Not all fats are created equally. This may be news to some based on the bad rap that fats have received over the years. However, it is imperative to make the distinction between good fats and bad fats or as author Udo Erasmus likes to say “Fats that Heal and Fats that Kill”. Even if you look at the USDA food pyramid which is designed to help us know what to eat and in what proportions lump all fats together in one big category. What a mistake. 

Let’s look at a few things that should get our brains thinking in a new way about fats. (By the way, the human brain is made up of 60% fat)

1-    The low-fat craze has been in full force since the late 70’s yet the rates of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity are higher than ever before. Logical conclusion: low-fat diets are not the answer

2-    55% of the nutrients in breast milk are fats. If fats are necessary for a developing baby and result in them growing and thriving, how can they be bad for the rest of us? Logical conclusion: fats are necessary for a healthy body at any age. 

3-    Cultures that eat a great deal more fat than we do- even saturated fat don’t suffer from the same ailments we do. For instance, some African tribes eat up to 1 full pound of saturated fat per day. Polynesian and Sri Lankan cultures eat tremendous amounts of coconut oil (very high in fat). Yet amazingly, both of these cultures have little if any heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, etc. Logical conclusion: fat is not the problem.

Take a minute to really think about these things. If common sense kicks in it should be apparent that some of the notions we have about fats could actually be incorrect. Let’s break through these myths about fat.

Myth Buster: as seen above, society has done a great job of pushing a low-fat diet as the answer to avoiding heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. However, this plan has actually caused the things it was touted as being able to prevent. Fat does not make you fat. It is the inability to burn fat that makes you fat. There are many factors involved in being unable to burn fat but many of them are dietary in nature. You may be asking “if fat doesn’t make us fat, what does?”   The answer is Sugar! It is the overabundance of sugar that is making us fat, not the fat. In the next newsletter we will tackle subject of sugar. 

Myth Buster – While it is true that bad fats do contribute to clogged arteries, scarring, and heart disease, good fats actually prevent heart disease! That’s right- the right kind of fats are preventative in nature. The good fats actually protect your organs (including your heart), keep your hormones functioning properly, boost your metabolism and fat burning ability, improve cognitive function, allow for proper cellular detoxification, etc. The list goes on and on. Remember the breast milk?

So let’s break down the list of good and bad fats. You will notice that the good fats are found in nature, unadulterated by man, and much less processed than the bad fat counterparts. It is also important to consider heat, light, and air as both can cause the fats to become damaged. 

Good Fats/Oils: Raw Nuts & Seeds, Grass Fed Beef, Fish, Eggs, Butter, Organic Dairy Products, Olives, Avocados, Coconut Products. Do Not Heat: Flax Oil, Cod Liver Oil (supplement) Hemp Seed Oil, Walnut Oil, Avocado Oil; Moderate Heat: Grapeseed Oil, Olive Oil; High Heat: Coconut Oil 

Bad Fats/Oils: Roasted Nuts & Seeds and Nut Butters, Non-organic Dairy Products, Trans Fats (margarine, synthetic butters & shortenings), Corn Oil, Vegetable Oil, Canola Oil, Cottonseed Oil, Soybean Oil, Safflower Oil, and Sunflower Oil), Hydrogenated and Partially Hydrogenated Oils.

Today’s Nutrition Tip: Coconut Products  Coconut products have acquired a very bad rap because of the high saturated fat content. However, not all saturated is fat is bad. In fact, here are some benefits that make coconut and coconut oil one of the healthiest foods you can add to your diet. ·         Contains MCFA’s (medium chain fatty acids)- these types of fats are readily usable by the human body. It is converted into quick energy and is less likely to be stored as fat & obesity. ·         Shown to support the thyroid, heart, and immune system. ·         Has antimicrobial, antibacterial, and antiviral properties!

 

 

 

For this installment, I want to focus on some common sense nutrition principles. When you look at the current state of American health, it should elicit some degree of wonder. We are the most powerful country in the world with more technology, more resources, and more enterprise than anywhere in the world. Yet we seem to be completely missing the mark on health. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) ranks the US  37^th in terms of healthcare. That is pretty pitiful.  

The typical North American diet just is not working. This is evidenced by the skyrocketing statistics of heart disease, diabetes, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and obesity (the five chronic diseases that North Americans are most likely to die from). If you look back, even as close as 100 years ago, these problems didn’t even exist. So what has gone so wrong? It is a complex question that has many different answers but when it comes to nutrition, there are some definite stand outs. Our food supply is so far removed from the way it originated that I am sometimes hard pressed to even call some of it “food”. Unfortunately, if you don’t know what you are doing, you are exposed to extreme health hazards just by eating the Standard American diet.    It is crucially important to avoid the 3 Dangers that are compromising our health:    

These three things are the landmines out there that must be avoided. The sugar and the toxins are pretty well understood but there are so many misconceptions with regards to fats that there will be a lot of focus on that throughout my newsletters. Most processed foods contain all three. Your body is an amazing thing but it cannot handle the constant onslaught of sugar, bad fats, and toxins. Eventually, it breaks down and you get sick.     

There are specific things you can do nutritionally that can absolutely change your current state and completely transform your future. The principles that work to accomplish this are not new. There are other cultures out there that are free of America’s chronic conditions. In fact, less than 100 years ago, America was one of them. It has been within the last 100 years that things have fallen apart. Look at what and how your grandparents or great grandparents ate. Much of it was fresh, unprocessed, and homemade. Families sat down at the dinner table together and took their time eating. Nothing like what we see families doing today. 

The things it takes to eat a healthy diet and keep a healthy body are not new but they are VERY DIFFERENT than what has become the norm! It does take some getting used to and that is why my focus and passion has always been on the practical tools, resources, tips, and guides to walk people through the changes. 

In addition to avoiding the 3 dangers, there are 3 Basic Changes that everyone should make, regardless of age, gender, genetic background, or medical history. 

Fat – eat more healthy fats, eliminate all bad fats. (next week, we will focus on good and bad fats)

Protein- change the quality of your proteins. When it comes to animal products, go with naturally raised vs. commercially/unnaturally raised (more on this to come)

Carbohydrates – Eat more vegetables and eliminate refined grains and sugars

Although these changes can be a challenge for many because of being so entrenched in the Standard American Diet, it can be done. It takes commitment and a willingness to change. I can tell you from experience that taking even baby steps in these directions can have dramatic results. 

Today’s Nutrition Tips:  ·         Get rid of the soda, sweet tea, and juice ·         Change from white bread and rice to whole wheat and brown rice ·         Invest in good quality meats- hormone/antibiotic free, naturally raised ·         Eliminate ALL trans-fats (don’t rely on the marketing claims! Check labels- look for hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated anything- that means trans fat! ·         Cut WAY back on sugar and high fructose corn syrup. Check labels- anything ending in –ose is also sugar. ·         Start cooking at home more!

 

 

 

 

Recently, I have co-authored a book entitled Maximized Living Nutrition Plans. It was a culmination of years of research and practice in the area of nutrition. I started by learning for myself, then applying what I have learned to my own family, and lastly sharing what works with others. I have been blessed with the amazing reward of seeing people truly change their lives through nutrition and the other essentials necessary for health (more on that to come). 

 

The biggest thing I have found in teaching people about nutrition over the years is that information is useless without the tools, resources, inspiration, and confidence needed to change. That is my true goal- to not only give people information but to also empower them with the tools they need to make lasting changes. I am happy to open the lines of communication with anyone reading this newsletter. Feel free to email me any time.

 

In these newsletters, I will do my best to break through the myths of nutrition, expose the truth about our current food supply, lay out exactly what you can and should be doing to prevent and even reverse disease, give you practical tips and recipes that can fit into your busy lives, and give you the inspiration to change. Your common sense meter should always be on and engaged in matters of health and nutrition. For instance, natural is always better than man-made, unaltered foods are always better than altered, fresh is always better than preserved, etc.

 

Unfortunately, the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) is mostly man-made, adulterated, preserved, nutrient deficient, and full of sugar, bad fats, and toxins. (These are the “Big 3” dangers we will get into in subsequent newsletters.) It is buyer beware out there! 

 

I don’t think anyone can deny that the current health of our nation and especially of our kids is in a crisis state. Right now, for the first time ever, it is projected that this will be the first generation where parents will outlive their children! That is a frightening thought yet it is the reality. Also frightening are the skyrocketing statistics on heart disease, cancer, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, etc. Unfortunately, there are no magic bullets, no easy fixes, and there is certainly no one who will constantly “have your back”. It is up to each one of us to take back control of our family’s health and to make the necessary changes. As you will see, what works are: timeless principles modified for today’s realities, simple to understand changes that anyone can make, and the application of practical tools that many people have used to drastically change their lives and their futures.

 

Today’s Nutrition Tip:  Drop the soda! A can of coke has about 13 teaspoons of sugar and some lemon-lime flavors have even more. And don’t think that diet soda is any better (it is actually worse). We’ll talk about the dangers of artificial sweeteners soon. There is no nutritional need for soda. In fact, it actually leaches valuable vitamins and minerals from your body. This classifies it as an anti-nutrient. Let’s face it. We drink it because it tastes good. Gratification has won over health. Just stick with water! You will be surprised how liberated you will be and how much better you will feel.