The forgotten fuel
For decades, we've been told that fat is the enemy. We were scared with cholesterol, with blocked arteries, with obesity. And all the while, we were being stuffed with sugar and 'healthy' cereals. Look at the result: we have never been so sick, so tired, so inflamed. At 43, I decided to stop listening to dogmas and start looking at reality. And the reality is that fat is the original fuel of human beings.
Interestingly, on my grill, fat is sacred. It is he who protects the meat, it is he who brings the flavor, it is he who nourishes. When I see a beautiful steak with its white fat, I don't see a danger, I see a reserve of clean energy. Burning fat is like burning dry wood: it heats for a long time, it produces few ashes, it's stable. Burning sugar is like burning newspaper: it makes big flames, but it goes out right away and leaves dust everywhere.
Metabolic adaptation
The transition from sugar to fat requires a transition. The body must make new factories — mitochondria — to process this new fuel. This is called adaptation. At first you may feel a little flat, that's normal. It's withdrawal. But once the machine gets going, it's a revelation. We discover an energy autonomy that we never suspected. We are no longer dependent on the next meal. We have our own reserves, and we finally know how to use them.
Beyond that is where the magic happens. The brain loves ketones, these molecules produced from fat. Mental clarity is immediate. No more fog, no more irritability linked to hunger. We become calmer, more composed. It's a feeling of quiet power that comes from within. We no longer chase energy, we embody it. It's the difference between a fire in straw and a bed of burning embers.
Fat as a protector
Fat not only nourishes, it protects. It is essential for our hormones, for our cell membranes, for the absorption of vitamins. By removing it, we have weakened ourselves. By reintegrating it, we rebuild ourselves. I choose animal fats — tallow, lard, butter — or stable vegetable fats like olive or coconut oil. I avoid industrial vegetable oils like the plague, these inflammatory poisons which have no place in a human body.
When you eat fat, you are no longer afraid of hunger. Hunger changes its nature. It is no longer a painful bite, it is just a discreet signal. You can wait. You can fast. You are free. It is this freedom that I seek, on my grill and in my life. No longer at the mercy of fluctuations in my blood sugar. Be the master of my own metabolism. This is true sovereignty.
The density of taste
Fat is taste. Without fat, food is dull, it is dry, it requires chemical tricks to be bearable. With fat, everything becomes rich, deep, satisfying. A simple piece of meat becomes a feast. We no longer need complicated sauces or excessive spices. The product speaks for itself. It's a lesson in culinary aesthetics: beauty comes from structure, not ornament.
This is how ultimately, rehabilitating fat is rehabilitating our own nature. It is accepting that we are predators, beings made for density and endurance. The grill reminds us of this every day. The flame dances on the fat, it sublimates it, it nourishes us. It's an eternal cycle, a simple truth that I try to convey with every plate I serve. Eat fat, live strong.
