Oils and fats

If you have been under the low-fat craze, you need to know that you would be making a mistake. Some fats are essential for life. You´ll just need to learn the difference between healthy and non-healthy oils and fats.

  • Vegetable oils. These oils come naturally from plants and are high in good fats, but (and it is a big but…) most are very fragile; exposure to heat, daylight, oxygen, and processing destroy these good fats and convert them into inflammatory compounds. Vegetable oils are best used cold. Some like olive oil or avocado may be used to sautéed or cook at low to medium heat. Coconut oil is a safe bet for cooking or cold use. Refined vegetable oils like sunflower, canola and soybean (unrefined or refined) should be avoided. Other vegetable oils are nuts and seeds; these should be included in the diet. For any oils, limit the amount you take.
  • Animal fat. Animal fat is high in saturated fat, making it very stable under heat and an excellent choice for cooking or even frying. Grass-fed animal fat may be packed with good fats like omega-3 and CLA and vitamins and minerals. On the other hand, factory raised animal fats should be avoided; fat protects the animal´s organs (and our own) by storing toxins coming from the diet and the environment, this type of fat is filled with pesticides, antibiotics and unwanted compounds. Grass-fed beef (tallow), lamb, and pig fat are good choices for high heat cooking. Pasture-raised chicken, duck and goose fats are ok as long as you make sure they ate an omnivorous diet instead of corn and soy.
  • Processed fats. These are Saturated and Trans fat. The first shares its classification with animal fats, since most saturated fats originate from animals but are also found also in chocolate, butter, some nuts and coconut. Saturated fats should be limited to 20g/day regardless of its origin. This type of fat may be either beneficial or detrimental to your health. For animal fats, always choose grass-fed animals and eliminate processed meats like pepperoni. Trans fats are originated from manufacturing processes to increase shelf life; this one ingredient is one of the few that has a 0g/day recommendation. Just a bit will increase your risk of dangerous conditions including obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Identify in the ingredient list any of these words: “partially hydrogenated,” “fractionated,” or “hydrogenated”. The higher up the phrase “partially hydrogenated oil” is on ingredient´s list, the more trans fat the product contains.

 Make good decisions

When choosing fats, the key words are toxin-free quality fats and proper handling (limit the exposure to light and air, don´t let oils burn, use the correct oil for the temperature of cooking). All fats should be taken in limited portions, since all fats, healthy or not, are high in calories.


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OCC’s epidemiologist is closely monitoring the COVID-19 status and is actively issuing updates as they are available. The Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization are the most trusted sources online.  While the CDC has announced new mask protocols for vaccinated individuals, there will be no changes for our office protocols for patients, guests, and staff members as the announcement does not apply to hospitals or medical facilities. Masks are still a requirement for all patients, guests and staff at our facility.

As we reinitiate weight loss surgery, we are constantly adapting and installing new and updated safety measures.

Weight loss surgery is medically necessary.

Bariatric Surgery and the clash of two pandemics.   

Major metabolic and bariatric surgery Societies and colleges globally are now calling for the safe resumption of bariatric and metabolic surgery before the COVID-19 pandemic is declared over. 

The sooner bariatric surgery can be safely performed, the quicker obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other diseases can be reduced or resolved as they are not only chronic they are also progressive.  Obesity is also linked to more than 40 diseases including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, and at least 13 different types of cancer.

A recent statement from the ASMBS says “Before COVID-19 began, it was clear that patients with obesity were ‘safer through surgery.’ In the era of COVID-19, ‘safer through surgery’ for patients with obesity may prove to be even more important than before.” Obesity and Metabolic syndrome have been identified as an independent risk factor for adverse outcomes including death among COVID-19 patients.

See here for full COVID-19 update. 

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