The night I ate too many fries

I have a confession to make. My husband and I went out for date night a few weeks ago. We went to a new brewery in town. The brewery specializes in craft beer and “frites”, aka french fries. I looked around the restaurant and sure enough, every table was sharing a plate of “frites.”

My husband ordered the frites. I haven’t had fries since I was a kid. Knowing how much deep-fried food contributes to inflammation and weight gain, I’ve never been tempted to eat them as an adult. But for some reason, that night I couldn’t resist. “One fry won’t hurt,” I told myself. “After all, they’re deep fried in gluten-free oil.”

The frites were covered in rock salt and were oh so delicious! I couldn’t stop myself from eating them… a lot of them. I had ZERO willpower at that moment.

The next morning, I woke up with full-body pain from inflammation. I had gained 4 pounds overnight. Seriously, four pounds of inflammation! The body pain lasted a good long week. I had to ask myself:

Was eating those “frites” worth it?

Absolutely not.

The problem with eating french fries:

Deep fried fats (even gluten-free) contain linoleic acids and are one of the worst things you can eat. Linoleic acid (LA), an omega-6 fat, is by far the most damaging ingredient in the modern diet. Even worse than sugar. Eating excessive LA is a major contributor for most chronic diseases, including obesity, cancer, and heart disease.

Linoleic acid fats are found in seed oils, such as cottonseed, canola, corn, soybean, safflower, and sunflower oil. They are found in most restaurant foods (and not just the deep-fried stuff) and also in processed foods such as crackers, cookies, and cereals. This is why it’s so important to always read your labels.

How to find foods low in Linoleic Acid

But in addition to seed oils and processed foods, conventionally-grown chicken and pork contain a lot of linoleic acid because those animals are being fed high-LA containing grains. So you’ll need to watch your consumption of these foods as well. Grass fed beef is relatively low in LA, and lowest of all meats are bison and lamb. My body feels good when I eat lamb. This is due to the low LA content, which doesn’t contribute to inflammation.

Fish is another healthy choice, especially Alaskan salmon and smaller fish like wild mackerel and sardines. They provide a source of healthy omega-3 fats, and omega-3 fats are anti-inflammatory.

For good health and longevity, choose your food and fats wisely. And stay away from those frites!