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Good Fats
versus Bad Fats
by Laurie Lynch, ND
Fats
-. Fats consist of fatty acids and glycerol, the fatty acids being either
“saturated” or “unsaturated Fats have the primary function of being energy
sources for the body, are needed for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, And
various other functions
Good fats
-
Avocado
can increase energy, aid in weight loss, nourish brain and nerve cells.
-
Olive oil
(cold pressed, organic, in a dark container) helps to improve cell membranes and
brain function.
-
"EFAs [essential fatty
acids] help treat addictive behaviors, including tobacco, alcohol, and drug
addictions, as well as addictions to sex and violence… EFAs increase the amount
of tension that a person is able to bear. …They keep brain and nerve
function more stable under stress and tension. They help make it
easier for people not to 'fly off the handle' at the small provocations, the
day-to-day frustrations that lead to the use of alcohol, drugs and addictive
behaviors in the first place" (Erasmus, p. 356).
Good sources of EFAs
include hemp seed oil, flax seeds, raw, soaked sun flower seeds and sesame
seeds, Evening primrose oil (helps improve
schizophrenia), borage and black currant oils, and lecithin.
EFA
deficiencies can cause behavioral disturbances, impaired vision and learning
ability, motor incoordination, behavioral changes, mental deterioration, etc.,
but can be reversed when EFAs are added to the diet.
Bad
Fats
-
Animal fats can cause
free-radical damage causing cancer, heart disease, high cholesterol, mood and
behavioral problems. “When
(these) fats are ingested in
any quantity, they slow the emptying of the stomach and produce a certain mental
sluggishness” (Mark 148) .
“Meat fats tend to contain more
cholesterol and less in the way of essential fatty acids”
(Schwartz 112).
-
Heated vegetable oils - "Refined
oils, tropical fats, margarines, shortenings, partially hydrogenated
vegetable oils, etc. which, although free of cholesterol, may kill you by
means of other toxic ingredients, far more rapidly than would the feared
cholesterol." (Udo Erasmus,
1986, Fats that Heal Fats that Kill, Alive Books, p. 135).
"Fried foods are found in a typical diet and disrupt the glandular
system."
(Louise Tenney, 1983, Today's Hearbal Health, Woodland Books, p.
166).
-
Synthetic
fats -
Olestra, the fake fat recently
approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is both dangerous and
unnecessary. Olestra was approved over the objection of dozens of leading
scientists. The additive may be fat-free but it has a fatal side-effect: it
attaches to valuable nutrients and flushes them out of the body. Some of these
nutrients -- called carotenoids -- appear to protect us from such diseases as
lung cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease, and macular degeneration. The
Harvard School of Public Health states that "the long-term consumption of
olestra snack foods might therefore result in several thousand unnecessary
deaths each year from lung and, prostate cancers and heart disease, and hundreds
of additional cases of blindness in the elderly due to macular degeneration.
Besides contributing to disease, olestra causes diarrhea and other serious
gastrointestinal problems, even at low doses.
"FDA certified olestra despite the
fact that there are safe low-fat snacks already on the market. There is no
evidence to show that olestra will have any significant effect on reducing
obesity in America. Despite being approved as safe by the FDA, all snacks
containing olestra must carry a warning label (similar to one found on
cigarettes) that states: This Product Contains Olestra. Olestra may cause
abdominal cramping and loose stools. Olestra inhibits the absorption of some
vitamins and other nutrients. Vitamins A, D, E, and K have been added”
( http://www.cspinet.org/reports/food.htm).
Examples of "good fat" recipes:
KIWI-LIME PIE
Blend until smooth 3 small LIMES with 4 small
AVOCADOS, 4 KIWIS, and 3 Tbsp RAW HONEY. Taste test and adjust. Serve in RAW
ALMOND CRUST, or as pudding or frozen as ice cream.
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RAW ALMOND
CRUST
2-3 cups RAW ALMONDS
1 or more tbsp. PSYLLIUM husk
2-4 tbsp. WATER or COCONUT MILK
dash of BRAGG’S AMINOS
1 Tbsp. RAW HONEY
Soak almonds in water 36 hours, drain and dry
thoroughly. Process almonds in food processor until fine. Pulse- chop, gradually
adding Bragg’s, honey, and liquid until mixture holds together, then gradually
add psyllium until thoroughly mixed. Press mixture evenly into pie plate.
For a crispier crust, place in dehydrator.
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CAROB
ALMOND PUDDING or ICE CREAM
1 ripe AVOCADO
2 Tbsp. raw ALMOND BUTTER
1 cup COCONUT MILK
2 Tbsp. CAROB POWDER
1/4 cup shredded COCONUT and/ or raw ALMONDS, soaked and chopped
Blend avocado, almond butter, carob and coconut milk
until smooth, if desired, top with shredded coconut and/ or nuts. Eat
immediately or freeze as ice cream. 2 serving
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