Fall Frenzy: Demystifying Fats
Written by Yvonne Bishop
In an attempt to lose weight, people tend to remove the fat from their diets. And why not? There are at least 1500 studies that show that meat is bad for you. But why? We’ve eaten meat for thousands of years! It’s not the meat! It’s what man has done to the meat. We have fed it something it should not have been eating. A huge problem arises when we feed cattle grain and not grass.
MYTH #1: Saturated fat in meat causes heart disease and cancer
TRUTH: It’s not the meat – it is what man has done to it.
Saturated fat prevents heart disease, does not cause it. Saturated fat is the back bone of the cell membrane. Think about it, if saturated fat causes disease why would it be found in breast milk? The truth is that saturated fats are critical to infant growth, development and survival. Saturated fat is also the preferred fuel for your heart. It’s effective as an anticavity, antiplaque, and antifungal agent. It also lowers your LDL cholesterol by preventing the oxidation of it – the true cause of heart disease.
There are TWO problems when animals eat grain
- It changes the chemical structure of the fat in the meat, therefore altering its very important ratio. When the cows are force fed grain it changes the ratio of saturated fats to one that your body doesn’t even recognize anymore, it’s like ingesting plastic.
- The law of biological concentration is such that the more cancer causing chemicals the cow is getting, the more you are getting. It takes approximately 5 to 8 pounds of chemically sprayed grain to produce 1 pound of beef. Therefore you’re ingesting considerably more cancer causing chemicals from meat than from fruit and vegetables.
The World Health Organization has determined that the 4 to 1 Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio is the optimal ratio at the cellular level. The ratio is more important! Too many people today have to much Omega 3 and not enough Omega 6.
A North Dakota State University study determined that the Omega 6 to Omega 3 are 4 to 1 in grass-fed animals. The exact ratio our cells and brains need to function on. This important ratio was determined to be 21 to 1 in grain-fed animals! Your store bough meat that tasted so good that is grain fed is now messing with your brain and your hormones in your body. This is causing inflammation of the cells which will inhibit you from losing the weight you want to lose.
Here are some benefits of 4 to 1 ratio in the Yehuda Study: (Yehuda, 2003. Omega -6/Omega -3 Essential Fatty Acid Ratio:
- Decreased MS Symptoms
- mproved sleep quality
- Decreased ADD and ADHD symptoms
- Increase stress adaption by decreasing cortisol levels
- Improved cognitive function thus learning ability
No other fatty acid ratio produced the above benefits. This ratio comes from healthy properly fed animals. Eggs that come from chickens that are not free-range organic can have a ratio of up to 19:1.
MYTH #2: One bag of French fries is ok
TRUTH: Get ready for 102 Days of Sickness
The problem with trans fats and all man made fats is that is has a half-life of 51 days. This means that after 51 days only half of the negative effects of this man made fat have been processed. But the body needs an additional 51 days, or a total of 102 days, to remove the majority of the trans fats and its negative effects; unfortunately 25% is still left in your body. (Statistics from the Guide to Stop ADHD in 18 Days: Dr. Robert DeMaria)
Also expect 102 Days of Dysfunction! When you reward your child with french fries it takes over 3 months to recover from:
- Decreased nerve transmission
- Decreased focus and increase in hyperactivity
- Decrease Immunity
- Increase risk of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease
Great or not so great?
In 2006 food manufactures were forced to list the amount of trans fats in their product. Great!
Not so Great…They manipulated the law to allow labels to read trans-fat free if product contained less than 500mg trans fats per serving. The scam is companies’ decreased product serving sized to make Trans fats disappear. Now we must read the ingredients!
An easy shift to make today is start by change all of your meats to grass-fed. To keep the cost down find a local farmer or visit your farmers market.
Here are some examples of good or natural fats not altered by man:
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Don’t turn this into a bad fat by heating over 120 degrees F)
- Avocados and Avocado Oil
- Coconut and Coconut Oil (takes heat very well)
- Raw Nuts/Seeds and Oils
- Real Butter (Raw Best) Don’t turn this into a bad fat by browning it.
- Grass –Fed, Free-range: Meat, Eggs, Whole Milks
So let's eat healthy fats to burn fat and give us energy to build muscle. Muscle takes up less space in our bodies AND helps us burn more calories creating a furnace like affect.
Click here to visit Yvonne's website for information, ideas, and products to stay healthy and to help balance your pH.
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Yvonne is the owner of Essence of Health located in Laguna Beach. She graduated from the University of Alberta with her degree in Nutrition and Food Science. Originally from Calgary, this Canadian brings with her over 23 years in the fitness industry working in both corporate and private arenas. She is very passionate about health and loves sharing that passion with everyone around her. Yvonne's complimentary background in fitness AND nutrition enables her to bring the latest phenomenon's in the industry to her clients, making Essence of Health the most unique studio in Laguna. Exercise and nutrition is a partnership and by addressing both you get the best results; KNOWLEDGE + ACTION = RESULTS. Yvonne helps you transform your mindset, body, and life!
