My Favorite Food & The Big Fat Lie

The Avocado. If given the choice to eat anything in the world, I would choose a beautiful, perfectly ripe, Hass Avocado. My favorite preparation of this delicious and nutritious fruit is simply sliced on top of sprouted grain toast with a sprinkling of sea salt. Another great breakfast preparation with avocado is a fruit salad consisting of avocado, mango, banana, and papaya.

Some have never acquired the taste for avocado, and more than one person has told me they don't indulge in avocado because "it's just so high in fat!" This statement saddens and appalls me when these very same people feel okay about eating a pastry for breakfast. There's something wrong with the general perception of and attitude toward fat. The word itself fetches associations of "evil" and "abhorrent". This attitude is reflected throughout the grocery store where one can find a low fat or zero fat option for just about everything. Labels that boast "0 grams of fat" seem to convey a kind of virtue which our subconscious, as a result of modern conditioning, interprets to mean "this is really healthy, and you can eat as much as you want!"

Today, I want to change the negative attitude toward fat by presenting the facts about fat -- the role of fat in the body, the history of fat, and the different kinds of fat.

The Role Of Fat In The Body

Fats play many critical roles in the body such as providing a concentrated source of energy and providing building blocks for cell membranes and hormones. They act as carriers of fat soluble vitamins such as A,D,E, & K. Fat is needed for the conversion of carotene to vitamin A and mineral absorption. When included as part of a meal, fat slows down the absorption of the meal allowing the body to go a longer period of time without feeling hungry. Those that are able to remain fat free for a length of time may develop a variety of health problems including low energy, poor concentration, depression, weight gain, and mineral deficiencies.

The History Of Fat

Politically correct nutrition says we should replace our intake of saturated fats with unsaturated fats such as vegetable oil. A theory called the lipid hypothesis, proposed by researcher Ancel Keys in the late 1950's, purports that there is a direct relationship between the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in the body and the incidence of coronary heart disease. Numerous studies have questioned his data and conclusions; however, the lowfat diet became widespread by virtue of publicity and promotion by the vegetable oil and food processing industries. While many 'experts' assure us that the lipid hypothesis is backed by incontrovertible scientific fact, I find it hard to believe considering that prior to 1920 coronary heart disease was exceptionally rare. Animal fat and butter consumption was far higher in the early 1900's compared to the late 1900's. In fact, from 1910 to 1970 the intake of traditional animal fat decreased by 20% and butter by 77% while the consumption of vegetable oil in the form of margarine, shortening, and processed oils increased 400% and the consumption of sugar and processed foods increased 60%. As these dietary changes took place, incidence of heart disease increased dramatically so that today 40% of all deaths are heart disease related.

The cause of heart disease is not animal fats and cholesterol. Rather, it is caused by a number of factors present in modern diets such as over-consumption of vegetable oils and hydrogenated fats; excess consumption of refined carbohydrates in the form of sugar and white flour; vitamin and mineral deficiencies; and the disappearance of antimicrobial fats from the food supply such as animal fat and tropical oils. Analysis of fat in artery clogs reveals that only approximately 26% is saturated. The rest is unsaturated while over half is polyunsaturated.

The saturated fats which so many people are trying to avoid actually play important roles in the body. Examples include the following:

• Saturated fatty acids are what give our cells necessary stiffness and integrity
  
• They are vital to the health of our bones and for incorporation of calcium into the skeletal structure
  
• They protect the liver from alcohol and other toxins
  
• They enhance the immune system
  
• They are needed for proper utilization and retention of essential fatty acids (EFA's)
  

Types Of Fat

While the notion that saturated fat in itself causes heart disease is incorrect, it is true that there are bad fats which should be avoided. A basic understanding of the different types of fats should be obtained.

One classification of fatty acids is by saturation.

Saturated

Saturated fats are highly stable due to their chemical structure. This means they are not likely to go rancid even when heated for cooking. The molecules pack together tightly and form a solid at room temperature. This fat is found in animal fats and tropical oils. The body also makes saturated fatty acids from carbohydrates.

Monounsaturated

Monounsaturated fatty acids are slightly less stable; the molecules do not pack together as tightly as the saturated molecules. They are liquid at room temperature but solid if cooled. These fats may be used in cooking at low temperatures. This form of fat is found in olive oil, cashews, almonds, pecans, peanuts, and avocados. The body can make monounsaturated fatty acids from saturated fatty acids.

Polyunsaturated

Polyunsaturated fatty acids are liquid even when refrigerated and go rancid easily. These oils should never be heated or used in cooking. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are found in flax seed oil, soybean oil, canola oil, corn oil, and safflower oil.

Excess consumption of polyunsaturated oils has been linked to increased cancer and heart disease; immune system dysfunction; damage to the liver, reproductive organs and lungs; digestive disorders; depressed learning ability; impaired growth; and weight gain. The reason behind this is that they become oxidized or rancid easily when subjected to heat, oxygen, and moisture in cooking and processing. Rancid oils are characterized by free radicals which attack cell membranes and red blood cells causing damage to tissue, blood vessels, and organs resulting in premature aging, tumors, Alzheimer's, cataracts, plaque build up in the blood vessels, and autoimmune disease such as arthritis. Solution: eat your flax freshly ground and never cook with extracted polyunsaturated oils.

Polyunsaturated fats include the essential Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. These are called "essential" because our bodies cannot manufacture them. It is important to obtain these from the food we eat such as flaxseed, walnuts, and fish. While these fats are essential, a balance should be maintained. Commercial vegetable oils are high in Omega-6 EFA's and lacking in the vital Omega-3 EFA's. This imbalance can result in inflammation, high blood pressure, irritation of the digestive tract, depressed immune function, sterility, cancer, and weight gain. Deficiencies in Omega-3 EFA's have been associated with asthma, heart disease, and learning deficiencies. Modern agricultural practices have reduced the amount of Omega-3 EFA's available in commercially available meat, eggs, and fish. For example, organic eggs from a chicken allowed to feed on insects and green plants can contain omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids in the favorable ratio of 1:1 while commercial supermarket eggs can contain as much as 19 times the amount of omega-6 to omega-3. Solution: ensure you are getting your Omega fatty acids from whole foods. If you eat meat or animal products, be sure that it comes from a healthy source - that is, from grass fed, truly free range animals. I wouldn't trust what is found in the store.

Trans Fat

Trans fats are created through the chemical process of hydrogenation. Hydrogenation turns a poyunsaturate, normally liquid at room temperature, into a fat that is solid at room temperature such as margarine and shortening. Manufacturers begin with cheap oils such as soy, cotton, corn, and canola, already rancid from extraction, and subject them to high heat and pressure and tiny metal particles. The result is a chemically altered molecule which can wreak havoc inside your cells and even block the utilization of the essential fatty acids. Consumption of hydrogenated oils is associated with cancer, atherosclerosis, diabetes, obesity, immune system dysfunction, low-birth-weight babies, birth defects, decreased visual acuity, sterility, difficulty in lactation and problems with bones and tendons. This type of fat should be completely avoided. I urge you to begin reading the labels on items that you purchase in the grocery store. You will be surprised where these fats appear. Look for the words "hydrogenated", "partially hydrogenated", "margarine", and "shortening".


In summary, dietary fat is necessary for optimal health and physical function. Healthy fats are found in healthy, organic, free-range animal products; tropical oils such as coconut oil; olive oil; and whole foods such as avocados, nuts, and seeds. Fat is not the culprit of disease, rather sugar, refined foods, and hydrogenated oils. If you are currently using popular canola oil in your food preparation, stop and replace it with olive oil and coconut oil. Currently, I only use coconut oil when cooking. It works absolutely wonderfully. Do not use shortening even if the canister claims "No Trans Fat". The claim is untrue. Use an organic, cultured cream butter such as KerryGold as a substitute. KerryGold butter is sold at Trader Joe's, Zupan's, and possibly other unique grocery stores in your neighborhood. The absolute best butter would be homemade from raw milk if that option is possible for you.

Do something healthy for your body and brain today -- eat an avocado!

Sources: 

Weston A. Price: http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/skinny.html

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7 Steps To A Much Healthier Life

So you want to get healthy, but don't know where to start. Here I break it down for you into what I think are the first and foremost steps in turning your health around. Don't overwhelm yourself and try all seven steps at once. Take it one week at a time. Become successful with step 1 for one week before implementing step 2. Here we go.

Step 1. Replace ALL soda and bottled beverages with pure water.

Most soda and bottled beverages contain high levels of refined sugar and/or toxins such as aspartame and sucralose. I strongly believe that if you are drinking one or more bottled beverages per day, cutting this habit is the number one thing you can do for your health right now. The sugar (typically high fructose corn syrup) in soda and bottled beverages is not metabolized the same way as other sugars and has been conclusively linked to obesity and diabetes. Choosing diet soda is not the answer either. Many studies have shown that people who drink diet beverages gain weight anyway. Additionally, the sugar substitutes are toxic chemicals that can cause other health problems and should not be ingested under any circumstances.

A reason to avoid soda other than the fact that it contains harmful chemicals, is that soda is an acidifying beverage. Disease thrives in an acid environment. Otto Warburg won the Nobel Prize for demonstrating that the main cause of cancer is an oxygen deficient/acid environment. Additionally, calcium loss will result as the body attempts to remedy the acid condition with alkalizing substances such as calcium. Hmmmm... it sounds like that might be coming from your bones...

One formula to address the question "how much water should I drink everyday?" is to drink half your body weight in ounces. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should drink 75 ounces of water. I suggest you get a large water bottle and take it with you to work and wherever you go. If you are not used to drinking this much water and find yourself going to the bathroom very frequently, just stick with it for a week, and your body will adapt.

Step 2: Eliminate fried foods.

Fried foods are detrimental for two reasons. 1. They contain trans fat and/or 2. They are usually fried in vegetable oil. So, what is so bad about these two facts?

1. Trans fat is an artery-clogging fat that is formed when vegetable oils are made to be solids at room temperature. This kind of fat is not found in nature and has been linked to cancer, neurological disorders, birth defects, nutritional deficiency, among others and should be completely avoided. Start reading the labels on any packaged food and look for "Hydrogenated", "Partially Hydrodenated", and "Shortening". Strictly avoid these foods. Also, note that fast food is loaded with this fat and should be avoided.

2. Vegetable oils such as sunflower, safflower, canola, and soybean oils are polyunsaturated fats which are highly susceptible to heat damage. Heat causes oxidative damage creating free radicals. Translation: these oils after heat exposure become cancer causing.

The bottom line is, there is absolutely no reason your body would want you to eat french fries or doughnuts.

Step 3: Eat a fresh, green salad every day.

Most of us could really benefit from a daily dose of fresh, raw vegetables. This could be a great source of natural vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Don't turn it into a bad food by adding a chemical-laden dressing bought at your local grocery store. Olive oil (extra-virgin, cold-pressed) with a dash of balsamic vinegar or lemon juice makes an easy dressing. Add minced shallot, dijon mustard, or garlic powder for more flavor. If you have any fresh herbs around, don't leave those out.

I make a wonderful, vegan, Ceasar copy-cat dressing made with an Almond base. It does take some preparation, but will make your salad taste as good as junk food. You can pile it on and not feel the least bit guilty. For a quick solution, try the Quick & Tasty Dressing For One. Find the recipes in my blog archives. There are so many online sources for quick, homemade, healthy dressings. Just do some looking around.

If you struggle to get the greens in every day, read my article on the easiest way ever to consume your salad every day!

Step 4: Avoid processed foods and fast food.

These kinds of foods are high in calories, low in nutrition, high in the wrong kinds of fats, and full of strange chemical ingredients. They will only serve to take away from your overall health. We are all looking for ways to save time, but do not sacrifice your health by going to the drive-thru or putting a packaged meal in the microwave. It is not worth it. How much is your health worth to you? My health is absolutely worth a little extra time and a little extra money. Cutting corners is not a good strategy for health. Avoid foods that are far removed from their natural states. You really are what you eat -- Remember this! What you eat literally becomes a part of you. Build with high quality, natural substances that will keep you strong and well-functioning for the entirety of your life. Here is a simple rule to follow: if it has more than 5 ingredients or ingredients that you can't pronounce, don't eat it. All fast food falls into this category.

Step 5: Eat fresh fruit for breakfast.

When you wake up in the morning, before you eat anything, grab a piece of fresh fruit. This fruit wakes up your system, requires no effort for the body to digest, promotes elimination, and is alkalizing, cleansing, and nourishing. Fruit should only be eaten on an empty stomach. Combining fruit with starches and proteins causes gas and bloating. Thus, the morning is a perfect time to get your fruit for the day. Remember: Fruit First!

Step 6: Find an enjoyable form of exercise and schedule it in to your day.

Exercise is very important to overall health. You can improve cardiovascular health, bone density, circulation, flexibility, and more with exercise. People come up with a lot of excuses for not exercising. A big key to success is to schedule it into your day; make it mandatory, not optional. Also, make it fun! If you hate running, don't run.

Believe it or not, but you can get great exercise with just 4 minutes a day! That takes away your lack of time excuse, doesn't it? All you have to do is pick four exercises and do each one as hard as you can for 20 second intervals with 10 seconds rest in between for one whole minute. After four minutes, you should feel like you got a work out. Here's an example for you to start with:

1. Full Body and Cardio: Squat Thrusts. Start standing with your feet shoulder width apart. Drop down to a crouching position and put your hands on the floor. Thrust your legs out behind you then jump back to a crouch. Stand up and repeat. Advanced variation: when you thrust your legs out behind you, do a pushup before coming back to the crouch. Also, jump up in the air when you come up to a standing position.

2. Upper Body: Pushups. If you are a beginner and struggle with pushups, start with an incline. Put your hands on a bench or wall.

3. Lower Body: Lunges. Take a big step forward with one leg and bend the knee until your thigh is parallel to the floor. Your knee should not extend beyond your toes. Your leg should make a right angle. To do this in one place you can push that forward leg back to meet your back leg. Or do it walking style by bringing the back leg to meet the forward leg. Then repeat the exercise with the opposite leg.

4. Abdominals: Flutter Kicks. Lay on your back with your hands under your bottom. Raise your legs to about 45 degrees off the floor. Alternate bringing one leg up and one leg down while keeping them straight. This should look like a flutter.

You can find hosts of bodyweight exercises to mix and match. I just happened upon a site today that has a whole circuit of exercises listed, described, and illustrated. That website it located here: http://mazzland.com/wrestling/3rdperiodcircuit/ Another good site with bodyweight exercises by category is found here. Also do a Google search for "Body Weight Exercise". You will find plenty of great exercises that don't require any equipment. Take some time and jot down a few four-exercise combinations. After you wake up in the morning and have eaten your fresh fruit, you will have a daily workout ready to go.

No more excuses!

Step 7: Begin supplementing with high quality superfoods.

It is a well known fact that most of our soil is very depleted of nutrients which in turn causes our food to be less nourishing. It can be very difficult to get all the vitamins and minerals our bodies need even when eating a wide variety of vegetables all day long. Supplementation provides a way to ensure daily that we are not becoming deficient in essential nutrients. Be aware that not just any multi-vitamin is going to provide that assurance. Most multi-vitamins sold at your favorite drug store are basically worthless. Synthetic versions of isolated vitamins are not well absorbed by the body. The solution is to find a superfood from nature as close to its natural state as possible and minimally processed. The following are my top three recommended daily supplements:

1. Spirulina
2. Chlorella
3. Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Spirulina and Chlorella are micro-algae that grow in fresh water. These micro-algae contain an astounding array of nutritional elements including vitamins, macrominerals, trace minerals, essential fatty acids, protein, nucleic acids, chlorophyll, and phytochemicals. They are thought to contain every nutrient required by the human body. These micro-algae are not only nourishing but also cleansing and detoxifying. Spirulina and Chlorella should be taken on a daily basis as a food. You do not have to worry about overdosing.

I recommend that you purchase Nutrex Hawaiian Spirulina from vitacost.com. This is a high quality Spirulina for only $0.09 per gram. Buy Kyoto Chlorella from swansonvitamins.com. This is a quality Chlorella for only $0.12 per gram. If you take 10 grams of Spirulina and 5 grams of Chlorella every day, that is an investment in your health of $1.50 per day. This is much cheaper than paying for cancer, depression, or other degenerative diseases. Make it a life-long habit.

Omega-3 essential fatty acids are essential because the body has to get them from the outside; it cannot manufacture them when needed. Omega-3 oils are found in flaxseeds, walnuts, marine oils, and fatty fish. Omega-3 fatty acids are important for cognitive function, mental health, cardiovascular health, joint health, and preventing cancer. The reason we should supplement with omega-3 is because the standard American diet provides for too much omega-6 fatty acids. The ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 should be about 1:1. However, with the popularization of vegetable oils, Americans consume these fatty acids in the ratio of about 20:1. An excess of omega-6 fats actually causes serious health problems. An omega-3 supplement will greatly help balance consumption of these oils.


Now that you have read through my first seven suggestions for your road to health, go back to the top and make a resolution to implement step one starting right now. These seven steps are by no means the complete picture, but my purpose for this article is to provide a starting point without getting into complicated, health-nut details (that will come later!).

Start here. Conquer the first 7 steps. And keep reading the Lemon Letter to fill in the gaps and continuously improve your health.

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Healthy Sweeteners

Everybody likes the idea of sugar with no consequences, but it just doesn’t exist. America is addicted to sugar and has turned to sugar substitutes such as aspartame and sucralose which promise the sweetness of sugar without the calories. The problem with these man-made inventions is the unintended consequences. But don’t rely on the industry or even the FDA to inform you that Splenda and Equal are actually toxic and detrimental to your health. Does a little self discipline regarding sugar consumption sound worse than brain tumors or lesions? There is already much evidence emerging to reveal the toxicity of these recent sugar inventions. The evidence will only get stronger as time goes on.

The fact is: you are better off eating real sugar than the chemical substitute. Studies show that artificial sugars also lead to weight gain. The body reacts very strongly to taste. When the tongue tastes sugar, the body is expecting those calories only to be met with low-energy food. This low energy food in turn forces your body to signal “famine,” which results in cravings for refined carbohydrates from which the body can get a quick energy boost. Such cravings may lead you to consume more snacks than you ever intended. Unless you are consuming real calories, the body will never turn off the “I’m hungry” signal. Before you know it, you've gained weight anyway, and you've consumed the toxic chemicals bringing your body further harm.

I am not telling you to switch your Diet Coke to regular Coke. Non-diet drinks are loaded with High Fructose Corn Syrup, which is another issue in itself. I urge you to have some self-discipline. Stop the sugar addiction. Cutting out the excess sugar and all sugar substitutes is the #1 thing the average American can do to improve his/her health.

Once you have given up your daily sugar dose, use healthy sugars on special occasions, and where sugar is really necessary in moderation. Below, are five recommended sugars that I encourage you to use in place of typical refined sugars and artificial sweeteners.

Raw Agave Nectar
Agave Nectar is a syrup extracted from a cactus plant. It has all of its enzymes intact and dissolves easily in cold water. This syrup is a great natural sweetener with a very mild flavor. I highly recommend the use of this sweetener in just about every application.

100% Pure Maple Syrup
This sweetener is a natural, whole food. However, this syrup has lost its enzymes due to the heat used in processing. I recommend using grade B or C since these are less refined and also have a higher mineral content. Be sure to get your syrup from a source that does not use formaldehyde in the extraction process. Organic standards do not allow the use of formaldehyde. Also, syrup from the State of Vermont is safe because the use of formaldehyde is illegal for maple sugaring.

Rapadura
Rapadura is a Portuguese name for sugarcane juice. This sugar is made by crystallizing the juices from sugar cane. Because heat is used in the crystallization process, the enzymes are lost; however, the minerals still remain. I use rapadura wherever white or brown sugar is called for in recipes. This is a much better choice as it is non-processed and still contains the molasses content and flavor.

Raw Honey
Raw honey is an excellent natural sweetener and contains all enzymes necessary for digestion. A little bit of honey goes a long way to satisfy a sweet tooth. Because honey is super sweet, you will not need to consume much to be satisfied. I highly recommend raw honey for use wherever you need to add some sweetness. Be aware, however, that most honey sold in your local supermarket is not raw; it is just as refined as white sugar with all the nutrients stripped out. You will have to visit a health food store or a local bee keeper.

Stevia
Stevia is a natural sweetener that comes from a leaf and is only used in tiny amounts due to its ultra sweet power. This sweetener can be found in powdered or liquid form. Some people do not like stevia as a sugar alternative because it can have a strange aftertaste. Some say that use of vanilla extract along with the stevia eliminates most of the disliked aftertaste. Stevia is difficult to substitute for sugar in baking as the bulk of the sugar is absent and needs to be made up somehow. Try this sweetener in your morning oatmeal first. If you decide you like it, there are recipes on the internet which help you substitute with stevia in baking. You may be able to find a stevia sample packet to experiment with at a Trader Joe’s sample and coffee counter.


All sugars should be eaten in moderation - even healthy sugars. It stands to reason that honey is so sweet because it was meant to be enjoyed in small portions. I recommend that you cut out excess sugars from your diet and use the above mentioned healthy sugars in moderation.

Healthy Tip: Instead of soda as your afternoon treat, try sparkling water with a squeeze of lime. It’s actually quite refreshing.

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