| |
| |
|
Nutrition Information |
|
|
|
Good Fats Prevent Chronic Disease
Essential fatty acids are the number one recommendation for anyone who has, or wants to prevent common chronic diseases today, such diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. And they are very helpful in improving immune system function to increase energy and reverse some of the damage seen in diseases such as lupus, fibromyalgia, and MS. What types of fat are in your diet? If you have dry skin, stiffness, concentration problems, or hormonal imbalances you may be lacking in a type of fat that is essential to health. Essential fatty acids are those fats that the body needs; yet cannot synthesize itself. Many types of fat are unhealthy fats, yet some are beneficial and necessary. In fact, cutting all fat from the diet is actually harmful to health. Essential fatty acids are needed to metabolize other types of fats that are not good for us. Saturated fat is a harmful fat that is found in many types of red meat and dairy foods. Yet, the worse types of fats are the partially hydrogenated oils found in snack foods. These types of fats, found in most processed foods, are converted to trans-fatty acids when heated, or oxidized. So when you make boxed cakes or brownies you create trans fats when you bake these partially hydrogenated oils that are included in the mix so that the box can sit on your shelf indefinitely. These are the types of fat that increase cholesterol in the arteries. The good fats, called essential fatty acids, are important in many metabolic processes, including energy production. Since the body cannot produce them, they must be consumed in the diet to optimize health. The essential fatty acids are the omega-3 (linoleic) and omega-6 (linolenic) polyunsaturated fatty acids. Every cell in the body is like a tiny factory, taking in raw materials from the surrounding fluid and sending out various chemicals. Everything going into or coming out of the cell has to pass through the cell's membrane. The membrane depends on essential fatty acids to remain fluid and flexible. Without them, the membrane becomes stiff and unable to do its job. Essential fatty acids are also important to bring vital oxygen to muscle cells and they enable the cells to more easily absorb nutrients needed for recuperation. In one study of 63 patients with fibromyalgia, essential fatty acid supplementation resulted in a 74% reduction in pain in patients after 1 month, and 85% after 3 months. This is a list of the benefits realized by regular use of essential fatty acids: · Improved cholesterol levels As you can see, fatty acids are essential for metabolism and health. Flax oil is the richest vegetarian source of omega-3 fats. It is commonly used in salads in place of other salad dressings. Flax oil shouldn't be used for cooking, as high heat damages the fatty acids. Other sources of omega-3 fatty acids are fish oils from salmon, tuna, cod, and mackerel. Omega-6 fatty acids are found in many vegetable oils such as borage, flaxseed, walnut, soy, corn, sunflower, and are especially abundant in evening primrose oil. These omega-6 acids help to soften dry skin and relax tense muscles. Both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids need to be supplemented in the diet. The ideal ratio of these fats is 2 parts omega-3 to 1 part omega-6 to reduce inflammation and pain, and to improve energy metabolism. Increasing the amount of fish oils and flax oil will help especially get the omega-3 fatty acids into the metabolism. 2000 mg. of flax oil is usually equivalent to 2 capsules or 1 tablespoon, and is the recommended minimum per day. The omega-3 and omega-6 need catalysts to be absorbed in the body. These catalysts are vitamins B3 (niacin) and B6, vitamin C, and the minerals magnesium and zinc. When there is a deficiency of these nutrients then the essential fatty acids will not be absorbed well. Also when too many saturated or trans fats are part of the normal diet then supplementation of essential fatty acids is less effective. A combination of essential fatty acids, minerals, enzymes, and antioxidants, are all needed in your daily diet, or on whole food supplement form, to make the metabolic changes that reverse many chronic disease symptoms. Supplementing with sufficient amounts of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in balance will help you absorb the other nutrients you take in from your foods, and can make a great improvement in your overall health and vitality. Jane Oelke, N.D., Ph.D. is a Traditional Naturopath and Doctor of Homeopathy in southwest Michigan. She is the author of "Natural Choices for Fibromyalgia" and "Natural Choices for Attention Deficit Disorder." She is a professional speaker on natural health topics. She can be contacted at DoctorOelke@aol.com or through her website at http://www.NaturalChoicesForYou.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Nutrition - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Importance of Nutrition and Lifestyle Eating healthy and taking care of yourself is essential to obtain optimal wellness. Most people roll their eyes or moan when confronted with these ideas, but, in reality, taking care of yourself is not as hard, time consuming, expensive, or dull as most would have you believe. Alkalize Your Way to Better Health Today we're shifting our focus from wealth to health. First of all, I am not an expert. Whats Missing Could Be Making You Sick Here's something you probably don't know. The fruit and vegetables you eat today are not as nutritious as the food from fifty years ago. Crave Sweets? On the Weight & Mood Roller Coaster? Perhaps Its More Than You Think! The sugar industry and the food manufacturers are capitalizing BIG TIME on the addictive nature of carbohydrates (sweets, breads, deserts) in the human body. Blood sugar-handling problems promote arteriosclerosis (plaque in the arteries), adult-onset diabetes, mood swings, weight problems, chronic fatigue, PMS and much more. The Truth About the Meat You Eat There are so many topics to discuss which affect our health that it is hard to choose just one at a time. My motto is Unhealthy Soil = Unhealthy Plants and Animals = Unhealthy People. The Two Faces of Chlorine If you are like most people, you don't enjoy the taste of chlorine in your drinking water. Nevertheless, you're willing to put up with it because it kills certain bacteria that are harmful to your health. The Versatility of Actinase Protein Complex The ingredients list found on the back or side panel of every commercially available food product - with few exceptions - serves as the consumer's best starting point for understanding the real contents of each product. It discloses the ingredients that make up the product, sorted in order from most abundant to least abundant. Nutrition Is More Than The Nutrition Facts Box Nutrition usually only comes up when people are finally deciding to diet. By that point, the only purpose of mentioning nutrition is just to find a reason why one particular diet might be better than another. You Dont Have to be Wealthy to Eat Well: The Truth about Your Grocery Budget Many people complain that organic foods are more costly than conventional. In many cases, organic foods are priced higher. Fibromyalgia: How Simple Sugars Turned Fatigue into Energy Several years ago, Marilyn M. couldn't even spell fibromyalgia. A Home Water Filter - Do We Need To Filter Our Drinking Water? Do we really need a home water filter? Can't we just assume the water that flows from our kitchen and bathroom tap is sufficiently treated for contaminants by our municipal water facility? In order to answer these questions, we need to obtain a little more background information.Next to air, water is the most important element for our survival. Combat Drug-Induced Nutrient Depletion Today, more than ever, consumers over the age of 50 are on some type of Pharmaceutical drug regimen, many of which promote healthier, longer lives. Unfortunately, many of these drugs also deplete vital nutrients from the body which may cause a new round of medical complications. Whats That In My Food! If you drop a bomb, you kill not only your enemies but your friends as well. This is the effect food additives have on humans. Fat: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly When it comes to planning a healthy diet, fat is a complex subject. It's useful to understand some basic information. The Ins and Outs of Proper Nutrition Secretly we all want just a few things in life, none the least of which is to live a life that is healthy and energetic. One way to accomplish this is to eat a well balanced diet that fuels the body to take on life's challenges. The Toxic Truth About Artificial Sweeteners The problem with sugar is that it doesn't contain any nutrients so when you consume too much you crowd out room for healthier foods. In fact, it is estimated that on average, Americans consume over 200 pounds of refined sugar annually. 5 Tips for Dining Out and Eating Healthily Here's food for thought! Did you know the average restaurant meal has over 1,000 calories? That's enough to blow any healthy eating plan. Fortunately, by following a few simple guidelines, you can dine out without having to sacrifice good taste and nutrition. Death, Aging, Rejuvenation (Part 3) AgingHow did aging appeared?If mechanism of Death was chosen by evolution, how was aging chosen?Why for example at certain age animals do not die instantly and just give the room for the next generation. Nurturing is one explanation at least for human society. Is Your Food Aging You? Did you know that the food you eat could be prematurely ageing you? Science has made some amazing discoveries in the last decade in nutrition. We really should be taking note of what we put in our mouth because more than ever, "we are what we eat". The Importance of Water Water is the most abundant substance in the human body. It is a component of virtually everything, except tooth enamel and bone.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
