You all know that people tend to get excited about many things, but I have yet to meet anyone who’s thrilled about being overweight.
However, I've met people who are sick of the up and down roller coaster of so-called healthy meal plans for weight loss. Rather than dealing with more disappointments, most of these people just resign themselves to believe that being big is inevitable for them, that its part of their genetic make up.
Throw your hands in surrender after deciding to spend the rest of your life being overweight is not a realistic choice of a lifestyle. A decision like this can knock your self esteem to the ground and knock years of your life. So Come on, you owe it to yourself and your family and friends to have much more than that.
When you realise there is no magic formula for losing weight - if there were, everyone and their mother would have been fine. The best way to achieve weight loss success is to know what kind of foods to keep away from your diet.
Say "no" to processed foods
Obviously processed foods are cheap, packed with junk ingredients, convenient and easy to prepare. Sadly, these foods are generally bad for your health. Of course, you’d never know this by watching those hyped up television ads. Since processed food manufacturers aren’t going to give you the low down on the ingredients they use in processed foods, I’m going to do it for them.
Let’s start with trans fat. This nasty ingredient lowers good cholesterol, raises bad cholesterol, and can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. Considering heart disease is one of the leading killers of both men and women, trans fat is one ingredient you want to steer well clear of.
If you’re wondering where that double chin came from, the high fructose corn syrup used in some of your favorite processed foods may be partially to blame. This ingredient has been getting a lot of press lately because it is believed to be a major player in the rising obesity epidemic.
Don’t even get me started on the chemicals that manufacturer's use in processed foods. If I tried to name some of these chemicals, I’d be tongue tied for days. Anyway, you’d probably think I was reading the label on a can of insect repellant spray instead of the ingredients in your favorite fast meal.
Get rid of Sugar
The average person consumes about 150 pounds of sugar per year. When you think about the fact that sugar is in almost everything these days, it’s easy to eat tons of this stuff without even realizing it. So what’s all the fuss about? There isn’t enough time in the day for me to tell you about all the damage sugar can do to your health. However, I can give you a quick rundown.
Sugar contains nothing but empty calories. When you eat this stuff, a large portion of it gets stored in the body as fat. If your goal is to slim down, being heavy-handed with the sugar isn’t going to help. This is not even the worst of it. Sugar can also depress the immune system, feed cancer cells, cause bacterial and fungal overgrowth, contribute to heart disease, raise your risk of osteoporosis and make you look ill.
Artificial Sweeteners have to go
Before you run out and stock your fridge with a bunch of those zero-calorie diet drinks, there’s something you should know. The artificial sweeteners used in diet drinks and other low-calorie products are lab-created. Yes. You heard me right – mixed up in a lab like something out of a Frankenstein movie.
These chemical sweeteners can cause or contribute to a laundry list of neuropsychiatric disorders and chronic illnesses – depression, anxiety, migraines, mood changes, panic attacks, fatigue, vertigo, memory loss, Alzheimer’s, brain tumors – should I go on? And if you think you’re going to shed a couple of pounds using artificial sweeteners, think again. These sweeteners stimulate your appetite and make you eat more food.
When you’ve tried diet after diet and not one of them delivers results, it can certainly make you want to give up. But you owe it to yourself and to your family to live the healthiest life possible. Processed foods, sugar and artificial sweeteners are the main culprits when it comes to weight gain. When you get rid of these foods from your diet, you give yourself a fighting chance to improve your weight loss.
Sunday 27 November 2011
Wednesday 20 July 2011
Effective Whey Protein Weight Loss Support - USDA Report
ProHealth.com
July 16, 2011
Why do weight-loss results of high protein diets vary? Not all protein is created equal, according to a new, rigorously controlled Agricultural Research Service trial. Specifically, whey protein (from milk) looks like a winner in terms of weight loss & body fat-to-muscle ratio, even when calories are not reduced.
With nearly 68% of American adults either overweight or obese, finding ways to help people lose excess pounds is a national priority. Though the most obvious advice is to eat less and exercise more, this long-standing recommendation has proven unsuccessful for the lion's share of the population struggling to maintain a healthy body weight.
An alternative approach is to help people focus on consuming specific foods that promote weight loss. Some studies have suggested that high-protein foods might function in this capacity, although the data are conflicting.
Scientists speculate that there are several reasons for these inconsistencies, including the type of protein used (animal vs. plant).
A Six-Month Comparison
To better understand the relation between protein intake and weight loss, researchers with the Agricultural Research Service - the principal scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - recently conducted a rigorously-controlled human intervention trial comparing milk proteins (whey) vs. soy proteins in overweight and obese adults.
Their paper, published in the Aug 2011 issue of The Journal of Nutrition, reports Whey protein but not soy protein supplementation alters body weight and composition in free-living overweight and obese adults.
Pounds and Fat Lost Even Without Calorie Reductions
Subjects (n = 73) were relatively healthy, other than having a body mass index (BMI) between 28 and 38 kg/m2. As a point of reference, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers BMIs between 25 and 29.9 kg/m2 as signifying overweight; BMI values above this level are indicative of obesity.
For 23 weeks, participants consumed either:
• Whey (milk) protein (about 104 g protein),
• Soy protein (about 104 g protein),
• Or carbohydrate supplements.
All supplements provided 400 kcal/day. Overall dietary intake was assessed every 10 days, and sensations of satiety and hunger were monitored daily. Prior to the start of the intervention and then monthly thereafter, body weight and composition were measured; fasting blood samples were also collected.
There was no effect of dietary treatment on overall caloric intake. Similarly, dietary treatment did not influence hunger, desire to eat, or the feeling of stomach fullness.
Nonetheless, by the end of the study:
• Body weight of the group consuming the whey protein was significantly (2%) lower than that of the group consuming the carbohydrate treatment.
• Moreover, body fat mass was 2.3 kg (about 5 lb) lower in the whey protein group compared to the carbohydrate group.
These beneficial effects were not seen in subjects consuming the soy protein supplement.
Whey Protein Reduced ‘Hunger Hormone’
Consumption of the whey protein (but not soy protein) also resulted in lower circulating concentrations of ghrelin, a stomach-derived hormone thought to stimulate hunger.
Both groups consuming protein supplements exhibited lower fasting insulin concentrations when compared to that assigned to the carbohydrate treatment.
The researchers concluded that different sources of dietary protein may differentially facilitate weight loss and affect body composition.
They also suggested that dietary recommendations related to weight loss, especially those that emphasize the role of protein, consider the source of the protein in helping meet weight-loss goals.
Source: Journal of Nutrition media alert, Jul 14, 2011.
Footnote: This subject is mentioned in on of my other posts The surprising truth about protein powders.
July 16, 2011
Why do weight-loss results of high protein diets vary? Not all protein is created equal, according to a new, rigorously controlled Agricultural Research Service trial. Specifically, whey protein (from milk) looks like a winner in terms of weight loss & body fat-to-muscle ratio, even when calories are not reduced.
With nearly 68% of American adults either overweight or obese, finding ways to help people lose excess pounds is a national priority. Though the most obvious advice is to eat less and exercise more, this long-standing recommendation has proven unsuccessful for the lion's share of the population struggling to maintain a healthy body weight.
An alternative approach is to help people focus on consuming specific foods that promote weight loss. Some studies have suggested that high-protein foods might function in this capacity, although the data are conflicting.
Scientists speculate that there are several reasons for these inconsistencies, including the type of protein used (animal vs. plant).
A Six-Month Comparison
To better understand the relation between protein intake and weight loss, researchers with the Agricultural Research Service - the principal scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - recently conducted a rigorously-controlled human intervention trial comparing milk proteins (whey) vs. soy proteins in overweight and obese adults.
Their paper, published in the Aug 2011 issue of The Journal of Nutrition, reports Whey protein but not soy protein supplementation alters body weight and composition in free-living overweight and obese adults.
Pounds and Fat Lost Even Without Calorie Reductions
Subjects (n = 73) were relatively healthy, other than having a body mass index (BMI) between 28 and 38 kg/m2. As a point of reference, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers BMIs between 25 and 29.9 kg/m2 as signifying overweight; BMI values above this level are indicative of obesity.
For 23 weeks, participants consumed either:
• Whey (milk) protein (about 104 g protein),
• Soy protein (about 104 g protein),
• Or carbohydrate supplements.
All supplements provided 400 kcal/day. Overall dietary intake was assessed every 10 days, and sensations of satiety and hunger were monitored daily. Prior to the start of the intervention and then monthly thereafter, body weight and composition were measured; fasting blood samples were also collected.
There was no effect of dietary treatment on overall caloric intake. Similarly, dietary treatment did not influence hunger, desire to eat, or the feeling of stomach fullness.
Nonetheless, by the end of the study:
• Body weight of the group consuming the whey protein was significantly (2%) lower than that of the group consuming the carbohydrate treatment.
• Moreover, body fat mass was 2.3 kg (about 5 lb) lower in the whey protein group compared to the carbohydrate group.
These beneficial effects were not seen in subjects consuming the soy protein supplement.
Whey Protein Reduced ‘Hunger Hormone’
Consumption of the whey protein (but not soy protein) also resulted in lower circulating concentrations of ghrelin, a stomach-derived hormone thought to stimulate hunger.
Both groups consuming protein supplements exhibited lower fasting insulin concentrations when compared to that assigned to the carbohydrate treatment.
The researchers concluded that different sources of dietary protein may differentially facilitate weight loss and affect body composition.
They also suggested that dietary recommendations related to weight loss, especially those that emphasize the role of protein, consider the source of the protein in helping meet weight-loss goals.
Source: Journal of Nutrition media alert, Jul 14, 2011.
Footnote: This subject is mentioned in on of my other posts The surprising truth about protein powders.
Wednesday 13 July 2011
A good principle that can literally change your lifestyle
Commit yourself to lifelong learning.
You've heard the saying Read, read and when you’re done reading, read some more.
You're probably thinking by now, how could something like reading have affected my weight loss so dramatically? If I would have stopped so feverishly researching and reading all of the latest and most up to date nutritional information that I did, while I was on my own personal weight loss journey.
I would not have found all of the incredibly helpful information about fat loss that I am able to share with you today.
Actually, since those days I have never stopped continuously reading and researching because there is always new nutrition information becoming available every day.
Some of it may be good, some may be bad, but I have made it a lifelong commitment to help as many people as possible to change the direction of their health, and their weight and in order to do that, I have to keep up with all the latest and most up to date information.
Now I know with so much information out there, it can sometimes become overwhelming. That’s why I focus my reading efforts on a few trusted sources that I really enjoy and know are just as passionate about nutrition as I am.
One of those trusted authors is my good friend Mike Geary, he is author of the popular The Truth About Abs program. I think most of you would agree that his articles are jam packed full of useful information and tips (not to mention tons of delicious recipes that are perfect for our healthy way of eating).
Today I want to share with you 2 of those great articles. The first is a definite “eye opener” and an article that may completely change the way you look at fat loss.
Excess Abdominal Fat is Extremely Dangerous –
Details Here
The second is a delicious chocolate pudding recipe that I’ve made several times and have passed on the recipe to family members and friends.
Healthy Chocolate Pudding – Recipe Here
You've heard the saying Read, read and when you’re done reading, read some more.
You're probably thinking by now, how could something like reading have affected my weight loss so dramatically? If I would have stopped so feverishly researching and reading all of the latest and most up to date nutritional information that I did, while I was on my own personal weight loss journey.
I would not have found all of the incredibly helpful information about fat loss that I am able to share with you today.
Actually, since those days I have never stopped continuously reading and researching because there is always new nutrition information becoming available every day.
Some of it may be good, some may be bad, but I have made it a lifelong commitment to help as many people as possible to change the direction of their health, and their weight and in order to do that, I have to keep up with all the latest and most up to date information.
Now I know with so much information out there, it can sometimes become overwhelming. That’s why I focus my reading efforts on a few trusted sources that I really enjoy and know are just as passionate about nutrition as I am.
One of those trusted authors is my good friend Mike Geary, he is author of the popular The Truth About Abs program. I think most of you would agree that his articles are jam packed full of useful information and tips (not to mention tons of delicious recipes that are perfect for our healthy way of eating).
Today I want to share with you 2 of those great articles. The first is a definite “eye opener” and an article that may completely change the way you look at fat loss.
Excess Abdominal Fat is Extremely Dangerous –
Details Here
The second is a delicious chocolate pudding recipe that I’ve made several times and have passed on the recipe to family members and friends.
Healthy Chocolate Pudding – Recipe Here
Tuesday 12 April 2011
3 Recipe Tips...make any meal a fat burning meal
Here is a message that my good friend Isabel sent me a few days ago. Its about really good alternative to three common cooking issues.
I’ve got 3 quick and easy tips that I use almost daily to make any recipe into a healthy and fat burning meal. You see, many times the recipes I find and want to try are not exactly as I would like them, so they take a bit of tweaking from me in order to get them to contain only healthy ingredients and still taste great.
Here are the 3 most common issues I run into when trying out new recipes:
The cooking oil is a BAD choice. I hate to ever call any food “bad”, but there are many oils which I stay away from at all costs. Oils like canola oil and vegetable oil are really just toxic to your body and can be extremely detrimental to your health and weight loss efforts (please refer back to the FATS chapter of your manual for a more detailed discussion of healthy oils). I always replace the canola oil and /or vegetable oil in any recipe with coconut oil or butter to cook with.
First, take a look at the ingredients list and decide which oil would be a better fit for that particular recipe. I use coconut oil to cook stir fries, eggs and most meats and use butter to cook veggies and for any recipe that contains a grain (quinoa, rice or millet recipes). I don’t usually use olive oil to cook with unless I am cooking at a very low temperature (the lowest setting on my stove top) because olive oil’s healthy properties are better maintained if it is not heated.
Coconut oil and butter are always better to cook with.
If the recipe calls for breadcrumbs. Most breadcrumbs are made from processed white bread and contain high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils (yes, in bread crumbs!) I choose to make my own from Ezekiel bread, rice bread or spelt bread. I place 10 pieces of bread in a 250 degree Farenheit oven. You’ll get the best results if you put the bread right on the oven racks. Leave them in the oven for approximately 30 minutes until they’re golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool. Once cooled, place all the bread in a food processor until fine. Then you can add any seasoning you like and have fresh, delicious bread crumbs that you can use in any recipe.
The recipe calls for milk. This one is an easy solution... I always use coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk. Coconut milk is my favorite and I’ve used it in mashed potatoes, smoothies, and in baking, all with great success. Making your own coconut milk is best, but I buy canned coconut milk, since the ones in the refrigerator section all contain a long list of ingredients I can’t pronounce. Make sure the ingredients list on your coconut milk is as short as possible and the first 2 ingredients are organic coconut milk and water (no sugar or preservatives added).
Those 3 tips seem to help me the most often and have helped me modify some really incredible recipes that my family really loves.
As I mentioned yesterday, I did get my hands on, what I think, is a wonderful series of cookbooks that are a perfect complement to your healthy weight loss meal plans. It’s not very often that I get a cookbook that is almost 100% aligned with my own healthy way of eating, so when I do, I love to share that information with you.
Check them out here ---> Click Here! - The Metabolic Cookbooks
Here is a post we received from a satisfied reader who is also loving Dave Ruel's cookbooks as much as I am.
"After a quick look through the various files that downloaded, I am impressed. First, let me say that Isabelle has promised to send us with a copy of the receipt for the books, a help sheet to modify this and other cookbooks so that they more closely hit the DSP guidelines. We will need it if we have any doubts about what parts of the recipes don't meet the mark. Other than that (and it is not a problem with Isabel's "fix"), the books look good to me.
I want to try several recipes immediately. What I really love is the navigation within the cookbooks. Its So EASY! Just Click on the page number or the title in the Table of Contents and you are then transported to the recipe. Click at the bottom of the ingredients list and you're taken right back to the Table of Contents. Macronutrients are always listed (a great BIG plus for all those who like to know exactly what we are putting on our plates), and the recipes can actually be chosen from the Table of Contents with just the combination of macronutrients you are looking for. Want a protein and carb combination? It is in the ToC under that category!
Well organized and easy navigation. Also, it appears that each recipe will print out on a single page. I never like a printout to go to the second page when I am cooking from it (too easy to miss something important on the second page the second or third time I do a read through while executing the directions).
There are several different cookbooks; e.g., Breakfast, Sides, Red Meat, etc. I plan on using them and from what I could tell by the reading of them, I also plan to enjoy the tasty meals I will cook from them."
~Sharon B from Lakeland, FL
Click Here! See what Sharon is talking about with Dave’s Cookbooks here!
My friend Isabel De Los Rios who is a Certified Nutritionist and Certified Exercise Specialist is the author of The Diet Solution Program.
I’ve got 3 quick and easy tips that I use almost daily to make any recipe into a healthy and fat burning meal. You see, many times the recipes I find and want to try are not exactly as I would like them, so they take a bit of tweaking from me in order to get them to contain only healthy ingredients and still taste great.
Here are the 3 most common issues I run into when trying out new recipes:
The cooking oil is a BAD choice. I hate to ever call any food “bad”, but there are many oils which I stay away from at all costs. Oils like canola oil and vegetable oil are really just toxic to your body and can be extremely detrimental to your health and weight loss efforts (please refer back to the FATS chapter of your manual for a more detailed discussion of healthy oils). I always replace the canola oil and /or vegetable oil in any recipe with coconut oil or butter to cook with.
First, take a look at the ingredients list and decide which oil would be a better fit for that particular recipe. I use coconut oil to cook stir fries, eggs and most meats and use butter to cook veggies and for any recipe that contains a grain (quinoa, rice or millet recipes). I don’t usually use olive oil to cook with unless I am cooking at a very low temperature (the lowest setting on my stove top) because olive oil’s healthy properties are better maintained if it is not heated.
Coconut oil and butter are always better to cook with.
If the recipe calls for breadcrumbs. Most breadcrumbs are made from processed white bread and contain high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils (yes, in bread crumbs!) I choose to make my own from Ezekiel bread, rice bread or spelt bread. I place 10 pieces of bread in a 250 degree Farenheit oven. You’ll get the best results if you put the bread right on the oven racks. Leave them in the oven for approximately 30 minutes until they’re golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool. Once cooled, place all the bread in a food processor until fine. Then you can add any seasoning you like and have fresh, delicious bread crumbs that you can use in any recipe.
The recipe calls for milk. This one is an easy solution... I always use coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk. Coconut milk is my favorite and I’ve used it in mashed potatoes, smoothies, and in baking, all with great success. Making your own coconut milk is best, but I buy canned coconut milk, since the ones in the refrigerator section all contain a long list of ingredients I can’t pronounce. Make sure the ingredients list on your coconut milk is as short as possible and the first 2 ingredients are organic coconut milk and water (no sugar or preservatives added).
Those 3 tips seem to help me the most often and have helped me modify some really incredible recipes that my family really loves.
As I mentioned yesterday, I did get my hands on, what I think, is a wonderful series of cookbooks that are a perfect complement to your healthy weight loss meal plans. It’s not very often that I get a cookbook that is almost 100% aligned with my own healthy way of eating, so when I do, I love to share that information with you.
Check them out here ---> Click Here! - The Metabolic Cookbooks
Here is a post we received from a satisfied reader who is also loving Dave Ruel's cookbooks as much as I am.
"After a quick look through the various files that downloaded, I am impressed. First, let me say that Isabelle has promised to send us with a copy of the receipt for the books, a help sheet to modify this and other cookbooks so that they more closely hit the DSP guidelines. We will need it if we have any doubts about what parts of the recipes don't meet the mark. Other than that (and it is not a problem with Isabel's "fix"), the books look good to me.
I want to try several recipes immediately. What I really love is the navigation within the cookbooks. Its So EASY! Just Click on the page number or the title in the Table of Contents and you are then transported to the recipe. Click at the bottom of the ingredients list and you're taken right back to the Table of Contents. Macronutrients are always listed (a great BIG plus for all those who like to know exactly what we are putting on our plates), and the recipes can actually be chosen from the Table of Contents with just the combination of macronutrients you are looking for. Want a protein and carb combination? It is in the ToC under that category!
Well organized and easy navigation. Also, it appears that each recipe will print out on a single page. I never like a printout to go to the second page when I am cooking from it (too easy to miss something important on the second page the second or third time I do a read through while executing the directions).
There are several different cookbooks; e.g., Breakfast, Sides, Red Meat, etc. I plan on using them and from what I could tell by the reading of them, I also plan to enjoy the tasty meals I will cook from them."
~Sharon B from Lakeland, FL
Click Here! See what Sharon is talking about with Dave’s Cookbooks here!
My friend Isabel De Los Rios who is a Certified Nutritionist and Certified Exercise Specialist is the author of The Diet Solution Program.
Monday 11 April 2011
Two yummy recipes with minimal ingredients.
Food Recipes have been my hot topic of the week recently, and is one of the most favorite things I love to talk about. I really love trying new and creative ways to keep my meals fresh, delicious and interesting, and of course I enjoy passing on that information to all of you.
Today I’ve got 2 fantastic recipes for you, whose claim to fame is going to be “delicious with minimal ingredients”. The first is my all new favorite pregnancy snack (and, NO, you don’t have to be pregnant to enjoy it), and the second is a recipe I have all set to make this evening as a treat for my family.
In my search for new and creative recipes, I actually chose these two because they have very few ingredients and are super quick to put together while still being delicious (of course!).
As many of you have realized by now, I really LOVE trying new foods, and finding new ways to make meals tasty while still fitting into my healthy way of eating. I also got very much into cooking, once my son started getting older because I realize that if I want him to continue to eat healthy, it’s really up to me to make his food YUMMY. This is also true for adults who want to continue to keep a healthy way of eating…if your food tastes good, a healthy way of eating is easy to follow. If your food tastes bad, well, then you know what’s going to happen…frustration, abandonment and a possible quick trip to the closest fast food joint.
These 2 recipes came straight out of Dave Ruel’s Metabolic Cooking cookbooks. His cookbooks are really great and you’ll see below that his recipes are a great complement to our principles of healthy eating.
Without further ado, here are 2 great recipes for you to try this weekend:
Apple No-Crisp (1 of my new favorite snacks!)
INGREDIENTS - RECIPE MAKES 1 SERVING
• ¾ cup Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened apple sauce
• 1 apple, sliced or diced
• Pinch of stevia
• Pinch of cinnamon
• Pinch of nutmeg
DIRECTIONS
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, stir well and enjoy!
LEMON-HERB STUFFED SALMON
(I picked this one because it sounds delicious)
INGREDIENTS - RECIPE MAKES 2 SERVINGS
• 2 salmon fillets (4 oz each)
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• 1 scallion, sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 425F. Make a horizontal cut in the salmon fillets, for 2/3 of the fillet’s length.
2. Lay the salmon on a baking dish (I prefer a glass dish for fish).
3. Stuff the salmon (in the horizontal cut) with lemon slices.
Do the same with the scallion.
4. Mix together the two herbs and stuff them into the salmon as well.
5. Bake the fillets for 15 minutes.
Today I’ve got 2 fantastic recipes for you, whose claim to fame is going to be “delicious with minimal ingredients”. The first is my all new favorite pregnancy snack (and, NO, you don’t have to be pregnant to enjoy it), and the second is a recipe I have all set to make this evening as a treat for my family.
In my search for new and creative recipes, I actually chose these two because they have very few ingredients and are super quick to put together while still being delicious (of course!).
As many of you have realized by now, I really LOVE trying new foods, and finding new ways to make meals tasty while still fitting into my healthy way of eating. I also got very much into cooking, once my son started getting older because I realize that if I want him to continue to eat healthy, it’s really up to me to make his food YUMMY. This is also true for adults who want to continue to keep a healthy way of eating…if your food tastes good, a healthy way of eating is easy to follow. If your food tastes bad, well, then you know what’s going to happen…frustration, abandonment and a possible quick trip to the closest fast food joint.
These 2 recipes came straight out of Dave Ruel’s Metabolic Cooking cookbooks. His cookbooks are really great and you’ll see below that his recipes are a great complement to our principles of healthy eating.
Without further ado, here are 2 great recipes for you to try this weekend:
Apple No-Crisp (1 of my new favorite snacks!)
INGREDIENTS - RECIPE MAKES 1 SERVING
• ¾ cup Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened apple sauce
• 1 apple, sliced or diced
• Pinch of stevia
• Pinch of cinnamon
• Pinch of nutmeg
DIRECTIONS
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, stir well and enjoy!
LEMON-HERB STUFFED SALMON
(I picked this one because it sounds delicious)
INGREDIENTS - RECIPE MAKES 2 SERVINGS
• 2 salmon fillets (4 oz each)
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• 1 scallion, sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 425F. Make a horizontal cut in the salmon fillets, for 2/3 of the fillet’s length.
2. Lay the salmon on a baking dish (I prefer a glass dish for fish).
3. Stuff the salmon (in the horizontal cut) with lemon slices.
Do the same with the scallion.
4. Mix together the two herbs and stuff them into the salmon as well.
5. Bake the fillets for 15 minutes.
Tuesday 12 October 2010
The truth about cholesterol.
I am going to let you in on something really shocking. Cholesterol is not the major culprit in heart disease. I know this is probably hard for some of you to to believe, after all we have heard about the dangers of high cholesterol from our doctors, and the media. But sadly the reality is, it is not the cholesterol levels themselves or the cholesterol containing foods that are the culprits implicated in heart disease, it is those foods and any other thing that causes inflammation in your body, that is the major cause of heart disease (as well as diabetes and high blood pressure).
So what is cholesterol and why do we need it?
Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance found among the lipids (fats) in the bloodstream and in all your body’s cells. It’s an important part of a healthy body system because it’s used to form protective cell membranes. Cholesterol is also used in the manufacture of bile (which helps digest fats), and is also important for the metabolism of fat soluble vitamins, including vitamins A, D, E and K.
It is the major precursor agent for the synthesis of vitamin D, and of the various steroid hormones (which include cortisol and aldosterone in the adrenal glands, and the sex hormones progesterone, the various estrogens, testosterone, and derivatives ).
How could something so good be so bad?
It seems Cholesterol has been wrongly accused because, upon inspection of the arteries of someone at risk for a heart attack, levels of cholesterol and plaque build up are very high. Cholesterol is actually being transported to tissues as part of an inflammatory response that the body uses to repair damage. It will only lodge itself onto the artery and cause plaque if the artery has become damaged. Inflammation in the artery is what causes this damage. In fact, it is now known that the coronary disease that causes heart attacks is now considered to be caused mostly from chronic inflammation.
So trying to blame cholesterol for heart attacks would be the equivalent of blaming an increase in police security in a high crime area. It was not the police that caused the crime, they were just put there in response to the crimes.
A more important question to ask ourselves, is how do we decrease the amount of inflammation in our bodies so that cholesterol will not bind to our arteries in the first place?
We must decrease all of those things that we do that cause inflammation and increase things that decrease inflammation. First and foremost we must stay away from foods that cause inflammation in our bodies. All foods that causes a fast rise in blood insulin levels will quickly cause inflammation in the body. These foods (You've guessed it) are sugar, white breads, most dairy products and almost all packaged and processed foods. What does this leave us with?
Fresh, wholesome foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean animal proteins, nuts, and lots and lots of water. Also, taking in lots of omega-3 fatty acid rich foods will dramatically decrease inflammation in the body (salmon, trout, organic eggs, walnuts and oily fish such as sardines, pilchards etc).
What about your cholesterol medication?
Some of you may be thinking, it is just easier to take a pill and not have to change what I am eating. But you may want to think twice considering the side effects of statin's (cholesterol lowering drugs). The most common side effects reported are diabetes, fatigue, headaches, nausea and the most common of them all, severe muscular pains and muscular degeneration. If you remember that cholesterol is essential for the formation of cell membranes, It may seem crazy taking a drug that is drastically lowering cholesterol may be causing membrane damage in neural and muscle tissue. So many people taking statin's complain of neck, back or leg pain, new research also suggests an increased risk of cataracts.
Millions of people worldwide are now on cholesterol lowering drugs such as statin's, but the number of people suffering from heart attacks and heart disease is only increasing. Let’s take some personal responsibility for our health and truly get to the root of the problem. Managing your diet more effectively and staying away from those foods that are causing an inflammatory response in your body is your first step to decreasing your chance of heart disease and heart attacks.
So what is cholesterol and why do we need it?
Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance found among the lipids (fats) in the bloodstream and in all your body’s cells. It’s an important part of a healthy body system because it’s used to form protective cell membranes. Cholesterol is also used in the manufacture of bile (which helps digest fats), and is also important for the metabolism of fat soluble vitamins, including vitamins A, D, E and K.
It is the major precursor agent for the synthesis of vitamin D, and of the various steroid hormones (which include cortisol and aldosterone in the adrenal glands, and the sex hormones progesterone, the various estrogens, testosterone, and derivatives ).
How could something so good be so bad?
It seems Cholesterol has been wrongly accused because, upon inspection of the arteries of someone at risk for a heart attack, levels of cholesterol and plaque build up are very high. Cholesterol is actually being transported to tissues as part of an inflammatory response that the body uses to repair damage. It will only lodge itself onto the artery and cause plaque if the artery has become damaged. Inflammation in the artery is what causes this damage. In fact, it is now known that the coronary disease that causes heart attacks is now considered to be caused mostly from chronic inflammation.
So trying to blame cholesterol for heart attacks would be the equivalent of blaming an increase in police security in a high crime area. It was not the police that caused the crime, they were just put there in response to the crimes.
A more important question to ask ourselves, is how do we decrease the amount of inflammation in our bodies so that cholesterol will not bind to our arteries in the first place?
We must decrease all of those things that we do that cause inflammation and increase things that decrease inflammation. First and foremost we must stay away from foods that cause inflammation in our bodies. All foods that causes a fast rise in blood insulin levels will quickly cause inflammation in the body. These foods (You've guessed it) are sugar, white breads, most dairy products and almost all packaged and processed foods. What does this leave us with?
Fresh, wholesome foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean animal proteins, nuts, and lots and lots of water. Also, taking in lots of omega-3 fatty acid rich foods will dramatically decrease inflammation in the body (salmon, trout, organic eggs, walnuts and oily fish such as sardines, pilchards etc).
What about your cholesterol medication?
Some of you may be thinking, it is just easier to take a pill and not have to change what I am eating. But you may want to think twice considering the side effects of statin's (cholesterol lowering drugs). The most common side effects reported are diabetes, fatigue, headaches, nausea and the most common of them all, severe muscular pains and muscular degeneration. If you remember that cholesterol is essential for the formation of cell membranes, It may seem crazy taking a drug that is drastically lowering cholesterol may be causing membrane damage in neural and muscle tissue. So many people taking statin's complain of neck, back or leg pain, new research also suggests an increased risk of cataracts.
Millions of people worldwide are now on cholesterol lowering drugs such as statin's, but the number of people suffering from heart attacks and heart disease is only increasing. Let’s take some personal responsibility for our health and truly get to the root of the problem. Managing your diet more effectively and staying away from those foods that are causing an inflammatory response in your body is your first step to decreasing your chance of heart disease and heart attacks.
Tuesday 6 April 2010
The Simple Truth about Dietary and Saturated Fats in todays diets.
You've been deceived into thinking that saturated fats are bad for you, but let's look at some facts below...
Post is based around an article by a friend.
Mike Geary
I’ll preface this article by saying that it will help if you have an open mind and accept that some of these facts are a slap in the face to the concept of politically correct nutrition in this day and age where fats are admonished by many doctors, health "experts", and the mass media.
To start, eating an adequate supply of healthy dietary fats is vitally important to your overall health. Fats are one of the main components in all of the cell membranes throughout your entire body. If you eat enough healthy natural fats, your cellular processes will proceed normally.
On the other hand, if you eat man-made, heavily processed, chemically altered fats (damaged fats) that are found in most processed foods, your cellular function will be impaired as these damaged fats become part of your cell membranes, the body will have to work harder to operate correctly, and degenerative diseases can develop.
In addition, healthy dietary fats are necessary for optimal hormone production and balance within the body and are therefore essential for the muscle building and fat burning processes. Other important functions that dietary fats play in a healthy body are aiding vitamin and mineral utilization, enzyme regulation, energy, etc.
I cringe every time I hear these so called "health experts" recommend restriction of dietary fat, claiming that a low-fat diet is the key to good health, weight loss, and prevention of degenerative diseases. Restriction of any one macronutrient (protein, carbs, or fat) in your diet works against what your body needs and can only lead to problems.
All three basic macronutrients serve important functions for a lean, healthy, and disease-free body. As Dr. Mary Enig, Ph.D, one of the leading fats researchers in the world, notes in several of her books and articles, there is very little true scientific evidence supporting the assertion that a high fat diet is bad for us.
For example, if these so called "health experts" who hate fat are correct, and a low-fat diet is the solution to good health, then why did traditional Pacific Islanders who typically obtained 2/3 to 3/4 of their total daily calories from fat (mostly from coconut fat), remain virtually free from heart disease, obesity, and other modern degenerative diseases (that is, until Western dietary influences invaded)?
Also, why did traditional Eskimo populations, consuming up to 75% of their total caloric intake from fat (mostly from whale blubber, seal fat, organ meats, and cold water fish), display superior health and longevity without heart disease or obesity?
Why did members of the Masai tribe in Africa remain free from degenerative diseases and maintain low body fat percentages on diets consisting of large quantities of raw whole milk, blood, and meat? What about the Samburu tribe of Africa, which eats an average of 5 times the quantity of dietary fat (mostly from raw whole milk and meat) as overweight, disease-ridden Americans, yet Samburu members are lean, healthy, and free of degenerative diseases? What about traditional Mediterranean diets, which are known to be very high in fat in some cases (sometimes up to 50-70% fat), and are also well known to be very healthy?
These examples of high fat diets and the associated excellent health of traditional populations around the world go on and on, yet it seems that many doctors, nutritionists, and media outlets still ignore these facts and continue to promote a diet that restricts fat intake.
Well, I suppose the problem is that the good fats (the natural unprocessed health promoting fats) have gotten mistakenly lumped together in nutritional advice with the deadly processed fats and oils that make up a large percentage of almost all processed food that is sold at your local grocery store, restaurant, deli, fast food joint, etc.
These deadly processed fats are literally everywhere and almost impossible to avoid unless you know what to look for and make smart choices in what you feed your body with. In essense all fats have become unhealthy in the minds of so many people.
Please note that I’m not recommending following a super high fat diet. Active individuals that exercise on a regular basis certainly also need adequate supplies of healthy carbohydrates for energy and muscle glycogen replenishment as well as good sources of protein for muscle repair.
The above examples of the high fat diets of traditional populations and their corresponding excellent health were simply to prove the point that you don’t need to be afraid of dietary fats as long as you make healthy natural choices and stay within your daily calorie range to maintain or lose weight (depending on your goals).
Following is a list of some of the healthiest fatty foods (some will surprise you!) as well as some of the deadliest fatty foods to try to avoid at all costs:
The Healthy Fatty Food Choices:
* Coconut fat: Coconut fat is approximately 92% saturated fat, yet surprisingly to most people, is considered a very healthy natural fat. The health benefits of coconut fat lie in its composition of approximately 65% medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). Specifically, about 50% of coconut fat is a MCT called lauric acid, which has very potent anti-microbial and anti fungal properties helping to enhance the immune system. Also, MCTs are more easily utilized for immediate energy instead of being stored as body fat. Coconut oil is also an excellent cooking oil for stir-frying, etc. since saturated fats are much more stable and do not oxidize like polyunsaturated oils when exposed to heat and light, which creates damaging free radicals. The best sources of healthy coconut fat are organic coconut milk, virgin coconut oil (available at http://coconut-info.com), or fresh coconut.
* Extra virgin olive oil: Olive oil is approximately 71% monounsaturated, 16% saturated, and 13% polyunsaturated. Choose “extra virgin” olive oil, which comes from the first pressing of the olives and has higher quantities of antioxidants. Unlike most other oils on supermarket shelves, extra virgin olive oil is not extracted with the use of harmful industrial solvents and is one of your healthiest choices for liquid oils.
Try making your own salad dressing by mixing a small amount of olive oil with vinegar. This is healthier than most store bought salad dressings, which are usually made with highly processed and refined (chemically damaged) soybean oil extracted with industrial solvents.
* Dark, bittersweet chocolate (70% cocoa): The cocoa bean is a very concentrated source of antioxidants and responsible for part of the health benefit of dark chocolate. The fat portion of the cocoa bean (cocoa butter) is a healthy natural fat, composed of approximately 59% saturated fat (mostly healthy stearic acid), 38% monounsaturated fat, and 3% polyunsaturated fat. I’ll limit the description of healthy chocolate to ONLY dark bittersweet chocolate with >70% cocoa content.
Most milk chocolates are only about 30% cocoa, and even most dark chocolates are only about 55% cocoa, leaving the remainder of those products composed of high amounts of sugar, milk fat, corn sweeteners, etc. Look for a quality dark chocolate that lists its cocoa content like Chocolove Extra Dark (77%) or Dagoba New Moon (74%), which contain mostly cocoa and very little sugar. Keep in mind that although dark chocolate can be a healthy treat, it is still calorie dense, so keeping it to just a square or two is a good idea.
* Avocados or guacamole: The fat in avocados (depending on where they’re grown) is approximately 60% monounsaturated, 25% saturated, and 15% polyunsaturated. Avocados are a very healthy natural food that provides many nutrients, fiber, and healthful fats, while adding a rich flavor to any meal. Try sliced avocado on sandwiches or in salads or use guacamole in wraps, sandwiches, or quesadillas.
* High fat fish such as wild salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, trout, etc.: Just about any fish or seafood are good sources of natural omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, but the higher fat fish listed above are the best sources of omega 3. Due to the radical switch to a higher proportion of omega-6 polyunsaturated fats like soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, etc. in our food supply during the middle of the 20th century, the average western diet is currently way too high in omega 6 compared to omega-3, which wreaks havoc in your body and your child's brain development. This is where good omega-3 sources like high fat fish, walnuts, and flax seeds can help bring you back to a better ratio of omega-6 / omega-3.
* Nuts (any and all - walnuts, almonds, peanuts, cashews, macadamias, etc.): Nuts are great sources of healthy unprocessed fats as well as minerals and other trace nutrients. Macadamias, almonds, and cashews are great sources of monounsaturated fats, while walnuts are a good source of unprocessed polyunsaturated fats (including omega-3’s). Try to avoid nuts that are cooked in oil. Instead, choose raw or dry roasted nuts.
* Seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds): All of these seeds are great sources of natural unprocessed healthy fats. In particular, flax seeds have received a lot of attention lately due to their high omega-3 content. However, keep in mind that omega-3 polyunsaturated fats are highly reactive to heat and light, and prone to oxidation and free radical production. Therefore, freshly ground flax seed is the only way to go. Instead of using the store bought ground flax seed, you can buy whole flax seed and use one of those miniature coffee grinders to grind your own flax seed. Try grinding fresh flax seed into your yogurt, cereal, or even your salad. If you’re using a flax oil, make sure it’s a cold-pressed oil in a light-proof refrigerated container, and use it up within a few weeks to prevent it from going rancid. NEVER cook with flax oil!
* The fat in organically raised, free-range animals: This is where most people have been misinformed by the mass media. Animal fat is inherently good for us, that is, if it came from a healthy animal. Human beings have thrived on animal fats for thousands of years. The problem is, most mass produced animal products today do not come from healthy animals. They come from animals given loads of antibiotics and fattened up with hormones and fed un-natural feed. The solution is to choose organically raised, free-range meats, eggs, and dairy. At this time, the price is still a little higher, but as demand grows, the prices will come down. I've found an incredible website that actually offers free-range grass-fed meats delivered right to your doorstep at very reasonable prices. Believe me, it's very hard to find grass fed meats at any grocery stores, so I was pleased to find this site.
Now The Deadly Fatty Foods:
* Hydrogenated oils (trans fats): These are industrially produced chemically altered oils subjected to extremely high pressure and temperature, with added industrial solvents such as hexane for extraction, and have a metal catalyst added to promote the artificial hydrogenation, followed by bleaching and deodorizing agents…..and somehow the FDA and most countries food standards agencies still allow this crap to pass as food. These oils aren’t even worthy of your lawnmower engine, much less your body! They’ve been linked to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and more. Even small quantities have been shown in studies to be dangerous. If you care about your health, check the ingredients of everything you buy, and if you see partially hydrogenated oils of any kind, margarine, or shortening, protect yourself and your family by choosing something else.
* Refined oils: Even if the oils are not hydrogenated, most oils on your supermarket shelves are refined, even most of the so called “healthy” canola oils. Most refined oils still undergo the high temperature, high pressure, solvent extraction, bleaching, and deodorizing processes. Anything labeled cooking oil, vegetable oil, soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, and even many canola oils have been damaged by this refining process (unless they say "virgin" or "cold expeller pressed"). This damages the natural structure of the fats, destroys natural antioxidants, creates free radicals, and produces a generally unhealthy product. Take note that the explosion of heart disease in the middle of the 20th century coincides quite nicely with the rapid increase in the use of hydrogenated and refined oils in the food supply.
* Anything deep fried: includes the following: potato chips, french fries, donuts, fried chicken, chicken nuggets, etc. All of this crap shouldn't even pass as real food.
* Homogenized milk fat - Milk fat is a very healthy fat in its natural raw state. Its evolved to feed Calves. Milk and beef from grass fed organically raised cows is known to have higher quantities of healthy fats like conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and omega-3 fatty acids compared with grain fed cows. Traditional populations around the world have thrived in perfect health while consuming huge quantities of raw, non-pasteurized, non-homogenized, full fat dairy products. Once again, food processing ruins a good thing by pasteurizing and homogenizing milk fat, rendering it potentially dangerous inside the human body. Unfortunately, you will find it almost impossible to find raw milk in the US or the UK unless you personally know a farmer.
Check out www.realmilk.com for more info on the benefits of raw milk and to find out if it’s available near you. As an alternative, cultured dairy products like yogurt and especially kefir have at least had beneficial microorganisms added back to them making them better for you. Realistically, since you probably won’t find raw milk, sticking to skim milk is the best option to avoid the homogenized milk fat. If you use butter for cooking, your best option is grass-fed butter.
I hope this article has helped to shed some light on the truth about dietary fats and made you realize their importance in a healthy diet.
A fully comprehensive analysis on dietary protein, carbohydrates, and fat, and how to compile all of this information into a diet that promotes a lean healthy body with a low body fat percentage is provided in my book “The Truth About Six Pack Abs”. Give it a try and you won’t be disappointed!
Post is based around an article by a friend.
Mike Geary
I’ll preface this article by saying that it will help if you have an open mind and accept that some of these facts are a slap in the face to the concept of politically correct nutrition in this day and age where fats are admonished by many doctors, health "experts", and the mass media.
To start, eating an adequate supply of healthy dietary fats is vitally important to your overall health. Fats are one of the main components in all of the cell membranes throughout your entire body. If you eat enough healthy natural fats, your cellular processes will proceed normally.
On the other hand, if you eat man-made, heavily processed, chemically altered fats (damaged fats) that are found in most processed foods, your cellular function will be impaired as these damaged fats become part of your cell membranes, the body will have to work harder to operate correctly, and degenerative diseases can develop.
In addition, healthy dietary fats are necessary for optimal hormone production and balance within the body and are therefore essential for the muscle building and fat burning processes. Other important functions that dietary fats play in a healthy body are aiding vitamin and mineral utilization, enzyme regulation, energy, etc.
I cringe every time I hear these so called "health experts" recommend restriction of dietary fat, claiming that a low-fat diet is the key to good health, weight loss, and prevention of degenerative diseases. Restriction of any one macronutrient (protein, carbs, or fat) in your diet works against what your body needs and can only lead to problems.
All three basic macronutrients serve important functions for a lean, healthy, and disease-free body. As Dr. Mary Enig, Ph.D, one of the leading fats researchers in the world, notes in several of her books and articles, there is very little true scientific evidence supporting the assertion that a high fat diet is bad for us.
For example, if these so called "health experts" who hate fat are correct, and a low-fat diet is the solution to good health, then why did traditional Pacific Islanders who typically obtained 2/3 to 3/4 of their total daily calories from fat (mostly from coconut fat), remain virtually free from heart disease, obesity, and other modern degenerative diseases (that is, until Western dietary influences invaded)?
Also, why did traditional Eskimo populations, consuming up to 75% of their total caloric intake from fat (mostly from whale blubber, seal fat, organ meats, and cold water fish), display superior health and longevity without heart disease or obesity?
Why did members of the Masai tribe in Africa remain free from degenerative diseases and maintain low body fat percentages on diets consisting of large quantities of raw whole milk, blood, and meat? What about the Samburu tribe of Africa, which eats an average of 5 times the quantity of dietary fat (mostly from raw whole milk and meat) as overweight, disease-ridden Americans, yet Samburu members are lean, healthy, and free of degenerative diseases? What about traditional Mediterranean diets, which are known to be very high in fat in some cases (sometimes up to 50-70% fat), and are also well known to be very healthy?
These examples of high fat diets and the associated excellent health of traditional populations around the world go on and on, yet it seems that many doctors, nutritionists, and media outlets still ignore these facts and continue to promote a diet that restricts fat intake.
Well, I suppose the problem is that the good fats (the natural unprocessed health promoting fats) have gotten mistakenly lumped together in nutritional advice with the deadly processed fats and oils that make up a large percentage of almost all processed food that is sold at your local grocery store, restaurant, deli, fast food joint, etc.
These deadly processed fats are literally everywhere and almost impossible to avoid unless you know what to look for and make smart choices in what you feed your body with. In essense all fats have become unhealthy in the minds of so many people.
Please note that I’m not recommending following a super high fat diet. Active individuals that exercise on a regular basis certainly also need adequate supplies of healthy carbohydrates for energy and muscle glycogen replenishment as well as good sources of protein for muscle repair.
The above examples of the high fat diets of traditional populations and their corresponding excellent health were simply to prove the point that you don’t need to be afraid of dietary fats as long as you make healthy natural choices and stay within your daily calorie range to maintain or lose weight (depending on your goals).
Following is a list of some of the healthiest fatty foods (some will surprise you!) as well as some of the deadliest fatty foods to try to avoid at all costs:
The Healthy Fatty Food Choices:
* Coconut fat: Coconut fat is approximately 92% saturated fat, yet surprisingly to most people, is considered a very healthy natural fat. The health benefits of coconut fat lie in its composition of approximately 65% medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). Specifically, about 50% of coconut fat is a MCT called lauric acid, which has very potent anti-microbial and anti fungal properties helping to enhance the immune system. Also, MCTs are more easily utilized for immediate energy instead of being stored as body fat. Coconut oil is also an excellent cooking oil for stir-frying, etc. since saturated fats are much more stable and do not oxidize like polyunsaturated oils when exposed to heat and light, which creates damaging free radicals. The best sources of healthy coconut fat are organic coconut milk, virgin coconut oil (available at http://coconut-info.com), or fresh coconut.
* Extra virgin olive oil: Olive oil is approximately 71% monounsaturated, 16% saturated, and 13% polyunsaturated. Choose “extra virgin” olive oil, which comes from the first pressing of the olives and has higher quantities of antioxidants. Unlike most other oils on supermarket shelves, extra virgin olive oil is not extracted with the use of harmful industrial solvents and is one of your healthiest choices for liquid oils.
Try making your own salad dressing by mixing a small amount of olive oil with vinegar. This is healthier than most store bought salad dressings, which are usually made with highly processed and refined (chemically damaged) soybean oil extracted with industrial solvents.
* Dark, bittersweet chocolate (70% cocoa): The cocoa bean is a very concentrated source of antioxidants and responsible for part of the health benefit of dark chocolate. The fat portion of the cocoa bean (cocoa butter) is a healthy natural fat, composed of approximately 59% saturated fat (mostly healthy stearic acid), 38% monounsaturated fat, and 3% polyunsaturated fat. I’ll limit the description of healthy chocolate to ONLY dark bittersweet chocolate with >70% cocoa content.
Most milk chocolates are only about 30% cocoa, and even most dark chocolates are only about 55% cocoa, leaving the remainder of those products composed of high amounts of sugar, milk fat, corn sweeteners, etc. Look for a quality dark chocolate that lists its cocoa content like Chocolove Extra Dark (77%) or Dagoba New Moon (74%), which contain mostly cocoa and very little sugar. Keep in mind that although dark chocolate can be a healthy treat, it is still calorie dense, so keeping it to just a square or two is a good idea.
* Avocados or guacamole: The fat in avocados (depending on where they’re grown) is approximately 60% monounsaturated, 25% saturated, and 15% polyunsaturated. Avocados are a very healthy natural food that provides many nutrients, fiber, and healthful fats, while adding a rich flavor to any meal. Try sliced avocado on sandwiches or in salads or use guacamole in wraps, sandwiches, or quesadillas.
* High fat fish such as wild salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, trout, etc.: Just about any fish or seafood are good sources of natural omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, but the higher fat fish listed above are the best sources of omega 3. Due to the radical switch to a higher proportion of omega-6 polyunsaturated fats like soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, etc. in our food supply during the middle of the 20th century, the average western diet is currently way too high in omega 6 compared to omega-3, which wreaks havoc in your body and your child's brain development. This is where good omega-3 sources like high fat fish, walnuts, and flax seeds can help bring you back to a better ratio of omega-6 / omega-3.
* Nuts (any and all - walnuts, almonds, peanuts, cashews, macadamias, etc.): Nuts are great sources of healthy unprocessed fats as well as minerals and other trace nutrients. Macadamias, almonds, and cashews are great sources of monounsaturated fats, while walnuts are a good source of unprocessed polyunsaturated fats (including omega-3’s). Try to avoid nuts that are cooked in oil. Instead, choose raw or dry roasted nuts.
* Seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds): All of these seeds are great sources of natural unprocessed healthy fats. In particular, flax seeds have received a lot of attention lately due to their high omega-3 content. However, keep in mind that omega-3 polyunsaturated fats are highly reactive to heat and light, and prone to oxidation and free radical production. Therefore, freshly ground flax seed is the only way to go. Instead of using the store bought ground flax seed, you can buy whole flax seed and use one of those miniature coffee grinders to grind your own flax seed. Try grinding fresh flax seed into your yogurt, cereal, or even your salad. If you’re using a flax oil, make sure it’s a cold-pressed oil in a light-proof refrigerated container, and use it up within a few weeks to prevent it from going rancid. NEVER cook with flax oil!
* The fat in organically raised, free-range animals: This is where most people have been misinformed by the mass media. Animal fat is inherently good for us, that is, if it came from a healthy animal. Human beings have thrived on animal fats for thousands of years. The problem is, most mass produced animal products today do not come from healthy animals. They come from animals given loads of antibiotics and fattened up with hormones and fed un-natural feed. The solution is to choose organically raised, free-range meats, eggs, and dairy. At this time, the price is still a little higher, but as demand grows, the prices will come down. I've found an incredible website that actually offers free-range grass-fed meats delivered right to your doorstep at very reasonable prices. Believe me, it's very hard to find grass fed meats at any grocery stores, so I was pleased to find this site.
Now The Deadly Fatty Foods:
* Hydrogenated oils (trans fats): These are industrially produced chemically altered oils subjected to extremely high pressure and temperature, with added industrial solvents such as hexane for extraction, and have a metal catalyst added to promote the artificial hydrogenation, followed by bleaching and deodorizing agents…..and somehow the FDA and most countries food standards agencies still allow this crap to pass as food. These oils aren’t even worthy of your lawnmower engine, much less your body! They’ve been linked to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and more. Even small quantities have been shown in studies to be dangerous. If you care about your health, check the ingredients of everything you buy, and if you see partially hydrogenated oils of any kind, margarine, or shortening, protect yourself and your family by choosing something else.
* Refined oils: Even if the oils are not hydrogenated, most oils on your supermarket shelves are refined, even most of the so called “healthy” canola oils. Most refined oils still undergo the high temperature, high pressure, solvent extraction, bleaching, and deodorizing processes. Anything labeled cooking oil, vegetable oil, soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, and even many canola oils have been damaged by this refining process (unless they say "virgin" or "cold expeller pressed"). This damages the natural structure of the fats, destroys natural antioxidants, creates free radicals, and produces a generally unhealthy product. Take note that the explosion of heart disease in the middle of the 20th century coincides quite nicely with the rapid increase in the use of hydrogenated and refined oils in the food supply.
* Anything deep fried: includes the following: potato chips, french fries, donuts, fried chicken, chicken nuggets, etc. All of this crap shouldn't even pass as real food.
* Homogenized milk fat - Milk fat is a very healthy fat in its natural raw state. Its evolved to feed Calves. Milk and beef from grass fed organically raised cows is known to have higher quantities of healthy fats like conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and omega-3 fatty acids compared with grain fed cows. Traditional populations around the world have thrived in perfect health while consuming huge quantities of raw, non-pasteurized, non-homogenized, full fat dairy products. Once again, food processing ruins a good thing by pasteurizing and homogenizing milk fat, rendering it potentially dangerous inside the human body. Unfortunately, you will find it almost impossible to find raw milk in the US or the UK unless you personally know a farmer.
Check out www.realmilk.com for more info on the benefits of raw milk and to find out if it’s available near you. As an alternative, cultured dairy products like yogurt and especially kefir have at least had beneficial microorganisms added back to them making them better for you. Realistically, since you probably won’t find raw milk, sticking to skim milk is the best option to avoid the homogenized milk fat. If you use butter for cooking, your best option is grass-fed butter.
I hope this article has helped to shed some light on the truth about dietary fats and made you realize their importance in a healthy diet.
A fully comprehensive analysis on dietary protein, carbohydrates, and fat, and how to compile all of this information into a diet that promotes a lean healthy body with a low body fat percentage is provided in my book “The Truth About Six Pack Abs”. Give it a try and you won’t be disappointed!
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