Margarine vs Real Butter
Prior to the advent and huge rise in margarine (and other hydrogenated oil) use:
• Death rates from Heart Disease & Cancer were at only 3%.
• Obesity was at only 5%.
• Diabetes was practically nonexistent!
A Strong case against margarine:
Eating margarine (and other trans-fats), not getting enough of the critical healthy essential oils (EFAs), along with high sugar consumption and lack of sufficient protein in our diets has caused an epidemic of disease and ill health in this country and around the world. Margarine plays a key role in our deteriorating health because it is unnatural - our bodies are not designed to use it. A plastics engineer would call margarine “plastic food,” - meaning that margarine’s molecular structure resembles a low-grade plastic. Margarine is not real food by any stretch of the imagination. If you leave margarine sitting out, no insect will touch it and it won’t spoil. They seem to know better than us what is edible and what isn’t.
Margarine contains a tremendous amount of harmful distorted EFAs called trans-fatty acids.1 Hydrogenation is the chemical addition of hydrogen to another chemical. When applied to oils, the process turns the healthy essential oils into dangerous trans-fatty acids, which are very unhealthy for humans.2 The process of hydrogenation requires a metal catalyst, like nickel, and is stopped when the margarine looks butter-like, without regard to the unnatural fat by-products, which have been produced.3 These by-products include trans-fatty acids, lipid peroxides and other potentially toxic compounds. Some large studies have been published, which suggest that ingestion of trans-fatty acids is considered a risk factor for heart disease.4 In 1956 Lancet published a 16-page article warning physicians of its dangers but few listened.
Trans-fatty acids can block the body’s ability to use healthy Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) in the production of eicosanoids and they lessen the transfer of the life-giving nutrient, oxygen, across cell membranes.5 Sufficient transfer of oxygen is crucial for cellular health, prevention of cancer, energy, and a healthy immune system.
In 1939, The American Journal of Cancer published that eating trans-fats produced cancer when skin was exposed to ultra-violet rays. Your skin needs unadulterated parent omega 6 EFAs (it contains NO omega3), but most people have been consuming trans-fats or excessive amounts of omega 3 instead, so their skin (and other tissues) are deficient in EFAs, causing it to be susceptible to UV rays that can lead to the development of cancer. It is important to understand that your skin doesn’t utilize omega 3 EFAs (like in fish or flax oils), which is one reason why I recommend a formula with a higher balance of organic, cold-pressed “parent” omega 6 than omega 3.
It is difficult to get undamaged parent omega 6 oils in your diet. Despite what you may read from popular health publications and “professionals” about omega 6 oils, research clearly shows that nearly every bit of omega 6 in the foods we eat has been damaged in one fashion or another so that we absolutely need to get it in a high-quality supplement. The balance of parent omega 6 and 3 is crucial as well. Simply taking flax oil (I NEVER recommend fish oil – because it is excessive in harmful omega 3 derivatives) is not enough. Flax is excessive (unbalanced) in omega 3, and without enough unprocessed omega 6 there will be an imbalance. It is nearly impossible to avoid all trans-fats, so the best way to ensure your cells get the good oils you need is to take a high-quality supplement.
You can also expect vision-related problems when you consume too many trans-fats in your diet.6 This is because your eyes are supposed to contain healthy EFAs, but are getting the distorted oils instead.
Studies show that the trans-fatty acids we eat do get incorporated into brain cell membranes, including the myelin sheath that insulates neurons. They replace the natural DHA in the membrane, which affects the electrical activity of the neuron. Trans-fatty acid molecules disrupt communication, setting the stage for cellular degeneration and diminished mental performance.7 This shows that EFA deficiency likely plays a key role in mental and emotional disorders from children to the elderly.
Researchers have found that trans-fats are more detrimental to the ability of blood vessels to dilate, a marker for Heart Disease risk. “This suggests that trans-fatty acids increase the risk of heart disease more than the intake of saturated fats,” concluded the scientists at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. It suggests that if French fries were cooked in saturated fat instead of in hydrogenated vegetable oils, they would probably be safer.8 It is important to note that even though margarine is promoted as “heart-healthy.”
Margarine eaters have twice the rate of heart disease as butter eaters.9
The truth about real, full-cream butter:
Real butter is a fat-soluble vitamin activator.10 Rather than being stored as excess body fat, butter is used directly for energy.11 Biologically no dietary fat gets stored as excess body fat.12 And With regards to heart disease, the fact is that no saturated fats can be found in aortic plaque!13 This means that eating saturated fat does not cause heart disease. The complex process in which heart disease develops cannot be so simply compared to “clogged pipes” as in your kitchen sink.
Scientists around the world have discovered that, once again, insulin overproduction [from high sugar/carb consumption] is a significant issue. Excess carbs stimulates overproduction of insulin, leading to elevated blood levels. It reduces the elasticity of arterial walls, increasing the risk of plaque formation, and causes the kidneys to increase salt and fluid retention - all of which increase blood pressure and heighten risk of heart disease and stroke.14
Dietary intervention by lowering saturated fat intake does not lower the incidence of nonfatal CAD; nor does such dietary intervention lower coronary disease or total mortality.15 We have all been looking in the wrong place for the solution to heart disease.
Dr. Walter Willett of Harvard states, “The problem with low-fat diets is that people replace fats with carbohydrates, primarily sugars and refined starches which can have adverse effects on coronary risk….”
Cholesterol is also vastly misunderstood. I highly recommend reading the report, The Cholesterol Myth for the truth.
Gross misconceptions of the development of Heart Disease and the myths about cholesterol have caused a change in eating habits and increased prescription drug use that have seriously been damaging our health. Don’t be misled by bad information. Eating a low carbohydrate diet, adding EFAs in the scientifically correct ratios, essential minerals and a gentle herbal detoxifier, show how simple dietary changes prevent illness and maintain overall health at the cellular level.
Endnotes
1. Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill, Udo Erasmus, Published by Alive Books, Burnaby, BC, Canada, 01 January, 1999, pages 103, 105.
2. Ibid.
3. Fats and Oils, Erasmus U., Alive Books, Vancouver, Canada, pp 84-89, 1986.
4. Mensink RP, Katan MB. Effect of dietary trans fatty acids on high-density and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in healthy subjects. N Eng J Med 323:439-445, 1990.
5. Kinsella JE, et al. Metabolism of trans fatty acids with emphasis on the effects of trans, trans-octadecadienoate on lip id composition, essential fatty acids and prostaglandins - an overview. Am J Clin Nutri 34:2307-2318, 1981.
6. Essential Fatty Acids and Eicosanoids, 1992, pgs: 107-115; Invest. Opthalmol. Vision Science, 1992, 33(11): 3242-3253.
7. Lipids, 1994; 29/4:251-58.
8. Atherosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, July 2001, American Heart Association/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins January 1995, Division of Cardiology, UCLA School of Medicine, 0833 LeConte Avenue, Room 47-123, CHS, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1679.
9. Nutrition Week, 3/22/91 21:12.
10. Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, by Weston A. Price, McGraw Hill - NTC; 15th edition (June 2003) ISBN: 0879838167. (out of print).
11. Textbook of Medical Physiology, pg. 843.
12. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Dept. of Human Studies and Nutritional Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1996, vol. 64, pgs. 667-84.
13. Lancet, 1984;344:1195-96.
14. American Diabetes Association’s 59th Annual Scientific Sessions, June 1999 and Basic Medical Biochemistry, pgs 25, 26, 475, 512, 566.
15. Ravnskov U. The questionable role of saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in cardiovascular disease. J Clin Epidemiol 1998;51:443-60 and Hooper L, Summerbell CD, Higgins JP, et al. Dietary fat intake and prevention of cardiovascular disease: systematic review. BMJ 2001;322:757
Friday, June 12, 2015
Monday, November 10, 2014
Food. It’s Not What it Used to Be
Much has changed over
the years. We’ve gone from horses to cars, typewriters
to computers. Many
people don’t realize that food has changed as well. Unlike typewriters and
computers, which look different, our foods look very much the
same as they did
decades and centuries ago. Even though food looks the same, its composition can
be very different. For example, grass-fed beef has a different nutrient profile
than corn-fed beef. How food is raised makes a difference in its nutritional
value and changes the benefit to your body when you eat it.
We’ve changed how food is raised or
grown
We have changed what
livestock eat and inject them with hormones and antibiotics. When animals eat
foods that are not natural to them, it changes the nutritional makeup of their
tissues. For example, grass-fed beef has far more omega fatty acids than does
corn-
fed beef. In addition, when animals are given growth hormones, there are
residues that are present in the end product you are eating, whether it’s meat
or milk. Then to make it worse, the animals get sick very easily when not
eating a natural diet. They are injected with antibiotics so that they survive
until they are ready for slaughter. Does this sound like a healthy animal you’d
like to eat? Animals that are fed properly don’t need antibiotics and will have
great nutritional value as they were designed to have.
We change food after it’s grown
through processing
We also change food
after it’s grown through various methods of food processing. Some food
processing removes nutrients in order to increase shelf life. Typically, fatty
acids
are removed because they become rancid quickly when exposed to air. This
type of processing is typically done to grains which naturally contain omega
fatty acids in the germ. Not only is nutrition removed, food is also bleached
and deodorized. Does this sound like a healthy food you’d like to be eating?
We’ve changed the genetic makeup
Not only have we
removed nutrition and changed food after it’s been grown and harvested,
scientists have long been genetically modifying food (GMO) before it’s planted
and grown. As if God didn’t design our food correctly in the first place, we
think we can do it better. In the case of genetic modification, the changes are
often for convenience in growing. For example, making crops immune to certain
herbicides or pesticides so they won’t die when the chemical is applied. Some
seeds are actually registered and classified as a pesticide with the FDA
because they contain insect repellent chemicals within the seed itself. Do you
really want to eat a food registered as a pesticide!
We’ve changed food, so what?
We’ve seen how food
has been changed, now let’s look at how that affects our bodies. When nutrition
isn’t present because of how an animal or plant is raised, or if nutrients have
been processed out of the food, this limits the nutrition you are getting.
Nutritional deficiency is the prime reason our bodies aren’t preventing and
healing disease as they were meant to.
For example, one of
the main nutrients we are not getting in the quantity we need is omega fatty
acids. This nutrient is lacking in meat because of how it’s raised and it’s
being processed out of grain based foods. When we don’t get the omega 6 and 3
fatty acids we need, our health can suffer in many ways. Omega fats are
responsible for healthy cellular structure, brain health and vascular health. Just
this one important nutrient missing from foods has changed the health of our country
immensely. Consider the minerals and other nutrients we are missing and
it’s no wonder we are in such poor health. The important thing to remember is
that our food quality is not what it used to be, and we need to take a couple
of steps to ensure we are properly nourishing our bodies.
Have you noticed how
many people have developed food allergies just in the last two decades? In the
1970s and 1980s food allergies were few and far between. How could this
change
so quickly? Allergies are simply inflammation from your body rejecting
a
substance within. Would it make sense that your body would reject foreign proteins
introduced from GMO foods or hormone and pesticide residues? Oftentimes, people
with allergies can switch to organic foods not containing these substances and
they are not allergic to the organic counterpart.
Dangers of food modification
Gluten allergies are
a good example of what happens when we mess with food’s design. Wheat today has
been modified to the point that it produces far more gluten than ever before.
Many people can’t tolerate the gluten levels and have to avoid it all together.
GMOs also introduce foreign proteins that many people are allergic to. Peanuts,
corn and soy are examples.
Digestive diseases
are another example of the danger of
modifying food. More and more foods are
being pasteurized
to kill bacteria. Foods were created with bacteria for
a
reason - our stomachs need it. We eat lots of dead food
today because
processing kills the live cultures we need to have a healthy digestive system.
Milk is a great example of this. The healthy bacteria in raw milk is killed
through pasteurization, and we are left with a beverage that is much less
nutritious.
Food quality is
extremely important. Virtually all major diseases can be prevented, improved or
eliminated if we put clean, whole foods into our bodies. Eating food as it was
designed works with your body, not against it. Unfortunately, our food system
is so broken it’s very difficult, inconvenient and expensive to eat a
completely clean diet. Many people simply can’t afford it and, sadly, the ones
who can often don’t want the inconvenience of finding and preparing good food.
This is why Healthy for Life U exists. We offer simple and convenient strategies
for you to get the nutrition you need!
How to determine good quality food
Now that we’ve
established shortcomings in commonly available food, let’s look at how to find
good quality food.
In general, you want
to find foods that have not been changed by people (often called whole foods).
These would be fruits, vegetables, meats, most dairy, eggs, nuts and
unprocessed freshly-ground grains.
When it comes to
animal protein, you want to find meats, poultry and fish that came from an
environment that allowed them to eat what is natural to their diet and where
they didn’t receive hormones or antibiotics. You’ve probably heard of terms
like free range, grass-fed or organic. These are the terms used to describe
such an environment. Grass-fed usually refers to beef. Free range or cage-free
refers to poultry. These terms are sometimes used loosely, so use caution and
read labels or ask the producer for more information. If a meat is certified
organic that means it wasn’t raised with antibiotics or hormones, but it
doesn’t mean it was grass-fed. This means it doesn’t have the bad stuff in it,
but it isn’t going to be as nutritious as grass-fed meats are.
The majority of
fruits and vegetables are grown with pesticide sprays, and many are also grown
using herbicides as well. The easiest way to avoid this is to buy organic
produce or buy from a local farmer who can tell you how the food is grown.
When you are
determining what foods to eat, simply ask what has been added, removed or
modified.
If the answer is
nothing, the food should be good; the more that’s been changed, the worse the
food.
Can you believe this?
The average American
household used to spend an average of 15-17% of their household income on food and
only 3-5% on healthcare. Currently the average American spends only 5-8% of
their household income on food and 15-20% on healthcare. Creating processed
“cheap” food has actually proved to be more costly when you consider the
healthcare cost, not to mention the lower quality of life.
Benefits of whole food
Eating whole foods
will make a huge difference in your health and how you feel. When your body
begins to get the full spectrum of nutrients it needs, you will experience more
energy, a stronger immune system (less sickness), stronger nails, softer hair
and you will just plain feel better!
Is clean eating possible in the real
world?
The short answer is
yes. It is entirely possible to eat clean foods and provide your body with the
nutrients it needs. In reality, most people won’t keep up with it long term.
People are all about convenience and the additional effort and expense needed
to obtain good quality foods and prepare them is often more than most people
will keep up with long-term. What we recommend is a hybrid solution that is
easy to do long-term. The hybrid solution is to buy organic for products
that contain higher amounts of fat and conventional for products that contain
low or no fat. The reason for this is that typically hormone residues or other
toxins are stored in the fat cells of animals. Using organic products for foods
that are higher in fat will assure you that the fat is clean and doesn’t
contain the toxins you want to avoid. Examples of foods to buy organically are:
milk, cheese, butter and non-lean meat such as rib-eye, bacon or 60-80% lean
ground beef. Some of the conventional products you buy will be lacking in
nutritional value, but much less expensive and easier to find. In order to make
up for the missing nutrients, we also recommend supplementing the missing
minerals and omega oils missing from foods.
Check out Healthy for Life omega 3-6-9 and Mineral Supplement if you are looking for a top quality nutrition program. http://www.healthyforlifeusa.com/products/packages/ |
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Everyone is Mineral Deficient
There are many topics about nutrition that are
controversial, but mineral deficiency isn’t one of them. It’s widely known and
accepted that our farming soils are not rich in required minerals that our
bodies need and while synthetic fertilizers help plants to grow, they don’t
provide for human nutrition.
In 1936, the US Senate was presented with the results of a
scientific study it had commissioned on the mineral content of our food. The
results showed that many health problems could be attributed to the fact that
our soil no longer provided plants with minerals that are essential to human nutrition
and ultimately our health. This was reaffirmed this year by another congressional hearing discussing what to do about our still deficient soils.
Here is part of what was said in the Senate Document 264
of the 74th Congress, 2nd Session 1936:
“… 99 percent of the American people are deficient in …
minerals, and … a marked deficiency in any one of the more important minerals
actually results in disease.”
“Do you know that most of us today are suffering from
certain dangerous diet deficiencies which cannot be remedied until the depleted
soils from which our foods come are brought into proper mineral balance? The
alarming fact is that foods–fruits and vegetables and grains–now being raised
on millions of acres of land that no longer contains enough of certain needed
minerals, are starving us–no matter how much of them we eat!”
“We know that vitamins are complex chemical substances
which are indispensable to nutrition, and that each of them is important for
the normal function of some special structure of the body. Disorder and disease
result from any vitamin deficiency. It is not commonly realized, however, that
vitamins control the body’s appropriation of minerals, and that in the absence
of minerals they have no function to perform. Lacking vitamins, the system can
make some use of minerals, but lacking minerals, vitamins are useless.”
“Laboratory tests prove that the fruits, vegetables,
grains, eggs and even the milk and meats of today are not what they were a few
generations ago. No man of today can eat enough fruits and vegetables to supply
his system with the mineral salts he requires for perfect health….”
“It is bad news to learn from our leading authorities that
99 percent of the American people are deficient in these minerals, and that a
marked deficiency in any one of the more important minerals actually results in
disease. Any upset of the balance, any considerable lack of one or another
element, however microscopic the body requirement may be, and we sicken,
suffer, shorten our lives.”
Remember, this was in 1936, nothing has been done to
remedy this problem. Instead we’ve ignored it and take medication that allows
us to ignore the symptoms of the disease we have from poor nutrition. In
addition to deficiency, modern farming practices add herbicides, pesticides, fungicides,
insecticides, and genetic modification which alters proteins in the plant. Many
of these proteins your body rejects, which we call allergies. Maybe we should
refer to these modern foods as foodicides, meaning foods that will
kill you, rather than nourish J
Minerals are so important and are used in so many ways in
your body, mineral deficiency could literally be the cause or at least
contribute to almost any health problem you have. Here are a few problems/symptoms
that mineral deficiency is known to lead to: slow healing cuts, muscle cramps,
low energy, foot odor, white spots on fingernails, yeast/fungal infections,
hypertension, skin and hair problems, diarrhea, low immune system, vision
problems, stunted growth, hormone imbalance, etc. The list could literally go
on and on, but you get the idea.
So everyone is deficient in minerals. Now what? There are three
solutions for individuals to remedy their deficiency.
Solution one. You can eat all organic foods grown on land
that has not been farmed continuously for decades, as well as eating meats and
protein from grass-fed and free-range animals. This option is the most difficult and expensive to do. I think it will become less expensive over time as more people demand better quality food. In our fast paced society, most families don't have the time it takes to source these foods and maintain supply. For now this option would be very difficult and unaffordable for most families.
Solution two. You can supplement minerals back into your
body. With this solution you need to be careful as to which supplement you
choose. It is important to use a mineral supplement that is chelated, meaning
the mineral is bonded to a protein. The protein, being a charged particle, will
attract itself to your cells, bringing the mineral with it. Minerals by
themselves have no mechanism to get to the cell. If you get a mineral
supplement that is not chelated it’s no different than eating mineral rich
dirt, it will do nothing for you.
Solution three. The best solution is to supplement
chelated minerals AND eat more foods that are local or organic. Since the “cides”
are used in growing plant foods and hormones and antibiotics are used in animal
foods, getting better quality foods that don’t included these negatives is a
better idea. Since minerals are so important, even with organic or local foods
you don’t really know the soil content from where they are grown, its best to
be safe and supplement the minerals your body needs. You could think of it as
the cheapest insurance policy you’ll ever buy!
It’s important to note that mineral deficiency can take
years to re-mineralize, so if you’re not noticing anything, keep going, you
need them and they are helping, even if you don’t notice outwardly.
You can find quality chelated minerals at http://www.healthyforlifeusa.com/products/minerals/
Monday, August 25, 2014
Fish oil or Plant Oil?
We know that our bodies need fat, Fat is vital for healthy eyes, heart, liver, kidneys, cells, hormones, immune system and more. Fats can come from various meats, poultry, fish, nuts and seeds. Often in our diet we aren't getting the healthy fats we need. Specifically, we often aren't getting enough omega 3 and omega 6. The reason for this is pretty simple, it's due to the way our food is raised and processed. Animals are often given feed with grains rather than being allow to eat grass from a pasture. Processing damages the oils rendering them useless and sometimes damaging to your body.
This is why supplementing omega 3 and omega 6 is a good idea, to insure you are getting the fats that your body requires. So the next questions is what product to supplement? There are literally thousands of omega supplements on the market. Currently the focus is largely on omega 3, specifically EPA and DHA. These are the omega 3 derivatives that are found in fish oil. Much attention is given to these derivatives, mainly because the fish oil industry has spent tons of money commissioning research to be done on the benefits of these fats. It is true that we need these derivatives, however, the body doesn't need a lot of them. Studies show that we need 5% or less of the omegas in derivative form, and 95% in the parent form.
So what is the parent form? Parent omega 3 and parent omega 6 are technically Alpha Linoleic Acid (ALA) and Linoleic Acid (LA). These are the most basic forms of the omega series fats. Your body can take these fats and break them down into related substances, also called derivatives. It's important to note that your body can not use a derivative fat and create the parent fat. Since your body needs around 95% parent fats, it doesn't make sense to focus on supplementing a derivative oil, like EPA and DHA, as the primary supplement. It's ok if EPA and DHA are added to the supplement, but many of the fish oil supplements are primarily EPA and DHA. The way to tell is to simply read the ingredient list. If the main ingredients are fish oil, then the supplement is primarily derivatives.
Another reason to avoid fish oil is quality. The best fish aren't going to be ground up and pressed for supplement oil, they are sent to markets and restaurants to be sold for top dollar. Fish used for supplements are lower quality fish or farmed raised fish. Krill is also commonly used for supplement oil. When is the last time you can recall humans eating krill? The tiny little creatures are usually eaten by whales. When choosing supplements, remember to keep in mind step 4 in the Healthy for Life U
plan. That is to use common sense and compare it to the past before all of the processing and mass production. Why aren't we getting the nutrient today, and how would we have gotten it before? We already discussed why we aren't getting it, and where people used to get it would have been from meats or seeds. Now you might ask, what about people groups who live by the ocean and eat lots of fish. Eating fish is great, when you get the oil from the fish you are getting in it a good proportion. Fish oil supplements are mega-dosing on the derivatives, giving you much more than you would get even eating fish three times per day. Those people are also eating other foods to get the parent omegas.
Plant based omega supplements are the best option and contain parent oils. When offered as organic, they are the most pure, quality oils available. Flax oil is the primary plant oil containing omega 3. Evening primrose, sunflower, safflower (linoleic varieties), pumpkin and borage are the primary seeds that contain omega 6 fats. A few of these have omega 3 in them also, but it's minimal compared to the omega 6. The best supplements for omega oils will have between 2 to 1 and 3 to 1 for the ratio between omega 6 and 3. Your body needs much more omega 6 than three.
Some will say we get plenty of omega 6 from our diets, the fact of the matter is that it's mostly processed and adulterated, meaning our body can't use it. Also the American Heart Association encouraged the use of omega 6 in the article Omega-6 Fatty Acids and Risk for Cardiovascular Disease. They even warned against the use of omega 3 without omega 6. This, however, is off the topic for this post, we'll discuss that in another post, for today we'll just leave it at that :)
For a great organic omega product formulated in the correct ratio, visit http://www.healthyforlifeusa.com/products/omega/
This is why supplementing omega 3 and omega 6 is a good idea, to insure you are getting the fats that your body requires. So the next questions is what product to supplement? There are literally thousands of omega supplements on the market. Currently the focus is largely on omega 3, specifically EPA and DHA. These are the omega 3 derivatives that are found in fish oil. Much attention is given to these derivatives, mainly because the fish oil industry has spent tons of money commissioning research to be done on the benefits of these fats. It is true that we need these derivatives, however, the body doesn't need a lot of them. Studies show that we need 5% or less of the omegas in derivative form, and 95% in the parent form.
So what is the parent form? Parent omega 3 and parent omega 6 are technically Alpha Linoleic Acid (ALA) and Linoleic Acid (LA). These are the most basic forms of the omega series fats. Your body can take these fats and break them down into related substances, also called derivatives. It's important to note that your body can not use a derivative fat and create the parent fat. Since your body needs around 95% parent fats, it doesn't make sense to focus on supplementing a derivative oil, like EPA and DHA, as the primary supplement. It's ok if EPA and DHA are added to the supplement, but many of the fish oil supplements are primarily EPA and DHA. The way to tell is to simply read the ingredient list. If the main ingredients are fish oil, then the supplement is primarily derivatives.
Another reason to avoid fish oil is quality. The best fish aren't going to be ground up and pressed for supplement oil, they are sent to markets and restaurants to be sold for top dollar. Fish used for supplements are lower quality fish or farmed raised fish. Krill is also commonly used for supplement oil. When is the last time you can recall humans eating krill? The tiny little creatures are usually eaten by whales. When choosing supplements, remember to keep in mind step 4 in the Healthy for Life U
plan. That is to use common sense and compare it to the past before all of the processing and mass production. Why aren't we getting the nutrient today, and how would we have gotten it before? We already discussed why we aren't getting it, and where people used to get it would have been from meats or seeds. Now you might ask, what about people groups who live by the ocean and eat lots of fish. Eating fish is great, when you get the oil from the fish you are getting in it a good proportion. Fish oil supplements are mega-dosing on the derivatives, giving you much more than you would get even eating fish three times per day. Those people are also eating other foods to get the parent omegas.
Plant based omega supplements are the best option and contain parent oils. When offered as organic, they are the most pure, quality oils available. Flax oil is the primary plant oil containing omega 3. Evening primrose, sunflower, safflower (linoleic varieties), pumpkin and borage are the primary seeds that contain omega 6 fats. A few of these have omega 3 in them also, but it's minimal compared to the omega 6. The best supplements for omega oils will have between 2 to 1 and 3 to 1 for the ratio between omega 6 and 3. Your body needs much more omega 6 than three.
Some will say we get plenty of omega 6 from our diets, the fact of the matter is that it's mostly processed and adulterated, meaning our body can't use it. Also the American Heart Association encouraged the use of omega 6 in the article Omega-6 Fatty Acids and Risk for Cardiovascular Disease. They even warned against the use of omega 3 without omega 6. This, however, is off the topic for this post, we'll discuss that in another post, for today we'll just leave it at that :)
For a great organic omega product formulated in the correct ratio, visit http://www.healthyforlifeusa.com/products/omega/
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Can food really be the problem and the solution?
Yes, food is our problem and our solution! What we eat and where it comes from are the cause of virtually all of the major diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression and cancer. The simple explanation is that we are simply not feeding our bodies good food - the types of food we need to fight disease and have strong immune systems. The good news is that since food is often the problem, it is also often the solution! Simply learn how to determine good food from bad and your body will do the rest.
Cellular biologist Dr. Bruce Lipton believes that 98% of disease is preventable and reversible and less than 2% is genetic. Much of the focus in our medical system is on treating symptoms and making people comfortable. Just because a symptom goes away, that doesn’t mean your problem has gone away. We need to shift our mindset to ask what the cause of our problems is and look for long term solutions. That’s when real healing begins! The Healthy for Life U is all about long term success. Very few things we teach will give you over night success; it’s all about the big picture and long term results.
So what are the foods that help your body heal?
The best foods are minimally processed and as close to their original state as possible. These foods are often referred to as whole foods. These foods would include fresh vegetables, fruits and various kinds of meat, poultry and fish. For fruits and vegetables, fresh and local are best. The progression of the next best options would be organic, conventional then frozen. For meats grass-fed or free range is best.
In addition to eating whole foods, it is extremely important to supplement key minerals and omega fatty acids. Minerals are simply depleted from the soils and most people aren't getting enough of the essential minerals the body needs. Iron, magnesium, zinc, selenium, copper, manganese, chromium and boron are the most important minerals to supplement. Fatty acids are also often missing from your diet and are so essential to the immune system and cardiovascular health, everyone should be supplementing omega 3 and 6. It's important to note, seeds oils are a far better source of omega 3 and 6 than fish oil. Seeds oils are more complete and are more pure than fish oil.
By eating quality food and supplementing minerals and omegas, your body will be getting the nutrition it needs and will be able to build an immune system that is capable of healing and preventing disease. You will be amazed at how good you feel and how you can overcome any health issues you may be dealing with. You will notice less sickness and more energy!
In addition to eating whole foods, it is extremely important to supplement key minerals and omega fatty acids. Minerals are simply depleted from the soils and most people aren't getting enough of the essential minerals the body needs. Iron, magnesium, zinc, selenium, copper, manganese, chromium and boron are the most important minerals to supplement. Fatty acids are also often missing from your diet and are so essential to the immune system and cardiovascular health, everyone should be supplementing omega 3 and 6. It's important to note, seeds oils are a far better source of omega 3 and 6 than fish oil. Seeds oils are more complete and are more pure than fish oil.
By eating quality food and supplementing minerals and omegas, your body will be getting the nutrition it needs and will be able to build an immune system that is capable of healing and preventing disease. You will be amazed at how good you feel and how you can overcome any health issues you may be dealing with. You will notice less sickness and more energy!
Monday, June 30, 2014
The new U blog
Welcome to the U blog. This blog is intended to be a useful tool to help keep you focused, motivated and excited about your health! If you have any topics you'd like to see covered, let us know we'd love to hear from you. If you'd like to learn more about Healthy for Life U our website is www.healthyforlifeu.com.
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