"Fat... The Good, The Bad and The Ugly!"
by Warren Matthews
Saturated fats are natural whose molecules have not been 'bent out of shape'! I'm not kidding...the molecules of transfats are actually distorted into an unnatural configuration.
Cut out all hydrogenated fats and oils and enjoy that juicy steak.
OK, what about the unsaturated fats?
There are two types of unsaturated fats. Poly-unsaturated and mono-unsaturated.
It is generally believed that all unsaturated fats are OK, but this is not the case. Poly-unsaturated fats are
bad for your health and are consumed in excessive amounts. They should be avoided.
Polyunsaturated fats are found in safflower, corn, sunflower and ... soybean vegetable oils. They remain
liquid at room temperature. They do not have any redeeming health benefits. They are widely used because they are cheap and although they contain Omega 6 essential fatty acids most people get far too much Omega 6 which must be partially offset by Omega 3 essential fatty acids. More on that shortly!
Switch your polyunsaturated oils to mono-unsaturated.
The most common sources of mono-unsaturated fats are olive oil, rapeseed oil, hazelnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, avocado, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds.
Oils made from these foods are much more stable at high temperatures than the poly-unsaturated alternatives, and
they do not have the negative health implications. The best oil for cooking is without doubt EXTRA virgin olive
oil. I put the 'extra' in caps because it so important.
Most of the mono-unsaturated oils have been through varying degrees of processing. The more processing,
the greater is the loss of the nutrients. The best is cold mechanically pressed oils which are often processed in darkness because of the sensitivity of these oils to
light and oxidation.
Studies have shown that a quality cold pressed extra virgin olive oil will help lower the bad LDL cholesterol
and raise the good HDL cholesterol. However, ordinary virgin olive oil makes no change.
So, only use quality mono-unsaturated oils for your cooking needs.
Where do Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential
fatty acids fit into all this?
This is another subject all on its own, so I will just try and give you the outline in a nutshell!
As the name suggests Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fatty acids are just that... they are 'essential'. Many, many
ailments can be traced to a shortage of one of these ... specifically Omega 3. There are schools of thought which
believe the increasing incidence of brain disease is directly attributable to a shortage of Omega 3. I think
that is credible.
There is no shortage of Omega 6 in the typical western diet. In fact there is a general over consumption of this as it is present in most cooking oils. The problem is a deficiency of the Omega 3. The optimum ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 is 3:1. Over the last couple of
decades that ratio has got out of control where it is now estimated that the ratio is something like 20:1 or
maybe even as high as 50:1.
Start adding Omega 3 essential fatty acids into your regular diet. The best natural source is flax seeds. Go
to your local health food store and buy some ground flax seeds (preferably organic) and sprinkle a heaped
tablespoon on your food every day. You can also get omega 3 from oily fishes such as salmon. The problem there though is the difficulty of getting fish which is 100% free of contaminants.
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BIO:
Warren Matthews is Chairman of Xtend Life Natural Products, manufacturer of Omega 3/DHA Fish Oil Esters. Give your body the DHA and EPA it need in a natural form that can be easily
assimilated and free from contaminants. Omega 3/ Fish Oil Esters is available at ...
http://www.InstantEnergyBoost.com
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