I sometime cook bacon for breakfast and save the fat for cooking in later. ie I add some to make a spinach salad dressing, use a little on fish in replace of the butter. I still find it hard to believe that I am not commiting a slow sucide by doing this.

I am scheduled to have a cholesterol test done next month and am a little bit frightened by what the results may be.

Should I quit using some of the bacon fat or can I continue with this rather tasty treat?

Um I'm not totally sure, But I don't think so because I've heard other people saying their cholestrol actually was lower after doing Atkins.

bacon fat, goose fat, chicken fat, duck fat--all healthy fats.

Your cholesterol probably won't go up in the absence of high levels of insulin. Eating cholesterol has no relationship to our blood serum cholesterol numbers; cholesterol is mostly manufactured in our own livers. And especially for women, there's no proof at all that high cholesterol numbers mean a thing! For women over 65, the lower the total cholesterol number, the higher their risk of heart attack. Funny how the media doesn't report that, eh? But it does advertise cholesterol-lowering drugs plenty.

Those animals fats are BEST for your health if you buy your animals free-range, hormone-free, and your bacon nitrate- and nitrite-free.

Extra virgin olive oil is good too--either for dressing or to cook with, cold-pressed canola oil is good, flax oil is fine if it's real flax oil (comes in a dark bottle and has to be refrigerated), but don't cook with flax oil.

Here's an easy to read short piece on dietary fats:

http://www.stumptuous.com/fat.html

Keep on using it for now and see what the numbers say. Many many many good numbers have come from this WOE and that WOE includes lots of bacon fat, what a yummy flavor to fry in......

Please share your numbers with us. Do you have previous numbers to compare to, or are these the first?

Cindy

You folks are very speedy with the replys.

The last cholesterol number that I can remember was 170, from about 2 years ago, but I can not remember the breakdown between HDL/LDL.

Yes I will be happy to share my numbers when I get them.

I have started a journal at Fitday.com and trying to keep closer track of my eating habits to break this 2 month stall without having to starve my body or brain!

Hi Razzel

Thank you for the article. I have read it....printed it....and will reread and keep handy for all the soothe sayers who enter my domain.

Hi Vonnovich,

Bacon and bacon fat can be unhealthy when over-heated or oxidized from age. The instruction on most bacon packages say to cook until crisp and soak up the extra fat from the bacon with a paper towel for discard. This method is totally WRONG and creates oxidized bad fats in the bacon. I cook bacon on low heat and serve while still floppy with white fat showing. Yummy!!! I then use the fat immediately for cooking eggs or other food. Use the melted fat as you wish but don't keep it for eating later.

High heat and long cooking time allows the normally healthy fats to become oxidized and unhealthy.

The best frying fats in order of preference are: 1) coconut oil, 2) butter and 3) olive oil. Buy the edible grade of coconut oil and not that intended for cosmetic use.

Do not eat polyunsaturated vegetable oils. These are oils like corn oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, soybean oil, etc.

A really great book about oil and fats is:

Know Your Fats by Dr. Mary G. Enig

Kent

Oh Kent, now I have an excuse to eat my bacon floppy (or almost raw, as my boyfriend calls it with a grossed out look)!!

I have always liked it that way, and love to fry eggs up in the bacon grease afterwards.

Nice to know I am not a freak LOL

Hi Kent

Now you are spoiling my fun....I have just got my 8 year old eating, over cooked crispy bacon. The way I like it. My husband like his almost raw (still floppy) which neither of us like. Another family rift is upon us.

How about cooking bacon slowly until the FAT is no longer transparent? Could this be a healthier choice?

Having fun.

Vonnovich

Hi Kent

Have you read and would you recommend Udo Erasmus book, Fats that heal and Fats that Kill.....I'd like to learn more about my favorite subject..

Vonnovich

Hi Vonnovich,



High heat and long cooking time causes oxidation and damage to the fat molecules. Temperature is the primary concern and time secondary. Therefore, slow cooking is good because it would also be low heat. The longer time is a negative. The fat being transparent, liquid, solid or white really doesn't have anything to do with the health aspect. Select that which is most appetizing to you.



Yes, I have the book and like most of what Udo says. I bought his "Perfect Oil Blend" product for a while but switch to Carlson's lemon flavored cod liver oil plus almond oil. I made a web page about Udo's book but discontinued listing the URL because of his attack against saturated fat and meat which is a major negative. I now recommend the book, "Know Your Fats" by Dr. Mary G. Enig as a much better choice. In fact, it is awesome and one of my favorite nutritional books.

Kent