Such a controversial subject isn’t it? It’s confusing I know when everyone seems to be on the high cholesterol calorie counting bandwagon.. well the mainstream media and lots of qualified practitioners are (I’m sure you’ve noticed). However fat is essential for your body, as I mentioned in the last post and does not (so long as it’s from a natural source) contain empty calories that will make you gain weight, in fact it will have the opposite effect.
Omega 3 fats have many essential functions within the human body which are essential for you to function properly and reach your goal weight. Some of these are listed here;
- It helps with hormone production
- It reduces inflammation (eg. joint pain)
- It helps control your insulin (blood sugar) levels.. helping you to lose unwanted body fat
Currently the levels of Omega 3 and 6’s in our diet are out of balance when you consider what our body is designed to be able to digest. (Going on what we were eating for thousands of years, pre-supermarket and mass agriculture). The levels our body is designed to digest with the ratio of omega 3:6, is 1:1. However currently the ration of 3:6 oils are approx 1:20, when considering that omega 3 reduces inflammation and omega 6 promotes it, no wonder so many people suffer from chronic pain! Ever wondered why now even doctors are recommending you take a fish oil to reduce the pain of arthritis within the joints… It’s because it works! Omega 6 is everywhere. It is in grains and its in higher levels after they have been cooked (Eg. most packaged foods you are eating from the supermarket, eg. cereal). It is also in man made oils such as margarine and temperature altered canola and vegetable oil. Stay away from these oils if you want to stay healthy.
Grains are not all bad but they much more easily digested when treated with respect and fermented (soaked at room temperature and in water with something sour, click here for more details) before eating.
Be careful when cooking with fats as all fats are temperature sensitive, in other words they have a burning point. Olive oil for example burns (and is therefore not great to use to cook with) at 165 degrees – the medium setting on most stoves. Coconut oil (which can be purchased from most health food shops) is a much safer alternative as it has a higher burning point, so it remains a good oil even after you have cooked with it. The cholesterol in it is not bad for you, see last weeks article here. Butter is even on the ‘safe to eat’ list.
So enjoy your fat, listen to your body when it comes to choosing what to eat as your stomach will tell you what you can and cannot digest.Challenge conventional (Western) wisdom… do you really think the advertisements on television are there to benefit your health? and for our true well being?
Please feel free to comment. Thanks.
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