6 Reasons Why You Should Start Eating THIS Food
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After years of being programmed that fats are bad (especially animal fats) it can be hard to come to terms with the fact that lard is a healthy, nourishing source of energy for our bodies.
It's not just a tolerable fat; it's a desirable fat.
Lard's Bad Rap
Lard got a bad reputation because it is high in saturated fats. Do you know how saturated fats got a bad rep? Primarily because of the now-debunked cholesterol hypothesis. The cholesterol hypothesis claimed that saturated fats and dietary cholesterol gunked up your arterial walls which lead to heart disease.
Research has definitively proven that this is not the case.
In fact, there are a number of large scale studies that show animal fats like lard have a positive impact on health and that individuals who consume them have a lower risk of heart disease compared to those who do not consume them.
One of the longest-running and largest health studies ever done, called the Nurses' Health Study, followed more than 80,000 nurses for twenty years. What researchers found was that consumption of saturated fats had no impact on the risk of heart disease, but that the increased consumption of refined starches and sugary foods doubled the risk of heart disease!
6 Reasons to Add Lard to Your Diet
1. Lard is remarkably similar in its fatty acid composition1 to that of human breast milk. Mamas already have the perfect food with the perfect types of fat to nourish Baby. Turns out that this fat just might be a really amazing way to nourish our bodies too!
2. Soothes the Blues. Lard's primary fatty acid is called oleic acid. Several studies have found liberal consumption of oleic acid to helps buffer blue feelings.
3. Vitamin D. Much of the American society is deficient in necessary vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential for good health and wellbeing. Those of us who live in the northern states, particularly, have a difficult time getting enough vitamin D as we're cooped up inside all year long. Just 1 Tablespoon of lard contains approximately 1,000 IU's of vitamin D!
4. Hormone Help. How many people do you know that deal with hypothyroidism, adrenal issues like fibromyalgia, or infertility? These are all problems somehow related to the production of hormones in your body. Interestingly, both cholesterol and vitamin D play a vital role in the production and regulation of hormones in the body. Lard is a fantastic source of both of these necessary elements.
5. High-heat Cooking. Because it's naturally hydrogenated it can be heated to very high temperatures without it turning to a trans-fat.
6. It's Yummy! Perhaps the most overlooked benefit of eating lard is that it just tastes great. I was afraid when I first experimented with lard that it would taste like pork. I couldn't imagine why the great pastry chefs of the world preferred lard to Crisco® or butter. It just didn't seem like using pig fat in your pastries was a very good idea.
Imagine how surprised I was to find out that lard has a very mild flavor and is not “piggy” at all!
Where to Buy Quality Lard
Based on the information cited above, you might want to consider including lard in your rotation of healthy, natural fats. But please, whatever you do, don't purchase the lard available in most grocery stores. Purchase your lard from a reputable source that renders lard from healthy animals that are allowed to forage.
Or better yet, make the lard yourself. It's not hard at all and you'll reap the benefits of this nourishing, healthy cooking oil!
Here is one source for healthy lard from pasture-raised pigs with no additives. This lard is another great choice.
{Remember, I am not a doctor and neither is Trisha. So please consult with your physician before taking this or any other changes to your diet. Thanks!
What do you think? Will you start eating lard now?
Trisha Gilkerson is a homeschooling mom to four crazy boys. She blogs with her awesome hubby Luke at Intoxicated on Life where they talk about faith, homeschooling, and health. They've authored the Write Through the Bible curriculum and family Bible Studies and have recently released their first healthy living book – Weeding Out Wheat: A Simple Faith Based Guide.
Lard makes the best French fries ever! Yum!
I’ve never cooked with it. I’m hoping to try some soon!
I do use lard. I recently rendered 6 quarts of lard so I have plenty on hand. I am not crazy about the taste so often mix it with coconut oil when cooking.
Look at other cultures that eat lard for health purposes, longevity as well…….. Love
I live in TX where wild hog are plentiful and the season is open AND my husband and son love to hunt so I have rendered my own lard. It’s super easy, just low and slow all day and it will turn snow white. I store it in glass jars in the freezer. It makes wonderful pie crusts, great for frying, etc. etc.
WOW! I reckon there is a whole wide world chocked full of folk who THINK they know more that Abba Yah! Dear, there is NO getting around the fact that Yah says ANYthing piggie just plain old ain’t food! If HE says it isn’t good for food then it doesn’t matter what anyone else says- not to ME, anyhow.
We don’t eat pork, so no lard. We do, however, consume animal fats.
I am so glad to hear that you don’t eat pork! 🙂
Thanks for sharing – I definitely want to try this more often! I’ve been hearing so much about how fat is so good for you – especially since our brains are made up of 60% fat.
Are you also referring to organic lard in your post or regular lard?
Cheers!
Abby
The healthier the animal, the healthier the meat and the lard! I am referring to lard from animals pastured organic animals. Though I don’t purchase from a farmer that is “certified” organic he is local and has good farming practices. EatWild.com I’ve found to be a great resource for finding farmers in your area!
I totally went out and bought some back fat from the farmer I get my raw milk from in PA. I am rendering it as I write for the last few hours and have strained half of it. I am going to weigh it and freeze it for use. My Mother used to use lard in all her pie crusts when I was a child and we loved them dearly. I have to say I don’t like the smell of it while rendering, but I am hoping it will be more pleasant in other uses.
No, the smell of rendering lard is a bit gross to me too, but once it’s done it doesn’t have much of a flavor. 🙂 Let us know how it turns out!
Is this like the grease you get from cooking bacon? I am a southern girl raised on bacon grease. My great-grandma lived.to.95years old and ate it everyday. I have been trying to cut it out of my families diet. Could it really be good for us?
Since you said you can not wait to hear what we think, I will answer honestly. I was hesitant because I disagree, greatly.
First of all, the first point likening lard to breast milk and God giving that to babies and giving us lard to eat I deeply beg to differ with. When God created us, he actually gave man (and animals) “every green plant for food”. That was His perfect design. There was no death, and no consumption of meat or lard until after the fall. No good thing came from the fall. Not until after Noah’s Ark were we permitted to eat animals. This was not God’s original plan, and the life span of man was greatly shortened after we started consuming flesh. Eating meat is no longer a spiritual issue, but it is a health issue and is not healthy, ever.
Second, just on health, meat and lard are very acidifying to the body. It contains millions of pathogens and bacteria, even when cooked that has a negative impact on our blood and therefore body. I do blood analysis with a microscope and anyone who consumes animal material has the results show up in the blood and we can see the damage it does right before our eyes.
Fat is great, but raw vegetable fats are the way to go – avocados and avocado oil, sesame oil, almond oil, coconut oil, olive oil, grape seed oil, etc.
Thanks for welcoming my opinion!
Cheers,
Courtney
Great response Courtney! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks! 🙂
I second that!
Fantastic Courtney!!
Thanks 🙂
Hi Courtney,
Thanks for the response Courtney.
I’m quite certain that God had the foreknowledge to create our bodies to thrive on numerous types of foods. It’s interesting to note that Romans 14:1-2 says:
“As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables.”
Verse 3 goes on to say…
Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.
So, of course if you feel that a vegetarian diet is right for you, then that’s fine and I will not begrudge you or anyone else for that. I can still live in harmony with my brothers and sisters in Christ who eat differently than me.
On the science end of things…I’ve not seen any solid evidence that supports the acid/alkaline theory that you referred to. Even if you do subscribe to this theory, eating vegetables with your meat would help create balance. But then… I think of some very healthy groups of people, who consumed mainly meat and meat fats, that were not plagued with many modern diseases until they were introduced to a SAD diet.
Either way, eating a diet with lots of pastured and grass-fed meats and meat fats has been great for my health. I know we’re all individuals so you may feel better on a diet that is different from the one that my body thrives on.
Hi Trisha,
Thanks for replying! 🙂 I love a healthy debate. I agree that we can live together as brothers and sisters in Christ and eat differently and still respect and love each other!
I just have to say, though, that those verses are all speaking from a spiritual matter. The Jews were commanded to eat a specific diet for religious reasons. Plus, the meat in reference was sacrificed to idols and weak Christians felt guilty about it ands were told to abstain because of the guilt. Strong Christians that knew the idols were nothing and eating it did not impact their faith could eat it without spiritual repercussions. I think that some of the reasons God gave the dietary laws was to protect the health of the people.
I had the honor to work with the leading scientist in the world who researched and taught about alkalinity, Dr. Robert O. Young. I have seen people cured of many diseases, including all types of cancers, Type 1 Diabetes and many more eating a truly alkaline diet. We are acidic by function, so eating meat doesn’t really create balance and swings the body hard toward acidity. I recommend reading pH Miracle Revised for info on it, or check out my blog for lots of upcoming info on the subject! 🙂
I’m going to chime in here a bit. So Courtney, by alkaline you mean no animal products, correct?
Hi Adrienne,
Thanks for chiming in! Vegan is certainly part of it…there are a lot of contradicting theories and opinions out there about what is actually alkalizing to the body. My blog site alabasterliving.com is brand new but it does have an alkaline food chart/guide which shows alkaline, transitional, and acidic foods. I had the very unique experience of working with the only scientist in the world (that I am aware of) that has actually done extensive – 30 years – of research on how food impacts the body and blood and which foods are factually alkalizing/acidic to the blood and body.
I find the vegan diet puzzling. I was almost completely vegan for many years and ended up in adrenal burnout. Much of what brought me out was eating animal protein again. I have done some research into longevity and it appears there is no difference b/t the 2 groups. I wonder if you’ve looked into that. Thanks :).
I had to finish short because a baby needed me 🙂 Even though eating meat of various kinds is not a sin, I still can see clearly from the Bible that not eating meat is better for our health.
~We were designed perfectly to eat vegetables, our design has not changed
~Danielle proved that eating vegetables and water was so significantly and obviously healthier than eating meat the whole army was required to eat a diet of vegetables and water and every one of them was healthier
~Once man started eating meat the life span of mankind was drastically and rapidly shortened
I have to admit I cringe when I hear Christians say that God created animals for us to eat. One of my favorite quotes is from Louis Giglio when he is talking about the size of the universe. He said that people will sometimes say when considering the size of the universe that if we are here by design that the universe is way to big for just us. To which he responds “Yes, but if the universe was created for God’s glory then it is just the right size”. I think about that quote sometimes when I think about the purpose of animals…God created animals for His glory. He charged man with the responsibility to care for them. It was the fall that led us to eventually eat them. It is His permissive will, but not His perfect will for us to eat animals.
I have no doubt that when you switched to eating only grass fed free-range meat and gave up processed foods (or whatever you gave up when switching to a more whole food and healthier diet) it was very beneficial for your health, but I also believe that if you ate a truly alkaline diet (which also happens to be vegan coincidentally) you would see even more health benefits.
I challenge anyone to the best proof available…as I said I perform live and dry blood analysis. If anyone thinks that their diet is supremely healthy, let me look at your blood. If I can not find 5 problems in the blood due to diet, I will do the session for free. If I only find 3, I will do it for 1/2 price. 🙂 Most likely, I will find more than 5 in a person consuming animal products. And to prove it further, after 1 week of alkaline diet changes, you can see changes in your very own blood if you look again! The best scientific proof, and you can prove it on your own individual body. Amazing.
oops * Daniel 🙂
Hi Courtney. I am going to let Trisha chime in here as well, but I have a few comments:
1. Daniel’s issue may not have been meat per se, but the richness of the king’s diet in other things.
2. If you mean that life shortened after the flood, it isn’t clear that it is bc of diet. I have heard that it is b/c the earth’s atmosphere changed at that time – not b/c of what foods were permitted. Again, if what you are saying is true, then the life span of vegans should be incredibly longer than those of omnivores or carnivores.
3. The design is a convoluted issue I think. God knew that we were not like animals and would not be hunting and eating animals in the same way that animals do. I think our teeth at least can eat meat perfectly well, as for the arguments I have read about our intestines, I would need you to point out more of them with valid data. I am not trying to be argumentative, but I had a vegan once give me a bunch of data that I wrote down furiously. Later I went and looked it all up and couldn’t find any of it (or most of it) to be validated so it seemed to me that it was simply a bunch of talking points that vegans like to state that are not true.
To be fair, I think that whole foodies have a few of those talking points as well and we need to all be careful that we look for the truth, state the truth, and admit when we are wrong.
I have read of plenty of healthy vegans who were in big trouble w/ their health–and when they went to eating animal products they healed. Of course if someone is coming off the SAD Diet to eating whole foods that have animal foods included they will do better.
I would be interested in what you are saying about blood. What kind of things are you looking for/at?
Again, I am not trying to be argumentative. I just want us all to be looking at data or at least good anecdotal evidence in the same fashion.
Thanks!
Thank so much for your comment and questions, and I don’t take them as argumentative at all! This is fun.
What I am aiming for is not about being vegan, really. It is about being alkaline. You can be vegan and completely acidic and never eat vegetables. Many vegans are not whole foodies at all. Vegans can eat nothing but GMO soy and corn, and tons of other acidic “foods” such as refined sugar, flour, peanuts, algae, mushrooms, vinegar, etc. It just so happens that totally alkaline also happens to be vegan. I have to confess, I am not completely vegan – I do eat some fish on occasion.
As far as biblical support, I think if we really want to be honest we can find scriptures to support almost any position we stand on. In my opinion the Bible clues us in on what is meant to be and what is healthiest, but in reality our physical health is not the focus of the Bible, it is our spiritual health. The New Testament allows to us eat what our we want – it isn’t about food, it is about the finished work of Christ and winning souls, but in God’s great kindness His word gives us insights into health and what is best for us.
I really do respect your knowledge base and when I recently found your blog it was partly what inspired me to start one. The fact that you really want facts makes you all the more credible. I agree we need solid evidence to back our claims which is why I love blood analysis so much. Here is a link to a more detailed description of what we look for. https://www.alabasterliving.com/services.html
One of the most powerful things you can see about your health, looking at your own blood. I was working for Dr. Young when I saw mine for the first time and my views on health changed forever. He spent about 30 years looking at blood, prescribing a diet and looking again the next day (on 10’s of thousands of people) and by that process has discovered what foods heal the body and which ones harm it by creating breakdown and acidity. If you can find someone near you that was trained at the pH Miracle Center and does blood analysis, it is awesome!
Thanks for the feedback 🙂
Total omnivore here 😉 I had my pH tested last week and I fell into the “optimal” slightly alkaline range (and I don’t care for many vegetables; thank goodness for homemade kale chips).
BTW, leaf lard (rendered from the fat around the kidneys and internal organs) gives the benefits without the ‘bacon-y’ flavor. It can be ordered, if you can’t find it locally. A true, but not often told fact, lard has less sat. fat than butter (for those that may need that fact).
PS: my research on Daniel and friends was that in a foreign land with a pagan king 1) they were offered many unclean/non-kosher foods and 2) they couldn’t be sure than even acceptable animals had been properly cleaned and bled, therefore vegetables were a safe choice. HTH
So interesting – your comment about Daniel. That is what I would have thought as well. Thanks!
I find that God is all incompassing usually when He says something there is both a physical and spiritual benefit. Personally and sadly if I fallowed the advice of most, even most Christains I would probably be dead. God is not interested on the outer appearance “which is fading away” but rather He looks on the heart! God could care less wether you eat meat vegetables our both! But God can not stand a rancid heart. And I just want to caution anyone who wants to live by the law because for the one who seek to live by the law must be justified by it!!! For the one who breaks even just one ittsy bittsy tiny law has broken the whole law, wow that is powerful! So you might say well I do not eat this or that. Okay, good for you! Do you practice the sabbath, are you over weight, or did you go to church today with something else on your mind beside God? Those are all forbidden by the law. But praise be to Jeaus Christ that because I believe in His name through faith there is no law and I have been justified by grace through faith, and not of my works that I could boast but it is a free gift from God, one last thought Jesus regularly did things that angered the Pharisees and keep in mind JESUS was the word and yet they were always accusing Him of not keeping the law. Like how he healed on the sabbath, or walking, or eating on the sabbath, we could talk about King David who was so bold in his faith he ate the show bread which was not worthy for him to eat. Bottom line there are many things that are much more infinetly more prescious and eternally weighty and of a higher law the argue about food, for the whole he then world runs after such things. Instead fall more I love with Jesus! Through that love the people around you so the intern will want to know Him they will not bywon over by intellectual debates, but rather radical intense love…..and my brothers and sisters is not the law summed up in these two commands Love God and love your neighbor!
And actually what we eat is very important so is how we spend…and many other things it just ?ets not major in minors ; )
I have one last thing it is funny the stance I took in this post I am a huge whole food/raw food enthusiats with animal fats and byproducts, I would rather eat my own render lard everyday of the week before cooking with an olive oil or even coconut oil that has been overly processed. And I tend to believe that sadly the day and age we live in organic is not always well, organic and even foods or oils they call raw because they have not been over heated, tend to still be lacking vital nutrients because of the way the process things. This is an area of huge passion to me because so many people are ill especially christians, and most vegans I see do not look like they are doing so well. But, there is important and then there is Important! Unfortunately both animal meat and byproducts, and produce both are not what the once were so wether your are a carnivore, or vegetarian it is hard. Our soil is extremely depleted, so it ou have to eat 6 oranges to equal one from yesteryear and the animals we eat there diets are even more depleted. That’s why I use himilyan salt a salt with 84 essential minerls and cook from a cast iron skillet. And my wife and I cook all of all our own food, by organic and PRAY LIKE WE MEAN BUSINESS. thanks for every ones time but I di not want to make it sound like these things are not important the very much are but there are “other” things that trump all.
I think I understand what you are saying. Thanks for commenting and you are right about the depletion for sure.
This is obviously a very complicated topic. I do think that God does care, however, how we eat. There are verses about gluttony and even the Westminster Catechism talks about the moderate use of food and drink. Of course, that is the amount, but I would suspect that God doesn’t want us putting junk in our bodies as they are called the temple of God. I think we have to think about the whole counsel of God and not just simplify things by saying “I just love Jesus.” I mean, it is that simple, but that complicated. Loving God means we care about his standards in all arenas of life, right?