The Healthy Fatty Food #7

Seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds, etc.): 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, so 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 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 Healthy Fatty Food #6

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.

The Healthy Fatty Food #5

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’s. 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’s compared to omega-3’s, which wreaks havoc in your body. 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.

The Healthy Fatty Food #4

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.

The Healthy Fatty Food #3

Dark, bittersweet chocolate (>70% cocoa content): 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 50% 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 between 70%-80%. A dark chocolate with cocoa content in this range will contain mostly cocoa and very little sugar, but still have a mildly sweet taste with a smooth and creamy texture. 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.

The Healthy Fatty Food #2

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.

The Healthy Fatty Food #1

Coconut fat (and other tropical oils): 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 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, baking, 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, or fresh coconut. Palm oil (non-hydrogenated) is another healthy tropical oil that is highly saturated. Keep in mind that most mainstream health and fitness professionals have been brainwashed to believe that tropical oils are unhealthy. So you will see other health professionals all over the place writing statements such as “avoid saturated fats at all costs” and similar. Come on now. Think about it. A large portion of our natural food supply on this planet is composed of saturated fats, substances that we humans are meant to eat and thrive on. It is only when we humans take natural food and put it through all kinds of chemical and physical processing (that it was never meant to undergo naturally), that it becomes unhealthy.

Cholesterol: Good or bad?

In today’s world, almost everything is free… not that everything has no price. It just seems that we have reached the era where we become more aware of our health onditions. Thus, it seems to be the era of everything that is -free. Try scanning every available product in your local grocery and you will see what I mean.

Your bread is bromate-free; your yoghurt is fat-free; your cooking oil is cholesterol-free; your canned soup is preservative-free; and the list goes on and on. Now you are beginning to wonder about the next -free commodity that you would encounter.

This is not exactly bad. In fact, health experts encourage us to be more sensitive about the foods we eat and the nutrients that we get from them. However, not everything that is –free is healthy. Our bodies need certain substances to be able to function well. Let us take a look at cholesterol for instance. Very simply efined,cholesterol is a fatty substance that occurs naturally in the blood, cell walls,and most body tissues. Cholesterol is made by the liver, and it enters the body via foods rich in saturated fat.

There are two types of cholesterol; these are what they termed as the good and bad cholesterol. Like the literary split personality of Jekyll and Hyde, it has a good side because it is needed for certain important body functions. But for many people, cholesterol also has an evil side. When present in excessive amounts, it can injure blood vessels, cause heart attacks, and stroke.

Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) is the "bad" cholesterol. This is the form in which cholesterol is carried into the blood and is the main cause of harmful fatty buildup in arteries. The higher the LDL cholesterol levels in the blood,the greater the heart disease risk. On the other hand, High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) is the “good” cholesterol. This "good" cholesterol carries blood cholesterol back to the liver, where it can be eliminated. HDL helps prevent a cholesterol buildup in blood vessels. Low HDL levels increase heart disease risk.

So before you go into your cholesterol deprivation program, remember that cholesterol is essential for human life. It builds and repairs cells, it is used to produce sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone, it is converted to bile acids to help you digest food and it is found in large amounts in brain and nerve tissue.

Fruits and Veggies

We have heard it once we have heard it a thousand time. 'Eat your veggies'. Most of us heard this more than anything during our childhood. All you could think of as a child was when you get older you will never eat another one again. Who needs those things anyway? I hate to break the news to you, but fruits and veggies are a very important part of our diets. You can't live without them. Oh you can, but you will either gain weight or feel like shit in the long run. Go a week without eating any, you will see what I mean. I guess the problem is, we tend to over cook veggies. We cook them to the point that they are either mush or they don't have the taste they once had. This is the worst thing that you can do to them. When you over cook a veggie, you rob of it of everything that makes it good for you. This is very foolish and a waste of money. A person should eat 5-10 servings of veggies per day. I know you have had that pounded into your head while you were at school. It sucks to learn they were actually telling the truth doesn't it?

Before you get all bent out of shape, lets talk about how big a serving really is. A medium sized fruit or veggie is one serving. A medium sized apple, carrot or banana is one serving. 5-10 of those doesn't sound too hard does it?

There are easy ways of getting the amount of veggies that you need. One is by preparing them the night before. Before you go to bed, peel and slice anything that you would want to eat the next day. This won't take much time. You might
want to invest in a peeler. They don't cost very much. You can buy them at any shop that sells cookware. Also your grocery store might have one. If you can't find it, ask one of the stock boys. They will know if they carry them. One easy way to consume more fruits and veggies is to cut them up and put them in small sandwich baggies. Cut up a variety of things and store them in the small bags. You might cut up an apple, some carrots and some celery.

Keep these on hand at work. When you have a coffee break, eat these instead of rushing over to the vending machine to get a bag of snack chips. Keep a salt shaker in your desk or in your locker at work. A little salt will bring out the natural flavor of the veggie and make them more appealing. Think of these as snacks to go. You can keep them on hand if you are going to take a long trip. You can keep them at work, in the ice box for when you get the munchies, or if you want a late night snack. Soups are a great way to get a serving of veggies. You need to watch though, some of the canned soups will have a lot of salt in them. That is the downfall of buying soups that are already prepared. If you can make your own soup, that is great. Also you will cut out any unneeded fat.

A small salad is also one serving of veggies. When you go out to eat, order a salad. Make sure that you don't load it up with bad salad dressing. Go for a oil and vinegar. If you are at a place that you can put on how much oil and vinegar you want, that is even better. Just put enough oil on your salad to counter act the acidity of the vinegar.

You need to make sure that you are getting as many fresh fruits and veggies as possible. When they are raw, they are the best for your body. Some times during the canning or freezing process, they might cook them slightly. Eat a can of raw green beans straight from the can. Compare that to a raw green bean, you will see what I mean.

I would suggest to you that you eat as many raw veggies as possible. If you must cook them, blanch them slightly. Just cook them long enough so that they starchy feeling of a raw veggie is gone. Certainly don't cook them until they are limp and colorless. That robs them from anything that is worth eating. You are eating these to be healthy, that is a choice you make. Cooking them to the point that they are worthless might be an easier way to force yourself to eat them, but your efforts are being wasted.

Here are some ways to increase your fruit and veggie consumption. For breakfast put some fruit in with your cereal. This is great, I love doing this. This gives your cereal a sweet zing without adding a bunch of sugar. Also you can drink a glass of juice along with your breakfast. Juice is a great way of 'eating' your fruit. Make sure to get juice with the pulp in it, it is also good fiber. Lunch. Eat salads. Make sure not to load them with bad dressing. Have veggie sticks along with your meal, this will also fill you up. For desert you can have a piece of fruit. This is a better desert than having a ice cream or something you will regret.

For dinner I would suggest that you try vegetarian pizza or meals based around veggies. Why not eat some fish and a plate full of greens and corn? You can mix and match things how ever you like it.

The key thing to understand is, you need to make fruits and veggies fun. If you keep it bland, you won't want to eat them. So, get a cook book or a favorite cooking site and learn how to eat your fruits and veggies. You will notice a big
difference in how you feel.

Physical Fitness Accentuates Weight Loss

Exercise is the key to a healthy body. A proper exercise benefits each and every part of our body and keeps it a healthy one forever. According to popular belief, our body should be used in totality because if they are left unused, they become defective in growth, susceptible to disease and age quickly. Physical exercise and activity is of prime importance for maintaining a healthy and ailment
free life. It helps in weight loss and keeps our body slim n trim for ages.

A regular dosage of exercises has a beneficial effect on the course and severity of many diseases apart from helping in the process of weight loss. Some of its health benefits are:

Heart benefit: Making exercise a part of our life can help in preventing the development of high blood pressure. You can control the occurrence of high cholesterol levels which are a major risk factor in heart attack and stroke by performing regular exercise.

Control of Diabetes: Weight loss helps in preventing and treating diabetes. The effective treatment of this disease is influenced by the obesity of an individual. Mild diabetes is often controlled by diet and exercise which is much preferred in the elderly rather than management by drugs. So, make exercise a part of routine life and say no to diabetes forever.

Prohibiting the occurrence of Fractures: Regular exercise helps in strengthening our bones and muscles. It keeps us away from weak and brittle bones. Regular physical exercise not only increases the muscle tone but also helps the bones to retain calcium and remain strong, reducing the incidence of fractures when we grow old.

Say no to Cancer and yes to exercise: Exercise can help you get rid off dreaded ailments such as cancer. Studies have shown that cancer of the large intestines is greater in those who are not physically active. Similarly, breast cancer and cancer of the sex organs rarely affects sportswomen therefore exercise is the best way to keep a horde of ailments at bay.

Constipation: An inclusion of routine physical exercise combined with a high fiber diet can help avoid constipation and the pain and discomfort associated with it.

Exercise promotes a general sense of well-being. While exercising, people tend to take their minds off personal and psychological problems and thus avoid anxiety and depression. It keeps them away from weight gain and obesity and helps in leading a healthy life forever.

Physical Fitness Accentuates Weight Loss

Exercise is the key to a healthy body. A proper exercise benefits each and every part of our body and keeps it a healthy one forever. According to popular belief, our body should be used in totality because if they are left unused, they become defective in growth, susceptible to disease and age quickly. Physical exercise and activity is of prime importance for maintaining a healthy and ailment
free life. It helps in weight loss and keeps our body slim n trim for ages.

A regular dosage of exercises has a beneficial effect on the course and severity of many diseases apart from helping in the process of weight loss. Some of its health benefits are:

Heart benefit: Making exercise a part of our life can help in preventing the development of high blood pressure. You can control the occurrence of high cholesterol levels which are a major risk factor in heart attack and stroke by performing regular exercise.

Control of Diabetes: Weight loss helps in preventing and treating diabetes. The effective treatment of this disease is influenced by the obesity of an individual. Mild diabetes is often controlled by diet and exercise which is much preferred in the elderly rather than management by drugs. So, make exercise a part of routine life and say no to diabetes forever.

Prohibiting the occurrence of Fractures: Regular exercise helps in strengthening our bones and muscles. It keeps us away from weak and brittle bones. Regular physical exercise not only increases the muscle tone but also helps the bones to retain calcium and remain strong, reducing the incidence of fractures when we grow old.

Say no to Cancer and yes to exercise: Exercise can help you get rid off dreaded ailments such as cancer. Studies have shown that cancer of the large intestines is greater in those who are not physically active. Similarly, breast cancer and cancer of the sex organs rarely affects sportswomen therefore exercise is the best way to keep a horde of ailments at bay.

Constipation: An inclusion of routine physical exercise combined with a high fiber diet can help avoid constipation and the pain and discomfort associated with it.

Exercise promotes a general sense of well-being. While exercising, people tend to take their minds off personal and psychological problems and thus avoid anxiety and depression. It keeps them away from weight gain and obesity and helps in leading a healthy life forever.

Fitness and Weight Loss Pointers

Who among us can truly say that they are as lean and toned as they ever want to be? Most people,even the fitness buffs, are in a constant fluctuation between their ideal body and a body that is not quite ideal. So how do we sway this struggle in our favor? Quite often the difference between thebody that you have today and the body that you wish you had is made up of simple daily decisions.
Read on for simple fitness and weight loss pointers that could very well turn the body you havetoday into a masterpiece tomorrow!

· Eating small meals every 2-3 waking hours will increase your metabolism and reduce fat storage.Make sure that these are healthy meals containing protein, carbohydrates and fat.

· The easiest way to effortlessly lose weight is to not eat three hours before bed. It has been proven that not eating three hours before bed reduces fat storage throughout the night.

· Eating a balanced diet is key in maintaining a healthy body weight. The American Council on Exercise suggests that this balance break down into 12-20% protein, 55-65% carbohydrates, and 25-30% fat.

· The average Venti sized Frappuccino weighs in at 530 calories. This staggering number equals 2.5 bagels, or one third of the recommended daily calories for an average woman. Beverages such as this contain high amounts of sugar should be consumed rarely since the extra calories they contain are readily stored as fat.

· Desserts should be eaten sparingly at an average of no more than two each week. If you have an insatiable sweet tooth, try munching on unsweetened dried fruit, or sugar free Jell-O.

· Eat a small meal and wait 20 minutes before deciding if you need more food. This will give your stomach and brain time to communicate. If have eaten enough food, your brain will alert your body and you will find that you don't desire anything more. If you are still hungry after this period, eat a small amount more and wait another 20 minutes.

· Fat free foods, when eaten in excess, will still be stored as fat! Fat free cookies and crackers are made up of a whole lot of SUGAR! Yep, the secret is out! Sugar is just as fattening of a substance
than fat itself, when eaten in excess.

Take the time to incorporate these tips into your daily lifestyle, and you will be pleasantly surprised with your results! Remember that healthy weight loss takes time, so be patient! Make an effort towards your goal everyday and don’t get discouraged!

The Most Dangerous Fat of All

Modern food processing has created unnatural kinds of fats called "trans" fats, which are made when unsaturated oils are artificially hydrogenated in order to increase stability and shelf life. Virtually all packaged foods, including cake mixes, crackers, breakfast cereals,and mayonnaise, are made with artificially hydrogenated fats. Trans fats are also created when unsaturated fats are heated to high temperatures, as in deep-fat frying. Although they are technically unsaturated fats, trans fats behave like saturated fats by clogging arteries and increasing the susceptibility of cholesterol to oxidize. When the American Heart Association advised Americans to give up butter in favor of "hearthealthy" margarine, it was sadly guiding people out of the frying pan right into the fire. The hydrogenated fats in most margarines have now been shown to be far more damaging to the heart and arteries than the naturally saturated fats in butter. Your best bet? Read labels closely. If you see the words "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated," you can be sure the product contains trans fats.

Eating Right: What You Need to Know About “Good” and “Bad” Fat

.Although many health experts are telling us that we have too much fat in our diet, the truth is that that most people are actually deficient in essential fatty acids (EFAs),especially omega-3 fatty acids.

By increasing your consumption of these vitamin-type fats, you can lower your chance of getting heart disease, reduce inflammation in your joints, enhance your immune response against cancer, and promote healthy brain function.

The point is that the types of fat you eat make a big difference in your risk of developing or dying of heart disease. Despite what you've probably been led to believe, it's not necessary to reduce fat consumption in order to reduce your risks. It is important, however, to change the KINDS of fats you eat.

In a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers concluded that replacing unhealthy fats like margarine and shortening with healthy sources of fats -- such as olive oil, avocados, nuts, and cold-water fish -- was more effective in preventing coronary disease than reducing total fat intake. Here's an easy way to remember which fats are good and which are bad, plus the best way to get the important fats you need.

* Saturated fats are those that are solid at room temperature. They are found in meat, dairy products, palm and palm-kernel oils, cocoa butter, and coconut oil. Numerous epidemiological analyses have observed that increased consumption of saturated fat is linked to increased incidences of heart disease and cancer. While some scientists (including Dr. Robert Atkins) have argued that saturated fats have been unfairly maligned for their role in the development of heart disease, most nutritionists advise that saturated
fat be kept to 10 percent or less of your total daily calories.

* Monounsaturated oils are those that are liquid at room temperature but become cloudy or solid when refrigerated. They include olive oil and canola oil and are present in avocados. Studies have shown that cultures that get the majority of their fat calories from monounsaturated fats have a lower incidence of all types of cardiovascular disease and many kinds of cancer. Health and nutrition experts now recommend that the majority of your dietary fat intake should be from monounsaturated oils.

* Polyunsaturated oils remain liquid even when chilled. They are important because they supply the essential fatty acids. The most commonly used vegetable oils, such as those made from corn, peanuts, and soybeans, are high in omega-6 EFAs. Sources of omega-3 fats include deep-sea (cold-water) fish like salmon, herring, cod, mackerel, and sardines, as well as flaxseed (also known as linseed).

Most of us get adequate omega-6 from our diet. But unless you are eating cold-water fish four or five times a week or chewing a tablespoon of raw flaxseed daily, you will most likely benefit from an additional omega-3 EFA supplement.

In the past, most people took fish-oil and flaxseed-oil supplements. Unfortunately, both of these can have digestive side effects, ranging from an unpleasant taste to noxious burping, nausea, and diarrhea. The Health Sciences Institute has recently reported, however, on a better alternative: perilla oil. We've found that perilla oil appears to be the most inexpensive and best-tolerated source of these valuable compounds. It delivers all of
the benefits of omega-3 EFAs and in some cases appears to be even more powerful than fish or flaxseed oil. Most importantly, it's free of the digestive side effects that many people suffer with the traditional sources of omega-3 fatty acids