Everyone told me coconut oil was good for me

shannashannabobana

Note, I'm saying saturated fat not all fats. I think people aren't understanding that the conversation hasn't been about fats in general, just saturated fat. Most people who are informed about their health are aware that low-fat isn't healthful,

I disagree. I think people understand this distinction perfectly well, they just don't agree. The same people who told us to eat low fat, and tons of margarine (including what we found out later were REALLY unhealthy trans fats!) were the ones who told us not to eat saturated fat. That turned our really well. Their data was bad then and it's still bad.

I do agree it's no one's fault if they are trying to follow conventional wisdom coming from the 'experts', but as a good chunk of that advice turned out to be bad, I'm fairly skeptical about it these days. Everyone, as always, can do as they like. If you want to 'fry' your mushrooms in water, have at it. I'll stick with butter.

Lovlilyn

I'd say most health organizations are pretty adament that you should seriously limit the amount of saturated fat you eat each day.

I wouldn't say that the apparently misinformed notion that saturated fat is bad for you is a reason to yell at the OP or anyone who was also misinformed. I, myself, am still pretty skeptical and am fairly certain that saturated fat may be necessary for health but only in the smallest (5 g or less/ day) amounts.

Note, I'm saying saturated fat not all fats. I think people aren't understanding that the conversation hasn't been about fats in general, just saturated fat. Most people who are informed about their health are aware that low-fat isn't healthful, although again I don't think that's something someone can be chewed out for that because it was "common fact" for a long time.

But that's just me. I don't like implying that people are stupid for not knowing that general health myths are incorrect. Most people are misinformed about nutrition and weight loss. It's a learning process.

Good point. WebMD has a good article on it, quote: "Neither the American Heart Association (AHA) nor the U.S. government's 2010 Dietary Guidelines suggest that coconut oil is any better or preferable over other saturated fats. Coconut oil, like all saturated fats, should be limited to 7%-10% of calories because it can increase risk for heart disease, according to the AHA and 2010 Dietary Guidelines"

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/coconut-oil-and-health

I'm going with the AHA on its recommendation on saturated fat. And, I don't agree that there's any "good" fat - just because it's vegetable based doesn't mean it's good. The only fat that's good for you is in moderation. Basically, almost everything we eat contains fat, and it's really easy to end up with 30% of your calories coming from fat without even adding 1 tsp of oil or butter. Fat is the one thing that all nutritionists agree on should be used in moderation - they may disagree on carbs, salt, protein, etc., but they all will agree about fats. I am not talking about the low-fat craze that had you replace fat calories with carbs, but just a general 25-30% of your calories from fat for overall health.

Finally, I am trying to figure out how anyone can eat 60% of their calories from fat and not be starving. I know that fat is satiating, but I have a total of 1300 calories to eat, that's 780 in fat, which only leaves me 520 in real food - that seems like it would be difficult to get in all the nutrients you need for good health, not to mention that I'd be starving.

Carnivor0us

I'd say most health organizations are pretty adament that you should seriously limit the amount of saturated fat you eat each day.

I wouldn't say that the apparently misinformed notion that saturated fat is bad for you is a reason to yell at the OP or anyone who was also misinformed. I, myself, am still pretty skeptical and am fairly certain that saturated fat may be necessary for health but only in the smallest (5 g or less/ day) amounts.

Note, I'm saying saturated fat not all fats. I think people aren't understanding that the conversation hasn't been about fats in general, just saturated fat. Most people who are informed about their health are aware that low-fat isn't healthful, although again I don't think that's something someone can be chewed out for that because it was "common fact" for a long time.

But that's just me. I don't like implying that people are stupid for not knowing that general health myths are incorrect. Most people are misinformed about nutrition and weight loss. It's a learning process.

Good point. WebMD has a good article on it, quote: "Neither the American Heart Association (AHA) nor the U.S. government's 2010 Dietary Guidelines suggest that coconut oil is any better or preferable over other saturated fats. Coconut oil, like all saturated fats, should be limited to 7%-10% of calories because it can increase risk for heart disease, according to the AHA and 2010 Dietary Guidelines"

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/coconut-oil-and-health

I'm going with the AHA on its recommendation on saturated fat. And, I don't agree that there's any "good" fat - just because it's vegetable based doesn't mean it's good. The only fat that's good for you is in moderation. Basically, almost everything we eat contains fat, and it's really easy to end up with 30% of your calories coming from fat without even adding 1 tsp of oil or butter. Fat is the one thing that all nutritionists agree on should be used in moderation - they may disagree on carbs, salt, protein, etc., but they all will agree about fats. I am not talking about the low-fat craze that had you replace fat calories with carbs, but just a general 25-30% of your calories from fat for overall health.

Finally, I am trying to figure out how anyone can eat 60% of their calories from fat and not be starving. I know that fat is satiating, but I have a total of 1300 calories to eat, that's 780 in fat, which only leaves me 520 in real food - that seems like it would be difficult to get in all the nutrients you need for good health, not to mention that I'd be starving.

Fat is 'real food'. I eat 75% fat intake and I'm not starving- because, like you said, fat is satiating. I think the biggest point of contention here is that the OP is insulin resistant, and her doctor is advising her to eat the worst possible macro ratio for that condition.

StacyReneO

So you want to be able to fry your mushrooms with something low fat and low calorie without too many chemicals? May I suggest unicorn oil? You can find it in the magical fantasy aisle of any grocery store. Either make it fit in your macros by dropping something else or give up the notion that your mushrooms *have* to be fried.

This. And yes everyone told you coconut oil is good for you because it is. You choose to not have good fats in your diet - that doesn't make it bad. Just like I choose not too have too many carbs in my diet, and that means I have to cut out some good stuff like a good amount of fruit - but it doesn't mean fruit is bad. It's like saying sugar is sugar is...but really not all sugar is the same, just as all fats are not the same.

Lovlilyn

I do agree it's no one's fault if they are trying to follow conventional wisdom coming from the 'experts', but as a good chunk of that advice turned out to be bad, I'm fairly skeptical about it these days. Everyone, as always, can do as they like. If you want to 'fry' your mushrooms in water, have at it. I'll stick with butter.

The problem wasn't that they were following the conventional wisdom from the experts - it was that they were not. The low-fat recommendation were not to replace fat with sugary-starchy carbs, it was - like basically all healthy diets - to eat lean protein, lots of fruits and vegetables, and whole grains, and get your fat from that food with minimal added fat. It's always the peoples' execution of these recommendations that is at fault. It's like when people say that Atkins is a no-carb or all protein diet. From day one you are advised to eat leafy greens on Atkins, but people are ignorant that lettuce is a carb.

RivenV

I'd say most health organizations are pretty adament that you should seriously limit the amount of saturated fat you eat each day.

I wouldn't say that the apparently misinformed notion that saturated fat is bad for you is a reason to yell at the OP or anyone who was also misinformed. I, myself, am still pretty skeptical and am fairly certain that saturated fat may be necessary for health but only in the smallest (5 g or less/ day) amounts.

Note, I'm saying saturated fat not all fats. I think people aren't understanding that the conversation hasn't been about fats in general, just saturated fat. Most people who are informed about their health are aware that low-fat isn't healthful, although again I don't think that's something someone can be chewed out for that because it was "common fact" for a long time.

But that's just me. I don't like implying that people are stupid for not knowing that general health myths are incorrect. Most people are misinformed about nutrition and weight loss. It's a learning process.

Good point. WebMD has a good article on it, quote: "Neither the American Heart Association (AHA) nor the U.S. government's 2010 Dietary Guidelines suggest that coconut oil is any better or preferable over other saturated fats. Coconut oil, like all saturated fats, should be limited to 7%-10% of calories because it can increase risk for heart disease, according to the AHA and 2010 Dietary Guidelines"

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/coconut-oil-and-health

I'm going with the AHA on its recommendation on saturated fat. And, I don't agree that there's any "good" fat - just because it's vegetable based doesn't mean it's good. The only fat that's good for you is in moderation. Basically, almost everything we eat contains fat, and it's really easy to end up with 30% of your calories coming from fat without even adding 1 tsp of oil or butter. Fat is the one thing that all nutritionists agree on should be used in moderation - they may disagree on carbs, salt, protein, etc., but they all will agree about fats. I am not talking about the low-fat craze that had you replace fat calories with carbs, but just a general 25-30% of your calories from fat for overall health.

Finally, I am trying to figure out how anyone can eat 60% of their calories from fat and not be starving. I know that fat is satiating, but I have a total of 1300 calories to eat, that's 780 in fat, which only leaves me 520 in real food - that seems like it would be difficult to get in all the nutrients you need for good health, not to mention that I'd be starving.

I must have missed something here. First you say that about 25-30% of your diet should be fat for overall health. Then you go on to say that it's not a "real food." Why is fat not a real food if it's a necessary and vital part of your diet, as you yourself have said?
Additionally, you concede that fat is satiating, but wonder how anyone could feel full with a high fat diet.
Either I'm confused by what you're saying here or you're confusing what you're trying to say. Thoughts?

Carnivor0us

I do agree it's no one's fault if they are trying to follow conventional wisdom coming from the 'experts', but as a good chunk of that advice turned out to be bad, I'm fairly skeptical about it these days. Everyone, as always, can do as they like. If you want to 'fry' your mushrooms in water, have at it. I'll stick with butter.

The problem wasn't that they were following the conventional wisdom from the experts - it was that they were not. The low-fat recommendation were not to replace fat with sugary-starchy carbs, it was - like basically all healthy diets - to eat lean protein, lots of fruits and vegetables, and whole grains, and get your fat from that food with minimal added fat. It's always the peoples' execution of these recommendations that is at fault. It's like when people say that Atkins is a no-carb or all protein diet. From day one you are advised to eat leafy greens on Atkins, but people are ignorant that lettuce is a carb.

Have you looked at the Food Pyramid from the 90s? 6-11 servings of grains and potatoes a DAY. Good GOD.

The experts told us all to eat like cattle and we did. We replaced fat with grains (starch and sugar) to eat that ****ty low-fat diet.

lisabeth36

You don't need to add water - and I agree I like mushrooms sauted in butter actually. However I found something that works pretty well - and tasts pretty good - use a little wine :-) I have tried with white and red both - they are both good and have different flavors - sweet vermouth goes good with steak/mushrooms, but it has a higher sugar/calorie count.

aproc

Unfortunately there is too much bad advice out there and articles citing how bad fats, especially saturated fats, are for you... Some are actually really good for you (such as what's found in coconut oil) and fat is essential in the diet.. As long as your getting your fat intake from good sources like coconut oil, nuts, fatty fish, avocados, meat, etc and not going overboard then you shouldn't worry too much about it. It's when your getting your dietary fat from processed junk that causes the problems.

stealthq

I do agree it's no one's fault if they are trying to follow conventional wisdom coming from the 'experts', but as a good chunk of that advice turned out to be bad, I'm fairly skeptical about it these days. Everyone, as always, can do as they like. If you want to 'fry' your mushrooms in water, have at it. I'll stick with butter.

The problem wasn't that they were following the conventional wisdom from the experts - it was that they were not. The low-fat recommendation were not to replace fat with sugary-starchy carbs, it was - like basically all healthy diets - to eat lean protein, lots of fruits and vegetables, and whole grains, and get your fat from that food with minimal added fat. It's always the peoples' execution of these recommendations that is at fault. It's like when people say that Atkins is a no-carb or all protein diet. From day one you are advised to eat leafy greens on Atkins, but people are ignorant that lettuce is a carb.

I have to disagree here. It was not just replacing fats with carbs that was bad. It was also the stupidly low levels of fats that we were advised to adhere to as well.

I was on one of those diets - lean protein, whole grains, lots of veggies - for athletics, not even to lose weight. I was not to use any additional fat on anything. No oil for cooking or salad dressings, that sort of thing. No meats except non-oily fish and skinless chicken. Fortunately, I was only on it for 7-8 mos. Unfortunately, I followed it religiously. The end result is that it negatively impacted my digestive system for a long time. Any amount of fat sent me sprinting for the restroom within 30min of eating. It took years for my digestive tract to get back to functioning properly.

shannashannabobana

The problem wasn't that they were following the conventional wisdom from the experts - it was that they were not. The low-fat recommendation were not to replace fat with sugary-starchy carbs, it was - like basically all healthy diets - to eat lean protein, lots of fruits and vegetables, and whole grains

What do you think whole grains and fruits and some vegetables are made of??? Carbs. Wheat. You're still subbing in carbs for fat, which was a huge change in our diets that failed miserably as a health measure. We dutifully followed this advice and reduced our fat intake significantly, including subing in stuff like trans fat filled margarine which we now know is just awful but at the time were told was great. If you take out fats you have to replace it with something. It didn't work, it was bad advice and now it's time to re-look at the data, re-evaluate and question it all. Look at that ancel keys study, he basically threw out all the people who ate high fat and had good numbers and then published his data. It was awful science.

jennifershoo

I see what everyone here is saying... But saturated fat IS the "bad" fat that everyone should stay away from...you want omega3, and monounsaturated

No it's not. The only bad fat is the trans fat.

jennifershoo

I see what everyone here is saying... But saturated fat IS the "bad" fat that everyone should stay away from...you want omega3, and monounsaturated

wrong. Hydrogenated saturated fats - trans fats - and saturated fats from corn, soy, as well as from cows fed corn and soy, are the bad fats. Grass fed meat has the perfect Omega 3:6 ratio. Vegetable oils are all very high in omega 6 as well. Fats from whole food sources come in the correct ratios, where manufactured fats as skewed to Omega 6 making them inflammatory eaten alone without an omega 3 supplementation.

This answer is even better^

jogglesngoggles

You need to take the bad stigma away from "fat". SOME fats, like coconut oil are GOOD for you. I drink coconut milk and I eat a lot of nuts. ALL healthy fats, and my cholesterol is in GREAT shape.

Please research the difference between "good" and "bad" fats, and how they can impact your life. And enjoy your coconut oil in the process.

Yep...Fats are not created equally! I use coconut oil every day, drink coconut milk, eat avocado's and nuts!!

ladylaume

So you want to be able to fry your mushrooms with something low fat and low calorie without too many chemicals? May I suggest unicorn oil? You can find it in the magical fantasy aisle of any grocery store. Either make it fit in your macros by dropping something else or give up the notion that your mushrooms *have* to be fried.

Love this!

hilaryhill

You need to take the bad stigma away from "fat". SOME fats, like coconut oil are GOOD for you. I drink coconut milk and I eat a lot of nuts. ALL healthy fats, and my cholesterol is in GREAT shape.

Please research the difference between "good" and "bad" fats, and how they can impact your life. And enjoy your coconut oil in the process.

This x1000000.

I eat organic butter, coconut oil, and olive oil and drink whole milk. Natural fat is NOT bad for you, its all the processed crap that makes you sick.

2delicio

I eat A LOT of pan fried (I like to say sauteed better ) mushrooms and onions. I Love Them! I could eat them on a shoe - lol! But I mostly use them as a side with a turkey pattie or Boca (veggie) burger, or I eat them over rice with a side of veggies for lunch or dinner. I use Olive Oil - like some have said - don't worry over the good fats. (just don't go crazy) A tablespoon or two won't kill you. Have you tried them using Pam yet (the spray) I know - not the same - but if you cooked them slow and keep stirring, they're not too bad. I fell off the wagon for awhile, but have started back again about a month ago. I am doing good again. The thing I am doing different this time, that is working like a charm is eating nuts . . . believe it or not. I eat about a quarter cup aday, almonds or cashews, for a snack to hold me over till lunch and dinner, or an orange and a handful of almonds for breakfast. Like they say, Protein helps fill you up, and takes away cravings. The extra fat calories are worth it, just so long as you watch your daily calorie quota. You have to lighten up somewhere to make room for those nutty treats. I am also eating 1/4 of an avacado on most days on my fat free bean tacos (plain corn or flour tortillas - just heat them in on a dry fying pan) and then lots of red onion, cilantro, tomatoes - Yum! . . . so don't give up the things you love (the healthy things), or you will feel deprived. Good Luck!

quill16

If you hate the thought of PAM (I use it) try one of those spritzer cans that you put oil in and it comes out in a fine mist.I don't know how much they put out in a spray, but you could weigh the can before and then after and then see how much you used to count the calories

mumtoonegirl

So you want to be able to fry your mushrooms with something low fat and low calorie without too many chemicals? May I suggest unicorn oil? You can find it in the magical fantasy aisle of any grocery store. Either make it fit in your macros by dropping something else or give up the notion that your mushrooms *have* to be fried.

I love this! I seriously almost spit my water all over my computer when I read this.

You don't 'need' to fry your mushrooms in anything, just in a pan with the tiniest amount of water and some seasonings. Leave it at that.

But if the mushrooms are so important to be fried move something else out. There is no oil on the market that won't have some sort of fat in it, if it does it is likely a chemical crap storm.

LondonEliza

The thing is, I like mushrooms. I eat about a half pound a day, sliced and pan fried. I can fry them in water but They just don't turn out as good.

Boiled .... BOILED mushrooms!!? Eughhh. I'd rather be fat if that was the price of thin. >> shudder <<

Cp731

Have you tried frying them in water but using a bit of seasoning to give them some flavour?

Thats called steaming. I was going to suggest that too

ndj1979

You need to take the bad stigma away from "fat". SOME fats, like coconut oil are GOOD for you. I drink coconut milk and I eat a lot of nuts. ALL healthy fats, and my cholesterol is in GREAT shape.

Please research the difference between "good" and "bad" fats, and how they can impact your life. And enjoy your coconut oil in the process.

Yep...Fats are not created equally! I use coconut oil every day, drink coconut milk, eat avocado's and nuts!!

I thought Lincoln freed the fats???

xstarxdustx

bump.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

" I might as well be using butter or crisco vegetable oil. "

No. Coconut oil is much richer nutritionally than those things. And like the others said---it's a matter of "good" fats & "bad" fats. Also, 90 calories is a drop in a bucket of your overall calorie intake for the day. As long as you aren't globbing coconut oil on everything, it shouldn't be a calorie suck.

There are 0 calorie cooking sprays & whatever, if you REALLY are that scared of coconut oil, but those sprays are full of chemicals & don't have any nutritional value.

I don't need nutritional value, just something to fry my mushrooms in that is low fat and low calorie.

Yes I wont use the sprays, who knows what is in those.

You don't care about nutritional value, but won't use sprays? Get over the crap you've been told about fat. Coconut oil, and all healthy fats, are not the devil. I put coconut oil in my coffee, cook with it, get 60% of my calories from fat, and am losing about 3 pounds per week. Insulin. Insulin is what drives fat gain and loss.

Im insulin resistant so my doctor has me on a very low fat diet. I can get no more than 10% of my calories from fat.

I know of no doctor that will suggest a high carb, low fat way of eating for insulin resistance. I have been to tons and tons of doctors and know many people with insulin resistance and every doctor suggesting lowering carb intake at or below 25% and adjusting the fat intake higher.

Your doctor is going to make you full blown diabetic.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

Yikes! Not a bit of common sense here. Anybody that thinks that the fat in coconut oil is a good fat is buying into some kind of crazy sh**. The fat in coconut oil is 92%, I'll say that again 92%, saturated. Anyone here want to say that saturated fat is good for you raise your hand. No one? That's what I thought. As a comparison the fat in beef is only 50% saturated. The fat in butter is 63% saturated. You would be better off stirring butter into your coffee that coconut oil. If you want to eat coconut oil go ahead. Like anything else, moderation is the key. But saying the fat in coconut oil is a "good fat" is just insane. There is not one single piece of medical or scientific evidence or research that proves coconut oil is beneficial in any way. On the other hand we have butt loads of medical evidence that proves that too much saturated fat is horrible for your heart, arteries and intenstine. By simply applying a little common sense one could figure out that a fat that is 92% saturated could not possibly be a "good fat".

There are plenty of people here saying that saturated fat in not unhealthy................

Get out of the 1980's and come to 2013. That evidence that Ancel Keys put out long ago is very incorrect.

arcticfox04

Coconut Oil is a healthy fat. Though I can't stand the taste for some reason for cooking.

I normally go with this.

Olive Oil = Salads and anything that uses low heat.
Grape Seed Oil = Cooking with high heat since it has a high Smoke Point and tastes much better then Coconut Oil.

StacyReneO

Also, I was a movie theater manager when the whole major chain made the change from coconut to canola oil. Coconut just didn't fit in California's calorie guidelines like canola did... not that movie theaters have the healthiest reputation (just forego the fake butter, people! It's not hard! Tastes like cleaning products, imo), but I still can't wrap my head around coconut oil being put on the same tier as olive...

I also had a bad coconut oil experience while travelling in Southern India. The food was amazing, but everything has coconut oil. For a month I ate very small portions, virtually no meat or dairy, and walked everywhere with a big backpack... and still gained weight!

Just my two cents. Seriously, the coconut oil obsession is beyond me.

Actually, here in Southern California, 2 of the largest theater chains switched to using coconut oil back in 2010.

LAW_714

I think the OP is trapped by verb choice.

There are many ways to cook mushrooms. There's roasting. There's grilling. There's steaming. There's (God only knows why one would choose it) boiling them. Any of those choices can be done with minimal fat.

If, however, the question is frying... Well there is no fat free fry oil and if there were, it would be some unnatural mutant concoction of chemicals.

If you want a low-fat way of cooking mushrooms, try roasting or grilling. It's delicious.

If you want to/have to fry it, you're going to have to use a fat that has actual fat in it.

As far as the part of a fat being 9 calories per gram...

So?

Fats (like carbs, like proteins) are a natural part of the diet. There are fat soluble vitamins. Fat is satiating. Fat serves its purpose. Just calculate it in your overall calorie counts.

I'm going to resort to cut and paste here because it's late and I probably cannot state it as well as a doctor, so quoting Peter Attia:

By formal definition a calorie is the amount of heat energy required to raise one gram of water from 14.5 to 15.5 degrees Celsius at atmospheric pressure. {...} the important thing to remember is that a calorie (or kcal) tells you how much energy you get by burning the food. Literally. In the “old days” this is how folks figured out the energy content of food using a device called a calorimeter. In fact, to this day this is how caloric content is measured when doing very precise measurements of food intake for rigorous scientific studies. As a general rule carbohydrates contain between 3 and 4 kcal per gram; proteins are about the same; fats contain approximately 9 kcal per gram. [If you’re wondering why fats contain more heat energy than carbohydrates or proteins, it has to do with the number of high energy bonds they contain. Fats are primarily made up of carbon-hydrogen and carbon-carbon bonds, which have the most stored energy. Carbs and proteins have these bonds also but “dilute” their heat energy with less energy-dense bonds involving oxygen and nitrogen.]

{...}olive oil has about 8.9 kcal/g; starch with about 4.1 kcal/g; protein with about 4.0 kcal/g; and gunpowder 0.7 {...} everything on this list is an organic molecule largely composed of the following four atoms: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. Not to bore everyone with a lesson on organic chemistry, but it’s the actual bonds between these atoms that are responsible for their energy densities...

But I bet you aren't going to eat gun powder, even though it does have fewer calories per gram because, as he further explains:

.Energy density (calories) of food matter, but what matters much more is what that food does in and to our bodies. {...}These are the choices we make every time we put something in our mouth.

If not, you could have a low cal diet of gunpowder. So sure, carbs and protein may have few fewer kcal/g, but you choose what you eat based on more than mathematical ranking of kcal/g. If you really 'have' to fry mushrooms...

What 'fries' food? Fat (because, unfortunately, unicorn oil isn't commercially available these days.)

If you 'have' to have it fried, you're saying that you 'have' to have those 9 kcal/g. You just said you 'have' to have it, right? Budget it into your overall food caloric breakdown by cutting out a slice of bread or something. You can end with the exact same number of calories and you got your 'fried' mushrooms.

(Also agreeing with others, though, a high carb diet seems counterintuitive if the problem in question is insulin resistance.)

crandos

So you want to be able to fry your mushrooms with something low fat and low calorie without too many chemicals? May I suggest unicorn oil? You can find it in the magical fantasy aisle of any grocery store. Either make it fit in your macros by dropping something else or give up the notion that your mushrooms *have* to be fried.

mmm unicorn

texanintokyo

Try an olive oil mister. I love mine! It really cuts back on the amount of oil. You fill it half way with olive oil and then pump the can with air and it comes out as a fine mist. No scary additives. If I have time I slightly steam the mushrooms first then spritz the pan and the mushrooms with the olive oil mist and give them a quick sauté. If I don’t have time I just spray the pan and mushrooms and throw them in.