Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

1

I've been grappling with this question for a few weeks now. I'm currently in living situation in which I don't really get to choose my foods. My only fat option right now is the hydrogenated oils that come with some canned vegetables. The other option is virtually no fat, with some very occasional olive oil. What are your thoughts? Trans fat versus no fat? Or some combination therein? Thankfully I'm escaping soon (lard here I come!), so this question is more hypothetical than dire.

edited Sep 10 2010 at 1:55

Ed♦
12.5k●2●17●43

asked Sep 9 2010 at 20:31

Stefani
1,073●3●9

1

if canned tuna is an option, thats a good source of fat... otherwise stay away from trans.. my opinion – Payam Sep 9 2010 at 21:55

1

Unless you are a prisoner of some sort or in the military, I find it hard to conceive of a situation where you are really powerless to seek out healthy fats. That said, no fat > trans fats. – JJ Sep 10 2010 at 2:36

I am a nanny out in the country in Italy, and I don't have the resources to purchase my own food. Therefore, I eat what the family eats, which is "Italian" food, but in a highly processed, canned, stored-in-freezer, super-high-in-carbs sort of way. – Stefani Sep 10 2010 at 13:27

2

Okay, I sympathize. Still, do you get any days off to go shopping in the city? Do you have relatives who can send you care packages? A single jar of coconut oil will last you a long time and is a viable, shelf-stable source of fat. – JJ Sep 10 2010 at 15:52

memostotle · Answer 1 · 2010-09-09 20:40:36Z UTC

I would go with whatever could conceivably be part of an ancestral diet.

That would mean no trans fats. From what I understand, they're pretty much the worst thing you can do to your body.

Also: Check this out, it deals with a similar question.

Eva · Answer 2 · 2010-09-10 02:08:53Z UTC

I don't understand the question. YOu don't have access to butter? But you do have access to corn oil? Must be in the military or something. ANyway, I would say that you can't live without fat. The body requires it. I'd eat some PUFA fat if the only other option was no fat at all.

gn · Answer 3 · 2011-03-05 02:41:14Z UTC

by "fat" are you implying what can be categorized as "added fats"?

i yes, why do you need them?: most natural paleo foods - meat / eggs / fish - already have plenty of fats in them - IMHO, adding anything aside - especially if you're trying to lean out - is rather counterproductive for fats are what bodies store first and use only later

obsessive and excessive 'fatoholism' / 'fatocentrism' ('oh, there is no way i can eat my steak without smothering it in butter') in paleo community is utterly perplexing, and perhaps is one of the factors many can't reach their desired level of leanness

ps: sure, i kind of understand that it sounds somewhat heretical in terms of 'paleo conventional wisdom'

Painful dichotomy: no fat v trans fat: which is worse?

3 Answers