Fat: Good, Bad or Ugly?
In a nutshell.. We can t live without the fat our body needs Fat comprises 50% of our cell membranes Fat provides fuel to every cell, tissue, gland and organ in our body Fat helps our food digest, our hearts beat,our brains think and feel. Fats are vital to every structure within the body
In a nutshell.. We can t live without the fat our body needs Fat comprises 50% of our cell membranes Fat provides fuel to every cell, tissue, gland and organ in our body Fat helps our food digest,our hearts beat,our brains think and feel. Fats are vital to every structure within the body.
Where did we go wrong?
From fabulous fats to factory fats stable stable Sally Fallon and Mary Enig: Nourishing Traditions
What happens when real fats are processed into factory fats? They move into all of the places where real fats belong brain, heart, arteries, cells, skin, reproductive organs and contribute to heart disease, cancer, inflammation, skin conditions and reproductive difficulties they are guilty of trespassing, obstruction of nutrition, fraud, and generalized mayhem The usual suspects:
In a recent survey, five popular restaurant or takeout foods were randomly selected and analyzed for their trans fat content. Trans fats were found in all of the products that were tested: Five small chicken nuggets from a fast food chicken outlet contained nearly 4 grams of trans fat. An apple danish from a donut shop contained about 2.7 grams of trans fat. Just one fillet of battered fish from a fish and chips restaurant dinner contained about 1.2 grams of trans fat -and that's not including the trans fat in the French fries. (One tablespoon of shortening contains 4.2 grams of transfat) www.bantransfats.com
So where do we get real fat? Nuts and seeds Fatty fruits like olives, avocadoes, and coconut Fatty fish Organic whole milk, cream and butter Unrefined oils
What is real fat composed of? Fatty acids Saturated fatty acids Monounsaturated fatty acids Polyunsaturated fatty acids Omega 3 fatty acids Omega 6 fatty acids Omega 9 fatty acids Omega 3 Essential fatty acids Omega 6
Which fats are fabulous?
Which fats are fabulous? Omega 3 fatty acids (ALA, EPA, DHA) found in: Flax oil Hemp oil Walnuts/Walnut Oil Fish oil Omega 6 fatty acids (GLA) found in: Borage seed oil Black current oil Evening Primrose Oil Omega 9 fatty acids found in: Olive Oil Rice Bran Oil Avocadoes Coconut Oil Raw Milk and Butter
What fabulous fats can do for you Life Extension Foundation: www.lef.org
Maintain flexible cell membranes
Reduce inflammation
Turning inflammation on Hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated, Oils, trans fatty acids Too many Omega 6 fats, not enough Omega 3 fats
Turning inflammation on
Turning inflammation on and off
Fabulous Fats Normalize blood lipids Regulate total cholesterol levels Raise HDL(good) cholesterol levels Lower triglycerides (blood fat) Lower C Reactive Protein (inflammatory marker) Lower fibrinogen (clotting factor) Normalize glucose levels (blood sugar) Thousands of studies document these effects. Diane H. Morris, PhD, RD: Flax - A Health and Nutrition Primer http://www.natureshealthypeople.com/library_flax.html
Normalize body fat Udo Erasmus: Choosing the Right Fats; Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill
Hair, Skin and Nails Weather Report: Partly Flaky with Large Scaly Patches
Enhance brain function
Moderate mood Those with severe depression registered much lower levels of Omega 3 fatty acids in their blood. Journal of Affective Disorders, Vol. 48, 1998
Provide vitamin and mineral transport to bones and other tissues Vitamin D Vitamin K Calcium
Where do I get em? Best sources are: Wild salmon or halibut Anchovies, sardines Flax, pumpkin, perilla, chia seeds Walnuts Fish oil capsules (free of mercury, dioxin, PCBs)
What next? First, throw em away! Fries Chips Donuts Supermarket desserts Margarine Shortening Crackers Anything that says partially hydrogenated on the label Supermarket oils Corn oil Soybean oil Safflower oil
What s next? Oil Change! Organic only
Will real fat make you fat? No! Adding or losing pounds is dependent on metabolic rate Good fats provide efficient energy, speeding up metabolic rate Processed carbohydrates create excess sugar in the blood, activating insulin and slowing down metabolic rate
In short fats make fabulous friends, but. Choose your friends wisely!
recommended Cod Liver Oil (Nordic Naturals, Carlson) (liquid) Omega Synergy (mixed Omegas) Designs for Health (www.designsforhealth.com) Neptune Krill Oil (Omega 3 + carotenoids) Beyond Essential Fats (liquid) ( www.naturahealthproducts.com) Flax chocolate bars (www.nutiva.com) PaleoBars with Omega 3s and coconut oil ( www.designsforhealth.com)