Healthy Fats For Ketosis

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I’ve been eating low carb and Keto for a while now. While I still hit the occasional bump in the road, I’m getting better at it. In my little world, it takes time to make a major change to the way I eat. If I do it overnight, I end up with a “diet mentality” and that never works out for me long term. So I’ve come to terms with the fact that I definitely make mistakes, but thankfully, they are getting further and further between.

One of the things I love about this way of eating is all the healthy fats I get to enjoy. Many of my friends look on in horror as I pile the fat on my dinner plate. But I feel really good getting all those fats and I know they understand what I’m doing. So I just ignore the looks!

But I also want to be sure that the fat I’m getting is truly healthy fat. As a clean eater, I want to know that the fats I choose will benefit my body instead of doing harm. So I did some research on the healthiest fats, and this is the list I came up with.

Disclaimer:
These fats are good for ketosis, but this list goes completely against traditional/mainstream nutrition advice. If you eat a higher dose of carbs every day, this list is probably not for you. I’m not a dietitian or medical professional. This list is simply a  collection of information I found on ketosis and am sharing.

• Avocados and avocado oil – “Avocados are over 75% fat. From an omega standpoint, avocado oil gives you a nutritional profile similar to olive oil. Nearly 70% of avocado oil is oleic acid, a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid. Aside from the significant monounsaturated content, avocado oil is about 16% saturated fatty acids and 14% polyunsaturated. The omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is about 13:1. While it’s not an outstanding ratio, the PUFA content itself is small enough (14%) that we’re only talking about a small portion of the total oil. In the grand scheme, it’s as solid as olive oil, with arguably a better taste profile. To boot, the other benefits of avocado oil definitely compensate.” (Source)
• Coconut, coconut cream and coconut oil – “The fatty acids are about 90% saturated. This makes coconut oil highly resistant to oxidation at high heats. For this reason, it is the perfect oil for high-heat cooking methods like frying. Additionally, coconut oil consists almost entirely of Medium Chain Triglycerides. These fatty acids go straight from the digestive tract to the liver, where they are likely to be turned into ketone bodies and provide a quick source of energy.” (Source)
• Butter – “Butter is rich in the short and medium-chain fatty acids that deter tumor growth. We used to believe that high fat diets promoted tumor growth. Now we know that it’s not the high-fat diet per se, but the kind of fats in that diet. A diet high in the wrong kinds of fats promotes tumor growth. A diet high in the right kinds of fats deters cancer growth… Researchers showed that both Oleic acid and Myristic acid have cancer-fighting properties. Both of these fatty acids make up a large percentage of the fats found in butter. Butter from grass-fed cows is also rich in Conjugated Linoleic Acid — a strong cancer-preventing fatty acid.” (Source)
• Macadamia nuts – “Macadamia nuts are among the fattiest of all nuts. Surprisingly, it may be the fat in the nuts that makes them healthy. The majority of the fat in Macadamia nuts is in the form of monounsaturated fatty acids. A Chinese study published in 2006 in the “International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research” found that 82.6 percent of the fat in macadamia nuts is monounsaturated. In comparison, olive oil, a highly touted source of monounsaturated fatty acids, contains 55 to 83 percent monounsaturated fats. These types of fatty acids benefit the cardiovascular system.” (Source)
• Bacon fat – “The fats in bacon are about 50% monounsaturated and a large part of those is oleic acid. This is the same fatty acid that olive oil is praised for and generally considered “heart-healthy” (1). Then about 40% is saturated fat, accompanied by a decent amount of cholesterol.” (Source)
  
• Mayonnaise – While conventional views will tell you that mayo is bad for you, made with good quality ingredients, it’s actually a pretty healthy fat, all things considered. Particularly homemade mayo made with a heart-healthy oil and a good quality egg! Yes, mayo CAN be bad, but it doesn’t HAVE to be bad. Remember to read ingredients if purchasing mayo from the store. They love to pack sugar into mass produced mayo!
• Nuts, seeds, nut butter and seed butter – “Unlike jams, jellies, butter, and margarine, seed and nut butters naturally contain healthful fats that benefit heart health, reduce the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, and even lower the risk of obesity despite their high fat content—2 T of a seed or nut butter contain, on average, 16 g of fat.” (Source)

A Note On Heavy Cream
The jury is still in deliberation over this one. Yes, heavy cream is perfectly fine on a low carb or keto eating plan. The issue in debate is if dairy is good for you in general. That said, I think you’d be hard pressed to get most low carb or keto eaters to give up their heavy cream, unless you’re like me and are dairy free, of course.