nitrosamines, hydrocarbons, and benzopyrene (one of the worst cancer-causing agents known). This is why some oils now list their “safe heating” temperature on the bottle. In animal studies, oxidized (heated) fats, oils, and cholesterol induce higher levels of arterial plaque (i.e., atherogenesis) than the corresponding non-oxidized fats, oils, and cholesterol.
A few of you have emailed me to ask about cholesterol. You’re probably aware of the following fact intuitively, but let me just put it on the record: there is no non-animal source of cholesterol! Cholesterol is made in the livers of living beings (even strict vegans will produce about 800-1500 milligrams a day internally). This means that we make enough to live on. We don’t need to get more from animal sources. And when we do start taking in dietary cholesterol from animal products—as the heart disease, obesity, and high-cholesterol epidemics prove—we tend to get ourselves into trouble. It’s perfectly safe for you to eat raw, plant-based fats; it’s their cooked and animal counterparts you want to be conscious of.
OK. So now we have a sense of why raw, plant based fats aren’t going to give us heart disease or cholesterol. But let’s get real here: I know that the reason many of you are worried about these fats is aesthetic, not nutritional. You want to know if those avos are going to end up as saddlebags. So let’s take a second to examine real question: “will avocados (and other raw fats) make me fat?”
I begin my answer with a disclaimer: if you’re binging on anything (with the possible exception of green juice) you’re not going to feel great, and you may retain weight. I don’t care if it’s raw, cooked, plant, or beast: our bodies aren’t meant to accommodate gross excess. So keep in mind that what I’m about to tell you resides within a context of general moderation and normalcy.
The whole idea that the fat in avocados (or other plant-based sources) will make you fat reveals a serious misunderstanding of what does and doesn’t contribute to weight gain. In fact, if I could choose another title for this post, it would be “fats aren’t making you fat.” What makes us fat, my friends, isn’t simply (or primarily) the number of fat grams we take in or calories we consume. It’s the accumulation of waste and toxins that results from poor, mainstream diets, and our inability to process what we eat efficiently.
When we let our bodies become highly acidic (which mainstream diets do) we begin storing and accumulating waste matter. Even when we think we’re eliminating normally, we’re not: chances are, we’re clogged up from years of eating junk. Certainly, some of us have healthier food histories than others, in which case the effects of this accumulation are lessened. But most contemporary people experience overly acidic bodies, waste accumulation, and their attendant nutritional consequences: gastrointestinal disorders like IBS and excessive bloating, low energy, and weight retention—in spite of exercise and efforts to eat well. (Not to mention health complaints of greater severity: allergies, chronic colds and flu, yeast infections, acne, eczema and psoriasis, fatigue, depression, migraines, and so on).
The only way to break up the cycle of waste accumulation and weight retention is to alkalize our bodies with a diet of plant-based, easy to digest foods. This means greens, vegetables, vegetable juices, and, yes, avocados and plant-based fat sources. These foods not only help to raise our alkalinity, but they also act like brooms, sweeping through our systems to help remove the waste and toxins we’ve been storing. The effect of these foods, along with regular colonic irrigation, is an end to weight retention and a renewed capacity to assimilate foods—fats included—efficiently.
The key to a slim, lithe body is not avoiding fats or calories. It’s avoiding dense, clogging foods! Avoiding fats (especially healthy fats!) is not going to keep you slim if you’re still eating tons of grains, soy, and dairy, kids; this is why “low-fat” diets are being constantly disproven in the media. It’s wise to avoid animal fat, yes, but that alone will not guarantee weight loss. If anything, some of the other foods you might use to replace fats in your diet (soy, grains, yogurt, etc.) might contribute to the very problems (acidity and weight retention) that are keeping the pounds on.
But the good news is that eating healthy fats will not make you gain weight! If anything, avocados and young coconuts will help to alkalize your systems and keep you sated, which can contribute to weight release. I routinely eat 2-4 avocados within a single day (one or two at lunch, one or two at dinnertime). Seriously, guys: I do this all the time. I don’t like to talk numbers and stats on this blog, but as you can probably tell from photos, I do not resemble an avocado! I stay slim effortlessly, and I’m infinitely happier with my body than I ever was years ago, when I fretted and sweated about fat grams.
As with all fats, raw fats are not created entirely equal. I find that avocados and coconuts are the easiest to digest and most idea fats for women (there’s some controversy about the fat in young coconuts and coconut oil, but I fall on the pro-coconut side of this). I also digest oils beautifully, and I prefer hemp and flax varieties. Some raw foodists find that oils are more difficult for them to digest, which may be true for their bodies; I find that cold-pressed oils actually contribute to my elimination and energy.
Nuts and seeds are also fine in moderation, though of all raw, plant-based fats, I consider these the least ideal. They’re infinitely better than any animal fat, of course, but they’re the densest of the raw fat sources, so I recommend that you consider eating them with some consciousness; 3 oz. or less daily is a great place to start (and this is generous).
Again: it’s not the fat that’s to be avoided. It’s the relative denseness and quality of the foods you’re eating. The question when you sit down to a meal shouldn’t be “how much fat is in this?” but rather “what kind of fat is this” and “how digestible is it?” Holding an avocado up to those standards, you’ll see that it’s full of beneficial properties and extraordinarily easy for our bodies to digest—hence, pretty damn perfect from a nutritional standpoint. That mucous-forming “lite” yogurt or brick of tofu? That cardboard-like Luna Bar? Not so much.
The lesson here (I hope!) is for you all to think outside of the box. I know it’s hard to shake off all that you’ve been told about what is or isn’t fattening. Our culture is deeply entrenched in a wrong-headed and depressing mentality that favors fat gram counting and calorie restriction rather than the promotion of good health through natural, whole, quick-exit foods. One of my favorite stories involves a client whose mother has been giving her some grief about her high-raw diet, questioning whether it’s too “extreme” or restrictive. But when said client ordered half an avocado with her salad over a recent lunch (a mere half!), her mother asked, “aren’t avocados fattening?”
No anecdote could be more telling about mainstream dietary wisdom in this country: on the one hand, we’re encouraged to eat “everything in moderation” and “not be restrictive”; on the other hand, we’re programmed to fear fats without a knowledge of their distinctions or health properties. If you’re retaining unwanted weight, I encourage you not to pinpoint fats without looking at the larger picture. Chances are that too many animal products, too much sugar, or too many dense grains are the culprit. Not fat.
Sure, it would be easy if all that it took to stay slim and healthy was the avoidance of avocados—without any deeper changes to the way we eat. Wouldn’t that be nice? Vilify one food or a few, and do what you want the rest of the time! No wonder we love fad diets and fat-phobia: it allows us to make a few omissions from our diet without really having to work hard at comprehensive change. But I’m afraid it’s not that easy. Staying slim and healthy isn’t about avoiding certain “bad” foods: it’s about shifting the way we conceive of what is and isn’t health promoting in a panoramic way.
But here’s the good news: we don’t have to be slaves to dumb convention about what foods will or won’t make us fat! And we can enjoy fats in healthy quantities when we like, without suffering any ill effects. So for the love of Pete, do not fear avocados! Try them. Love them. Eat them. Often. Start with ¼ if you want, but you’re just as welcome to start with a whole—or two! I guarantee that they will not hurt you, provided you’re doing other things right (alkalizing foods, a cleansing lifestyle, and avoiding animal fats).
And while you’re at it, give my guacamole a try!
OK ladies. I’m stepping off of the soapbox. I hope this has been an informative post.
I’ll be back tomorrow with a new giveaway for my raw Wednesday participants! In the meantime, as usual, you’re all encouraged to comment on this post with stories of your raw adventures today — or any thoughts you’ve got to share.
xo
104 Responses to “Question of the Week: The Truth About Raw Fats”
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Thank you for a lengthy and detailed post on this topic.
I love your blog. The pictures of your meals are amazing and your descriptions are so well written and a pleasure to read.
I’m enjoying your blog too! Thanks for stopping by to say hello.
Great Post, Thanks.
My pleasure! Thanks for visiting!
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for stressing the importance and role of healthy fats in one’s diet. And I can attest that your guacamole recipe is divine
Oh, I am so happy it turned out well! Yay!
Gena, this was one of your best posts. You provide such informative, fact-based arguments in such a clear and straightforward style. I loved reading this understanding why “good” fats are in fact good.
I love avocados although I’m not sure if they are okay with my problems. Every now and then I have a little though. Your take on weight gain is also wonderful — very much like Ultrametabolism, have you read that? I gave up soda and other crap after reading that book, which was fact and research based as well.
Thank you for this!
Oh, Dori, thank you — that means so much to me.
I haven’t read it yet, but want to soon! Thanks for the recommendation.
Amen Sister!!! This is an awesome post Gena and it ties in a lot of the things I have been researching lately. You are an amazing source of information and I wish I could transfer all of your wise knowledge into my brain!
Thank you for this wonderful and informative post!
Awww, Abbie. I always am so touched by your enthusiasm!!
Thanks for the wonderful two-pronged attack sweetheart! How informative.
I have never been able to eat LESS than the whole avocado at one sitting simply because it makes me sad to see them brown in the fridge like that, no matter how one covers them with plastic wrap. It’s like nature’s way of telling you that you SHOULD eat the whole damn thing.
Mmmm…
Haha. Amen, Nieves!
Gena, so often when I read your posts it brings me a huge wave of comfort — I always feel guilty for eating even 1/2 an avocado at a time, even though my body is always happy after I eat it! It’s a long process letting go of nutritional advice that doesn’t match up with what your body tells you! So, thank you. I want an avocado now.
GLORIOUS! Excellent post. You have so much knowledge and I’m so glad you’re sharing it. I teach intro psych and we talk a lot about the neuron. My students are surprised that fat literally makes neurons fire. Without fat in the body, there is no smooth coating (myelin sheath) to speed up transmission of nerve energy. That’s why when you diet you feel totally stupid. They love it!
I bought three avocados this week. I’ve never liked them much, but I’m hoping to give them another shot with this new information in mind.
Oh, Erin, I hope you love them! And I am so glad you’re sharing the light with what you teach your students.
Tell me what you make!!
I cannot THANK YOU enough for this post!!!!!
I have always had problems with fats and my eating disorder so it’s great to learn healthy fats are GOOD for me and won’t make me huge.
Love ya girl <3
Love you too, dearest!
That’s a very hard issue for many women with EDs in their past! But I am so glad you’re conquering it! <3
Another excellent post, Gena! And, thank you for debunking the whole “fat makes you fat” myth.
I LOVE avos. Since transitioning to raw living plant foods, I’ve probably eaten at least one every single day. I’ve dropped 100 pounds and lowered my total cholesterol to 101.
I had no idea of your story, EarthMom! Amazing. I hope my readers are inspired by it!
i eat 1/2 banana with my breakfast every morning. whenever my aunt hears that she tells me i need to stop eating bananas immediately because they are fattening. she says the same thing about peanuts (even in small quantities). so thank you for this post!
also, avocados are one of my favorites
Girl, keep up with bananas! People are so misled sometimes. Thanks for reading
what an interesting post! i didn’t know that about lipase and cooking food… i’m intrigued by the acidity issue, but would want to read more about it!
This post was a little preachy, as well as a little wrong. You said, “What makes us fat, my friends, isn’t the number of fat grams we take in or calories we consume.” Actually, YES, that IS what causes weight gain in humans. Calories ingested vs. calories burned. It’s pretty simple, actually.
The reason why YOU, for example, can eat 2 or more avocados in a day without gaining weight is because you are not taking in a lot of calories elsewhere in your diet. Judging from other posts on this blog about your meals, those 2 avocados in a given day might be the most calorie-dense food you will eat.
Of course there is a difference between fat from a Big Mac and fat from an avocado. And of course if you work those avocado calories into a healthy daily number for an active woman, you’ll be fine. I just think this post could be misleading to some and wanted to give my $.02.
Awesome post! It all makes more sense to me now, so thank you for writing about it! I sipped on an “Avocolada” while I read this
Mmmm, avocolada….
Gena,
Great post, and I’m not lying – I sat down with my version of your Favorite Summertime Lunch while I read this. I say bring on the avocados. They do not scare me in the least…now sugar on the other hand…scary stuff!
Fat will not make you fat people. Our bodies need it to function. Thanks for reiterating this Gena – very informative post. Oh, and thanks for the guac. recipe. Seriously, the best I’ve ever made. I loved the savory/sweet combo. Yum!
Darlin!
SO happy you loved the guac! I am truly obsessed and will eat it all summer (and year round, too!!)
And thanks about the post. I agree about sugars vs. fats — all, of course, within a generally moderate purview!!
Gena
Hey Gena!
This is my first time commenting. I’ve really enjoyed reading your blog and learning more about the benefits of raw food. So much so in fact, I’ve decided to buy a juicer in order to up my intake of greens and save my wallet from the $5 juice at my local health foods shop. anyway, I was wondering what kind of juicer you would recommend. I know you use a Breville (the 800 juice fountain elite I believe?) But the price tag on that is a little steep for me right now. I’m considering one of the slightly less pricey brevilles. Which would you recommend? or is it really worth it to go for the “Elite” even if I wont be juicing quite as frequently as you do? Thanks for the help!
Hey Sara!
Thanks for reading!
I actually recommend the juice fountain plus, which should come to no more than $140 on Amazon. It’s the one I use!
Gena
how interesting! thank you!
Bravo! This post is so great, I need to forward it to everyone I know! My family is always saying “Isn’t that a lot of fat?” when they see my salads with avocado and olives!
I do avoid nuts and seeds. I noticed when I eat them a lot I tend to gain weight and my stomach bothers me. I will stick to avocados!
Ach! Misled family members are the worst! Please send this to them!
2 roma tomatoes, 1/2 a cucumber and 1/2 and avocado (all chopped) fall into a bowl. A tsp of salt sprinkles on and then I eat them.
hheeheh, get it?
Was reading this while eating my raw taco salad with pico de gallo and guac! Very fitting.
Thank you so much for this post! I have been having a lot of avocado recently, on my wraps – on salads- by themselves! I was so worried about the same thing was asked about healthy fats! I REALLY appreciate you taking so much time to dedicate to this issue that we all have. Thank you!
I really hope this helps you enjoy those fats, Leah!!
oh gena!
thank you thank you thank you.
your knowledge + passion simply bleed through the screen,
definitely wish i could meet you in person.
i am going to go out and buy an avo and make your guac tonight!!!!!!!!!!!
for real.
you’ve also inspired me to buy a juicer.
green juice + avos here i come!!!!!
have a beautiful day.
L.
xo.
I am SO delighted that this helped, Lisa! Thank you for all of your kindness.
Hi Gena! I know I e-mailed you a while ago asking about fats and cholesterol and you give the type of information people NEED to know! I wish I would have known how greatly foods impact ones life a long time ago. I am reading The China Study right now – so interesting! I am always so inspired by you!
For Raw Wednesday I had a bowl of mixed fruits for breakfast! I plan on making your guacamole sometime very soon!
Thank you so much for this.
Very well written and comprehensive! Thanks!
While I LOVE avocado, I have a hard time finding good, ripe ones. Do you have any tips for selecting a delicious avocado? I’d eat them every day if I could get my hands on some tasty ones. Thanks!
Tough question, Luna! where do you live?
Columbia, Missouri. The very center of the US. No local avocados around here.
Thank you for the insightful article on the importance of fat in our diets. Fat is a very important dietary component! However, I’m a little confused – lipase is an enzyme that is secreted by the pancreas during digestion to help break down fats, so the body isn’t dependent on lipase from external sources. Also, while flax and walnuts are a good source of ALA, they are not a good source of DHA, which is found in fish.
Hi Sally,
No, our bodies are not dependent on any external enzymes sources. But an increase in enzymes from raw foods can aid and enhance digestion and assimilation, even though it does not enable it altogether.
Sea vegetables contain some DHA’s. And the Udo’s oil brand has now made a vegan oil (derived from algae) that is DHA rich.
Gen a
Gosh Gena, I am learning so much from your blog – I feel like I’m wiser by the day (or by the post, whichever comes first!). I definitely do not fear the fat, so long as it comes from the right place. In fact, my daily challenge is getting enough because I tend to choose foods that don’t contain all that much. I’m always trying to sneek in avocado/coconut/nuts where you’d least expect, at least for a non-raw foodist.
To that end, though, I can feel myself growing more inclined towards a raw lifestyle by the minute – it just makes sense to me. But on a reality-based and practical level, I’m terrified of the idea. The dietary overhaul would be immense, and while I’m not foolish enough to think I could transition overnight, the challenge is still daunting. Do you think there would be noticeable benefits to starting (very) small, as in maybe just a couple raw meals per week?
Amen sister! I get so tired of people thinking that good fats will make them fat. My best friend Greg always calls me a fattie (which I’m not…I weigh 105!) every time he sees me eat a nut, an avocado, or anything else like that. He’s just teasing, but he really does think that avocados will make me fat.
B —
How anyone could ever call your tiny self fat, even as a joke, is beyond me! But way to go for keeping Mr. Greg in his place
Gena
Another brilliantly written post.
Thanks Eira!
I had a half of a small avocado at lunch today as part of my mostly raw Wednesday (I’m currently drinking coffee – and while it isn’t filled with sugar, I still know it isn’t the best choice for me). I weighed the avocado (because I’m still such a slave to the grams and calories concept), and after doing the math it really didn’t provide an extreme amount of “bad” in the context of the rest of my spinach filled day. All of that to say I probably wouldn’t have eaten it had I not been reading your blog, but it sure was tasty!
Oh, keep it up Kristin! It takes so long to break that bondage. But you can, and you will.
I really liked the avacado info. I buy them but usually don’t get to eat too many–hubby gets to them first.
For my raw Wednesday eats, I had a spinach/apple smoothie for breakfast; dehydrator bread w/ almond butter (and sauteed cabbage/carrot/celery cole slaw) for lunch; a couple of Kiwis for a snack; and for dinner I’m doing a butternut squash pasta with tomatoes and raw hummus.
Thanks again for the great blog.
Great raw day, Stacie!
Hi Gena, great post! It wasn’t at all “preachy”. In addition, I don’t believe I read in your post that you would advocate eating 10 avos in one sitting! It’s your blog, so go right on discussing what you believe! It’s your voice, and we are obviously reading it because we want to hear what you have to say…Anyway…..Everyone is different, and the same plan won’t work for everyone, so it’s up to us to find what works in our own situations. High Raw and avos obviously work for you, because you look great! In my case, I have a very special situation, and I can’t digest too many fats at one time – doesn’t matter if they are “good” or “bad” fats (I do stick to the good though!
). The point is that we DO need the right fats in order for our bodies to work properly, which is particularly true for women. Avos are one source that offer the right fats, as well as a plethora of vitamins and nutrients. Your post was very informative and well written! Thanks.
My Raw food today consisted of a homemade Larabar – pre-workout, a veggie and fruit juice combo with wheatgrass – post workout, a huge salad for lunch with dandelion, mung bean sprouts, fennel, bell pepper, dehydrated peas (part of an Excalibur experiment that didn’t go according to plan, but tasted good anyway), cauliflower and zucchini. I also snacked on sugar snap peas and dehydrated apple slices with cinnamon.
This has been so much fun. Thanks for the Raw inspiration!
Nancy,
You’re awesome. Thanks for such a smart, insightful response to this post and to some of the comments it elicited. I really love your “whatever works for me” attitude! Keep reading.
xox
Great Post!! Very informative and I could not agree with you more!
ahhh- I forgot about raw wednesday again! one of these days I’ll remember…
I love avocados… thanks for this post
You are welcome!
Thanks, Gena, for such a great post! (I always say that, huh?) I lost about 20 pounds a few years ago and I ate avocados A LOT – lots of salads with guacamole on top. It bums me out that people often talk about how fattening certain things are (mostly nuts and avocados) yet will eat processed crap with ingredients you can’t pronounce. Sure, you can overdo the healthy fats, but each individual person has to find out what balance works for them.
What I’m trying to say is: I couldn’t imagine my life without avocados. In fact, it’s really too painful to think about.
Ha. It’s not a world I want to imagine either, Heather!
Always love your feedback
Hey Gena, Thanks for the interesting post! I am a little ashamed to admit it but I can’t stand avocados. Somehow I never developed a taste for them — I think it has something to do with the mouth-feel (I’ve never been able to eat butter and most dairy for the same reason). Since I’m mostly vegan I have a hard time getting fats in my diet. Would you suggest anything other than avocados to get my daily fats? It doesn’t sound like you think nuts are a great option, right?
Hey Sharon!
Nuts are a totally valid option if you dislike avos. In general, I believe that all plant based fats have health benefits and are fine to eat — I just happen to find that avos and coconuts are more digestible for me than nuts and seeds.
I totally recommend soaking seeds and letting them dry before you use them — this makes them much easier to digest!
Gena
Thank you so much for this wonderful post! As someone who has definitely struggled with weight and body image issues, I’ve been afraid of fats for a long time, but I was inspired by your post today and I made your guacamole for dinner – it was incredible! And the best part, I ate it without constantly agonizing over the fact that I was eating fats. To be honest, I made a double portion and my husband and I shared it so I probably had an entire avocado, but it was absolutely fantastic and I enjoyed every bite of it. Thank you!
I am THRILLED that you ate your guac with relish tonight, Katherine! Good job!
Way to go Gena! Avocados rock my world
Gena-wonderful post. I have never believed that calorie/fat malarky about avocados (and bananas). They are beautiful gifts from nature!
Raw meal today:
Green ‘n’ Pink Aloe Smoothie of Love (spinach, frozen bananas, juice from 2 oranges, several strawberries and the insides of one cut leaf of aloe. Mmmm!
Raw snack today:
Banana Bread Larabar.
I’ve so enjoyed Raw Wednesdays…thanks to you and Jenna for the idea!
Amazing raw day, Angelea!
oh man! i had no idea there were such concerns about avocado! so glad you devoted a whole post to this. they are one of my FAVE foods ever, and sure they have some fat, but its nothing like french fries or donuts. ugh, i dont understand how education about food and nutrition isnt more common. our government just cant seem to get out the facts. as far as i am concerned if it grows in the ground, its pretty hard to categorize it as “bad for you”…not to get all preachy, thats not what i mean to do. its just a shame that such a wonderful food like avocado gets a bad rap! its a FRUIT!!
Hey chica,
You’re not being preachy! I am 100% with you.
And it’s important to distinguish between “preachy” and impassioned — it’s totally cool to be impassioned about this stuff!
G
like i said before, i learn something new from you EVERY day
i used to be so afraid of fats and have just recently started adding them back into my diet (over the past two years).
thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge with us
have a great night!
What a well written post, Gena! Nice work on sharing the Truth lady.
Thank you SO much for writing this. Not only did I need to read something this inspiring and informative on healthy raw fats again, but I’m thrilled to have such a wonderfully written blog on the subject to direct my friends to. Thank you.
Thanks Gena! I am learning not to be an avophobe. You are inspirational!
Thank you so much for this post!
great post, it surprises me that people still think fat makes you fat, when clearer the fact that obesity sourced around the same time as the low-fat diet revolution took proves that fat does not make you fat, over eating makes you fat.
I appreciate all the information you provided!
Love your blog! Thanks for this post! I have found for myself that if I do not consume enough fat (raw plant based fats of course
in a day then I feel horrible! So I make sure to consume at least 30% of my calories from fats ( I have an avocado addiction problem 
. This revelation completely freaks out my “low-fat” diet friends. Hopefully your post will help people realize that fat is not the enemy!
I hope so too, Ami!
Go Gena!! Get on the “soap box” more often, loved this post friend!!
Great info. Makes me hungry for an avocado! Yum-
Hi Gena – thanks for this post, its so interesting. Question, though. Would you consider nuts truly raw since they’re usually sold in roasted form? When nuts are roasted, do you think they lose any of their nutritional value (i.e. are they not as valuable as other raw fats)?
THanks,
Melanie
Hey Melanie,
I’m not a fan of roasted nuts: I find them terribly hard to digest, and the heating can (and often does) make them rancid. Raw nuts, though, are fine!
Gena
What a great post! I used to be afraid of consuming too much fat, no matter what kind of fat it was. I learned to get over this though when I learned how healthy “good” fats are for our bodies. I’m much happier this way, I enjoy nuts, coconut, and avocado far too much to avoid them.
I am so glad you’ve gotten comfy with GOOD fats, Kiersten!
Great post!
I really love your blog, btw. I found it a few weeks ago, and it’s definitely one of my favorites. You always want to make me eat more raw! I bought the ingredients for your pizza cheese, and I can’t wait to try it!
Oh, thanks so much, Katy!!
Hi Gena! I enjoyed this post immensely! I know that good fats are, well, good, but I didn’t exactly know WHY
This is so very informative!
So, obviously not talking about bingeing or anything here, but when I’m throwing walnuts or something on oatmeal, do you think it makes a big difference to distinguish between say, 1/4 ounce of 1/2 ounce? I’m trying to get off of measuring things so if that is the case then it’s a huge relief. I have found through trial and error that you are right, I don’t seem to gain weight from fats (eating 1/2 avo at a time is not uncommon for me!) in moderate or even generous portions. It’s good to have it confirmed by you though
This post pretty much encompasses all the major points of nutrition (well, as far as I’m concerned). All summed up and tied together in one great post. I’m going to print it out and put it with my health/nutrition reference manuals.
so enjoyable – so much great information!!!
LOVED this post and your blog, my friend! I am sorta a half raw eater.
You are so kind and love your insight. I am learning that I cannot handle much fruit (doing the fructose malabsorbption test in a couple weeks) so excited to keep putting puzzle pieces together. Latley been feeling so much better… and yes a few more raw foods have been part of that! XOXO
p.s. avocados are awesome… almonds… fat shmat.
BRAVO! Well said! The truth we all need to hear.
Hi Gena..I’m glad you are putting the message out there that fats aren’t to be afraid of and you are right about our unnecessary fear of fats. I LOVE avocados. I do have a question for you regarding your info about lipase. Obviously it is an enzyme that our body naturally makes for a variety of different aspects of lipid metabolism. An enzyme as we know is a protein molecule, and proteins are sensitive to acidic environments like our stomach which denature them and render them inactive. So my question is how does the lipase that exists in the food find its way to the small intestine to be absorbed and utilized without being denatured in the acidic environment? I’m curious about the raw take on this, thanks.
I’m with you – LOVE my avocado’s. I have no problem eating a whole avocado a day and I eat 3-4 a week at least. I easily can lose weight eating avocado’s, plenty of nuts and healthy oils like olive oil. So yummy!
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I just found your blog, and am really enjoying it–can’t wait to read more.
Great article. I do fantastically with raw fats, and feel wonderfully energized with the avo, coconut oil, [really] raw almonds, and raw cacao I’ve had so far today!
Excellent post Gena! This was so perfect for me. I was dealing with just this subject matter the other day. Thank you for sharing such great information!!!