FATS
“Fat” has become a negative word as it is associated with obesity, yet we do need a
certain amount of fat in our diets and on our bodies. The point to keep in mind is that
there are good fats and bad fats.
The good fats are the unsaturated fats, namely, the monounsaturated fats (olive,
canola, and peanut oil) and polyunsaturated fats. The polyunsaturated fats provide
us with essential fatty acids (EFAs), which are broken down into two groups:
• Omega-6 fatty acids: Linoleic acid (LA), which is converted into gamma-linolenic
acid (GLA) and arachidonic acid (AA)
• Omega-3 fatty acids: Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is converted into eicosap-
entaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) 10 | Chapter 1
The body cannot make EFAs, so they must be obtained through diet or supple-
mentation. They are essential for many body processes and functions, including:
•Growth and development of brain, nervous system, adrenal glands, sex organs, in-
ner ear, and eyes
•Energy (fat is the most concentrated source of energy)
•Absorbing fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, K, and carotenoids)
•Maintaining cell membrane integrity
•Regulation of cell processes such as gene activation and expression, enzyme func-
tion, and fat oxidation
•Production of hormones and chemical messengers
Food Sources
Here is a breakdown of the EFAs and their sources:
• LA: Found in vegetable oils such as saffl ower, evening primrose, sunfl ower, corn,
hemp, canola, and olive oil.
• GLA: Found in borage, blackcurrant, and evening primrose oils.
• AA: Found in meat and eggs. We get adequate AA through diet. Too much of this
fat is not good, as it causes infl ammation.
• ALA: Found in fl axseed and hemp oil and, to a lesser extent, in nuts, green leafy
vegetables, wheat germ, and blackcurrant seeds.
• EPA and DHA: Found in fatty fi sh, such as salmon, mackerel, herring, cod, sardines,
and tuna.
There is great controversy over what constitutes the optimal dietary intake ratio of
omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids. It is estimated that we currently get around 15:1,
whereas leading EFA authorities recommend a ratio closer to 4:1 or even 2:1.
The Institute of Medicine has set an adequate intake level for linoleic acid for
adults 19–50 years of age at 17 g/day for men and 12 g/day for women; alpha-lino-
lenic acid at 1.6 g/day for men and 1.1 g/day for women. These levels are lower for
younger and older individuals.
Rather than trying to calculate the perfect ratio or intake, aim to have more
omega-3s (fi sh, fl axseed, hemp, and fi sh oils) and GLA (borage, blackcurrant, or
primrose oil) from diet and/or supplements, as these are the benefi cial fats that are
commonly defi cient.
Diets rich in the omega-3 fatty acids offer cardio protection by lowering blood
cholesterol and triglyceride levels, reducing blood clotting, and reducing the risk of
heart attack and sudden death. These fats also reduce infl ammation and are helpful
for arthritis and other infl ammatory disorders. GLA also reduces infl ammation, and
prevents clotting, dilates blood vessels, improves skin health, and benefi ts those with
diabetes and arthritis

Most women are aware of the benefits that prenatal and pregnancy vitamins can bring for mother and child. However, a recent independent review conducted by a panel of Australian Naturopaths has shown that some of Australia’s leading prenatal and pregnancy vitamin formulas could be significantly improved.

Review panellist and Naturopath Eliza Finn of CBD Natural Health commented that “It appears that some leading Australian over-the-counter products misleadingly lack the quality and variety of vital ingredients necessary for optimal nutritional support for mother and developing baby. While most products contain high amounts of folate well known to be necessary during pregnancy, they often leave out important, synergistic and essential nutrients needed such as other B-group vitamins, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Calcium, Zinc and Omega-3 fatty acids that are also important during this time. ”

The results of the review have been published on Australian vitamin information website HealthyComaprisons.com.au. Website Director Kristy Lee added “There are some fantastic products on the market, however it’s important to note that not all products offer the rainbow and dosages of ingredients necessary to support their intended benefit. Expecting mothers should always research products well or consult a health professional before making purchases that affect mother and baby’s health.

“HealthyComparisons.com.au not only provides important information about vitamins for expecting mothers, but provides product comparisons and reviews for 33 different health categories including Arthritis, Multivitamins, Menopause, PMS and even Weight Loss.

“Whilst the vitamin information and reviews do not replace the personal advice of a qualified health professional, they go some way towards ensuring that there is independent information available for Australian consumers”.

For more information on the reviews and to meet the vitamin review panel, visit HealthyComparisons.com.au.

Vitamin supplements may only be of assistance where dietary intake is inadequate.

Top 16 Pregnancy vitamins as ranked by National Pharmaceutical Retail Sales Volumes provided by Synovate Aztec were reviewed.

Amongst the thousands of foods available in the supermarket there are 5 foods that help the body defend itself against disease. Whether you eat them as snacks or incorporate them into meals, the nutrients provided in these 5 foods boost health and keep disease at bay.

1. Nuts. Almonds, pecans, cashews, pistachios, Brazil nuts, coconuts, chestnuts, macadamia nuts and hazelnuts are loaded with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats which help fight obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Nuts are also a good source of protein, fiber and omega-3 fatty acids as well as antioxidants.

According to Health Castle, researchers have found that regular consumption of nuts lowers the risk of heart disease in both men and women. In 2002, the Physician’s Health Study discovered that the risk of death by cardiac failure was significantly lowered in men who ate nuts at least 2 times a week.

2. Coconut Milk. Asian cultures have been using coconuts to stay healthy for generations. Coconut milk helps promote healthy bones and boosts the body’s immune system. The type of fat found in coconut milk is the same type of fat found in human milk which is why it is doesn’t cause why gain.

In studies conducted in the U.S. there has been very little research that claims coconut milk is effective in treating heart disease although many coconut enthusiasts swear it works.

Scientists would like us to have more knowledge on the health benefits of coconut milk but their efforts have been thwarted by the vegetable oil industry. Either way, whether you are eating fresh coconuts, drinking coconut milk or using coconut oil there are good health benefits to be had in coconut

3. Beef. Beef is full of vitamins. B vitamins, zinc and iron are the 3 most common and coincidentally are also the 3 vitamins most people don’t get enough of. The only problem with beef is that we have gone from eating grass-fed beef to grain-fed beef.

Grass-fed beef is leaner than grain-fed beef and has more CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) which is an anti-cancer fat, as well as omega-3 acids.

Omega-3 fatty acids lower your risk of heart disease and lowers cholesterol. CLAs contain more vitamin A and E which are known to help fight cancer, heart disease, immune diseases and diabetes.

4. Olive Oil. Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats, phenols and Vitamin E. All of which are good for you skin, hair, nails, heart and nerves. It is also known to help with inflammation.

The Polyphenols found in olive oil are antioxidants that reduce the risk of cancer. Proof of the magic of olive oil can be found in those living in European parts of the world where consumption of olive oil is high. These are people with less statistics of cancer than Americans.

5. Cinnamon. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, cinnamon helps steady blood sugar, blocks cancers cells and is an anti-inflammatory ingredient. Cinnamon also provides the body with manganese, fiber, iron, and calcium.

Cinnamon causes blood to rise from the center of the body and brings it up to the skin. This helps with circulation and blood pressure. Circulation is imperative for keeping oxygen flowing throughout the body.

Recent studies have been conducted on diabetics and the results have shown that cinnamon enhances the effects of insulin. These studies have found that one dose of cinnamon twice a day helps lower blood sugar, cholesterol and fight gum disease.

There you have it, 5 foods to help you stay healthy. Eat well, sleep well and feel well.

By: KrSpies
Published: 04/05/08

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is rare in Inuit people who continue to eat their ‘traditional’ diet. But how can eating a diet predominantly consisting of seal meat, fat and blubber and almost completely void of greens, fruits and fiber be ‘preventative’ of the very disease which plagues the entire western world and for which medical orthodoxy blames on diets high in saturated fats and cholesterol? Also, by adopting medicine’s low-fat, low-cholesterol diet and drug regimes, CVD continues to increase with no cures in site. Herein lies the paradox… if high fat and high cholesterol diets cause CVD, then what is ‘protecting’ the traditional Inuit, which has thrived on a diet rich in both?

One of the differences is that the traditional Inuit’s diet is very high in Omega-3 fats while our western diet is very high in Omega-6 fats. Science has shown that the ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 should be as close to a ratio of 1:1 and certainly no more than 4:1. Inuits are about the only peoples to approach the 1:1 ratio while we typically come in at 20:1 and the real junk foodists are measuring in at upwards of 50:1 ratios. A balanced Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio promotes a homeostasis, non-inflammatory state in the body while a tilt to the high Omega-6 side will promote an inflammatory and therefore disease and degenerative state.

Here is what happens with the imbalance. Man-made vegetable oil diets (margarine and other hydrogenated oils) are high in Omega-6 fatty acids and as such convert into high levels of Arachidonic Acid (‘AA’). This molecule is the necessary precursor to Prostaglandin 2, a ‘pro-inflammatory’, albeit necessary hormone-like molecule found in all cells. The excessive amounts of ‘AA’ in our Omega-6 rich western diets thus contribute largely to our chronic inflammatory degenerative diseases such as CVD, asthma and arthritis.

Conversely, a diet rich in Omega-3 fatty acids contains the now well-known essential fatty acid molecule ‘EPA’. EPA is responsible for the production of Prostaglandin ‘3’, an anti-inflammatory molecule and therefore a soothing response to our runaway ‘silent’ and not so silent inflammatory and disease states. Therein is one of the secrets to preventing the majority of cardiovascular diseases.

Inuits consume large amounts of seal meat and blubber and thus receive significant amounts of three (3) essential fatty acids EPA, DHA, DPA. The latter, is not readily found in fish oils. DPA is an important factor in preventing plaque and keeping the arteries soft and elastic. EPA is a huge factor in fighting inflammation while DHA is the essential molecule for brain, nerve and eye tissues and is a powerful factor for normalizing blood and tissue triglycerides. You can see why seal oil has become my first choice for the 3 pre-formed Omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFA’s) and is an integral part of my heart prevention trio of necessary therapeutic nutrients.

Vitamin C is anther important factor. But where do Inuits get their Vitamin C? This puzzled me for many years until I discovered that seal and whale skin and blubber (‘Muktuk’ or ‘Muktaaq’, an Inuit favorite), and to a lesser extent seal meat, are rich in this essential collagen forming antioxidant vitamin. Thus the Inuit on a traditional diet gets more Vitamin C than the average westerners typically do. We know that Vitamin C is essential in Collagen synthesis, a necessary factor in artery strength and integrity, and a prime factor in reversing and preventing heart disease.

Seal meat and especially blubber, are also very high in Vitamins E, A, D and selenium. Recently, researchers have concluded that these inherent antioxidants are very big reasons why Inuits are free of CVD while other mostly fish eating populations are still prone to this disease. Fish oils alone will not do the same as will seal oil.

Important in the conversion of Omega-6 oils into Omega-3 EFA’s are optimum levels of magnesium, selenium, zinc, B3 (niacin) and B6. The conversion just won’t happen without these essential nutrients. Liquid ionic magnesium forms part of my heart prevention ‘trio’ of nutrients mentioned above.

To gain the upper hand on Cardiovascular Disease and other inflammatory degenerative diseases, we can all learn from the tried and true Omega 3 fat-rich Inuit diet. We should immediately strive to achieve a better balance of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fats in our deficient Western diets. While eating seal meat and blubber does not appeal to the vast majority of us, supplementing with 3-4 grams of seal oil daily could go a long way in reversing the trend towards heart disease and strokes. Eating more fish is another good way.

About the author

Dr. Gerry Bohemier has been a nutritional product developer and successful health coach for numerous years. He is retired from Chiropractic practice and is currently doing cross-country heart-health seminars in Canada. His soon to be published book on effective ways in reversing heart disease is expected out in the spring of 2008. Along with his book, an accompanying video will give cardiac disease sufferers a very effective alternative to common drug therapies which have been continuously falling short of reducing the morbidity associated with this disease. Dr. Gerry can be contacted at drgerryb@gmail.com

Tacloban City (March 16) — Yes, Virginia. Filipino women can have healthy, glowing skin this Women’s Month and all year round, even without investing their paycheck in expensive serums and creams and dermal fillers. How? Through a skin-friendly diet.

Truly, a woman’s skin is best taken cared of and nurtured by a well-rounded diet that includes healthy fats, sufficient protein, and lots of fruits and vegetables, but there are a few standouts that make particular contributions to healthy, glowing skin.

First of all, women should eat fish. Fatty fish like salmon, tilapia and many others which abound in the area are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids that bolster the skin barrier or the layer of lipids that hold on to moisture and keep irritants away.

Fish is also rich in Vitamin D. Remember, dermatologists increasingly emphasize sun avoidance, so there is a need to find other sources of this vitamin which is produced during sun exposure.

For women who do not eat fish, the good news is that eggs are also sources of omega-3 fatty acids, along with plant sources like nuts.

Another important part of a skin-friendly diet is Green Tea. It is inexpensive and has been researched as the most powerful anti-oxidant. Drinking at least three cups a day will fight aging and inflammation. So put down that soda Virginia and start drinking your way to healthier skin.

For vegetables, add more Broccoli in the diet. It is rich in vitamins A, C and K. Vitamin A decreases oil production; Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and Vitamin K prevents bruises.

Next on the list is virgin coconut oil. It helps prevent dry skin and inflammation and is essential for the formation of hormones that keep all the cells of the body functioning well. So try sauteeing your fish and your vegetable in virgin coconut oil and double those skin soothing effects. The secret is, you can drink your virgin coconut oil and get the best effect.

When it comes to boosting the skin’s defenses against anti aging, inflammation and skin cancer, antioxidants are very important so there is another food that must be added to the list- Nuts. A doctor friend always say that a handful of almonds every day boosts the levels of vitamin E, one of the most important anti-oxidants for skin health. However, since almonds may be difficult to find in the hinterlands, a handful of the native peanuts will do.

There, Virginia. Have these in your diet and off you go towards achieving a healthy, glowing skin not only during the month-long celebration of Women’s Month, but all year round. (PIA 8

Cod liver oil, a long-used source of vitamin D, may have the unexpected effect of lowering bone mass, a new study suggests.Norwegian researchers found that among more than 3,000 middle-aged women, those who took cod liver oil as children generally had lower bone mass than women who had not used the fish oil.

Because sunlight is needed to trigger the synthesis of vitamin D in the skin, people in Nordic countries are at particular risk of vitamin D deficiency. Cod liver oil is a traditional source of supplemental vitamin D, and is still widely used in Norway, where few foods are fortified with the vitamin.

Many people also take cod liver oil as a source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, or to ease arthritis symptoms.

Given the role of vitamin D in maintaining healthy bones, the new findings are “unexpected” and “paradoxical,” the researchers note in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

They speculate, however, that the high vitamin A content in cod liver oil could be to blame.

Vitamin A accumulates in body fat, and excessive levels may have a negative effect on bone metabolism and actually raise fracture risk, explained Dr Siri Forsmo, the lead researcher on the study and an associate professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim.

Too much vit A to blame
It’s possible that cod liver oil, on top of the traditionally vitamin A-rich Norwegian diet, provided some of these women with too much of the nutrient, Forsmo told Reuters Health.

Since 2002, Norway has required that cod liver oil producers cut the supplement’s vitamin A content by 75 percent - from 3,300 International Units per dose to 825 IU. Forsmo said she is unaware of any other countries that have made similar moves.

In the US, the recommended daily intake for vitamin A is 3,000 IU for men and 2,310 IU for women; for children, the recommendation is between 1,000 and 2,000 IU per day.

In contrast to the US and certain other countries, where milk and many breakfast cereals are fortified with vitamin D, relatively few foods in Norway have added vitamin D, Forsmo noted. Butter, margarine and one type of low-fat milk are the exceptions.

So cod liver oil remains a major source of vitamin D there, Forsmo said, adding that she still takes it during the winter.

Importantly, the researcher noted, the current study looked at bone mass, and not whether women who used cod liver oil as children actually had a higher rate of bone fractures. That is a question for future studies. - (Amy Norton/Reuters Health)

SOURCE: American Journal of Epidemiology, February 15, 2008.

Corn Salad, Lamb’s Lettuce, or Canónigos, as it is known in Spanish, is a popular ingredient of salads and often sold in supermarkets and at greengrocers. It is also a very health-giving plant to eat and contains many nutrients, including three times as much Vitamin C as lettuce, as well as beta-carotene, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B6, Vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron.

Wild Corn Salad is an annual herb native to Europe, northern Africa and western Asia and it is a common weed that grows in rosettes of leaves in waste places and cultivated ground. In warm weather, Corn Salad sends up a forked stalk about 1 ft (0.3 m) tall with smaller leaves along it and topped with clusters of tiny silver-blue flowers.
Corn Salad has a delicate, sweet flavour and is a good addition to tossed salads. It complements stronger flavoured greens like endive, chicory and watercress, and the tender leaves are delicious with crisp salad vegetables like peppers, carrots and radishes.  Corn Salad is recommended as an ingredient in potato salads and omelettes too.
Corn Salad has also been used as a medicinal herb in some countries as a nerve tonic and to prevent scurvy. It is in the Valerianaceae family along with its much bigger cousin the Valerian (Valeriana officinalis), which is often used as a remedy for insomnia. Steve Andrews

What you eat is one of the biggest determinants of your coronary heart disease risk. A diet high in the eight foods below will go a long way to maintaining a healthy heart. Continue Reading…

For a while, the world has been privy to the following information: Omega 3 Fatty Acids are good for you! They are part of the polyunsaturated fatty acid family and consumption may have the potential to reduce the risk of coronary disease. You can find these potentially health promoting fatty acids in fish.
Continue Reading…

Embrace nuts! Almonds, pecans, cashews, Brazil nuts, chestnuts, walnuts, hazelnuts and pistachios - these health power foods are excellent sources of many nutrients and are worthy to be included in your healthy diet plan.
Continue Reading…