 "Let food be thy medicine and let medicine be thy food" (Hippocrates 400BC) |
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Hi again everyone, Hope you've all had a great summer and been enjoying the nice weather we've been having. Bit of an Indian summer wasn't it. Better than no summer at all which is what it seemed to be like last year. I've decided to talk about fats this time as this is something many of my clients who come to see me seem to be confused about. I remember that it used to be something I never used to be very clear on either when I first started studying Nutrition as fats is such a vast subject in itself, but I'll just try and keep it as simple as I can. The fats we need to keep to a minimum are the saturated fats. These are found in animal products such as meat, milk, cheese and butter. Too much of these fats can clog up the arteries and increase weight gain. The real baddies Even more so than saturated fats, it's now thought that the really bad fats to try and avoid are trans fats or hydrogenated fats. These are now thought to be the more likely contributory factors to heart disease. Look at labels for these. You will find them in processed meals, cakes, biscuits, margarines and pies etc. Hydrogenated fats are liquid fats that have been heated to extreme temperatures. Hydrogen is then added to them to turn them into a solid fat or semi soft fat to be used in margarine, cakes and biscuits. This is a cheap way for manufacturers to fill out food with a semi solid substance. Hydrogenated or Trans fats have been chemically changed which means our bodies have trouble breaking them down and are stored under the skin as cellulite or other areas of the body. Hydrogenated fats also rob the body of essential fats.
The goodies Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat is liquid fat found in vegetable oils, fish, nuts and seeds. These are healthier forms of fats. Use cold pressed virgin olive oil along with lemon juice as a simple yet great salad dressing. The lemon juice will help with digestion too. If polyunsaturated fats are heated to high temperatures they oxidise and become unstable and create free radicals, too much of which causes cell damage resulting in potential cancers and diseases . The fats that are important to our health that we need to increase in our diet as much as possible are the essential fats, sometimes called essential fatty acids or EFA's. Essential fats help to increase our metabolism, oxygen uptake and energy levels and therefore increase calorie burning. This means they will actually help you to lose weight instead of gaining weight. Good news hey! They lift our mood, help decrease cravings and protect our immune system. They also improve our skin, hair and nails. If you have dry skin try feeding it from the inside by increasing your intake of essential fats or take a supplement of omega 3 oils. Look for products made from the bodies of fish rather than the liver (like cod liver oil) as things like mercury can accumulate in the livers of fish because our seas are now so polluted. Aim for a product that has 400mg of EPA and DHA. You will be amazed at what a difference this makes. N.B. Contrary to popular belief the good oils that are found in such foods as avocado's and nuts do not make you put on weight but rather have the opposite effect and help you to burn more calories. Essential fats are made up of omega 3 and omega 6 oils (and some such as olive oil have omega 9 oils). Most foods containing essential fatty acids are made up of a higher mixture of omega 6 to omega 3 oils, and it is the foods with the higher ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 which are most beneficial as these are more likely to be deficient. Whilst omega 6 are more readily found in vegetable oils, avocados, nuts, sunflower and sesame seeds, the omega 3 ratio is higher in pumpkin seeds, oily fish, hemp oil, flax oil and walnuts. I would recommend that you avoid anything deep fried as the fats used will have been oxidised. For light stir frying start off with water and add a little olive oil towards the end for flavour. Good quality organic butter is preferable to margarine or soft spreads. Use flax oil or hemp oil mixed with olive oil in salad dressings and sprinkle seeds on cereal, salads or in yoghurt. Aim to have oily fish such as salmon, mackerel or tuna 3 times a week. For further reading a brilliant book is Fats that Heal Fats That Kill' by Udo Erasmus. One calorie of saturated fat is not the same as one calorie of essential fat which is needed by the brain, immune system, skin, hormones and heart. Crash dieting makes you hungry and the most important thing to remember when losing weight is to never go hungry. Starving yourself does not help you lose weight but causes your metabolism to go haywire and in the end can lead to the addictive patterns of yo yo dieting. As every person is individual a tailored weight loss programme is best - just because your friend has lost a stone on a fad diet, doesn't mean that you will. You might have:
All of which will not help your weight loss and need to be taken into consideration.. Remember we are all different and what works for one person may not necessarily work for someone else. Contact me if you are interested in having an individually tailored weight loss plan or for more information check out my website www.seekingbalance.co.uk E mail info@seekingbalance.co.uk Phone 01570 423 714 Whats on Cam expo The complimentary natural & integrated healthcare show Earls Court London October 24 th -25 th 2009
Vision For Living 29 th Cardiff Natural Health Show Mercure Holland House Hotel 24- 26 Newport Road Cardiff October 31 st November 1 st 2009-10-12 Entry £4.95 Weekend ticket £6.95 If you have any events with a health / holistic connection happening near you that you would like me to include in further newsletters then e mail me with the details and I will be happy to do this for you. Health and happiness May Lauder |
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