Shedding some light on fats

Most of the clients I see in my practice are health-conscious, educated people. They follow the food pyramid guidelines, yet they struggle with weight gain, fatigue, gastro-intestinal issues, constant hunger and cravings, hormonal imbalances, depression and more.

When I review their food journals, I find out that their diets contain little or no fat, or, worse, adulterated man-made concoctions (the supposedly “healthy” margarine, the “I can’t believe it’s almost plastic”, etc). They proudly tell me that they stay away from red meats, egg yolks, butter, whole dairy products and eat plenty of skinless chicken, low-fat dairy, and, of course, the recommended 6 to 11 daily servings of carbohydrates.

When I counsel them to eat healthy fats, they look relieved and puzzled at the same time. A healthy male body is composed of about 15 to 18% of fat; a healthy female body is composed of up to 28% of fat.

Listing all the roles that fats play in the body goes beyond the scope of this article. By way of example, here are a few. Fats provide energy and are the preferred source of fuel for the heart. About two-thirds of our brain is composed of fats, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) being the most abundant. Fats serve as a protective lining for our organs. Fats are hormone precursors. Without fats our bodies cannot absorb and utilize the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Fats are essential in managing the inflammatory process. And much, much more.

But not all fats are created equal. Our bodies thrive when we eat animal and vegetable fats as nature intended. Animal fats should come from organic free-range, grass-fed animals. The type of diet the animal eats determines the quality of fat. This is only one reason why it is better to avoid “conventional” meat, poultry and fish.

Animals raised for conventional market are fed a diet that is not interested in producing healthy animals. Such a diet has numerous “side effects”. Livestock endure chronic inflammation, infections and disease that require massive anti-biotic treatment. Cattle “fattened” on grains, soy and corn produce meat that contains more fat than their organic counterparts (let’s not forget that farmers are paid based on the weight of the animals they sell for slaughter).

Meat from conventionally raised cattle and poultry contains imbalanced ratios of omega3s and omega6s. If this wasn’t enough, toxins are stored in fat tissue, both in humans and animals. Research studies have long determined that conventional meat, poultry and fish contain anti-biotic and pesticide residues. In 1998, the European Union banned the import of hormone-treated US meats, and not without a reason.

Please visit www.preventcancer.com/consumers/general/hormones_meat.htm for more information.

Vegetable fats are no exception. Since when can we hand squeeze oil out of cottonseed or grape seed? Unfortunately for us, the food industry has learned to make money out of garbage, and we have supermarket shelves filled with rancid, processed, hydrogenated, genetically modified oils, always publicized as the latest health-promoting product.

So how do we choose among dozens of new products hitting the shelves every month? How do we know what is really good and what is harmful to our bodies?

Let’s take a look at evolution. Humankind has thrived for thousands of year eating traditional diets. The healthiest populations around the world consume great amounts of natural fats: whole raw milk, butter and cheeses, whole eggs, fatty fish, meat and poultry (skin and fat included!), lard, and tallow from healthy animals, coconut oil, olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado oils, all natural, unrefined, extra-virgin.

Nature provides us with perfect foods that our modern food industry tries to modify in the name of convenience and profit.

A Note on Cholesterol

Everywhere we look, we are told that eggs are bad for us. Dairy products and red meat have been banned. Traditional foods that have nourished mankind have been replaced by cholesterol-free, low-fat pseudo foods. Yet, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) approximately one in every six adults—16.3% of the U.S. adult population—has high total cholesterol. The level defined as high total cholesterol is 240 mg/dL and above.

When our blood vessels become damaged (for example through irritations caused by free radicals or viruses, or because they are structurally weak), the body’s natural healing substance, cholesterol, steps in to repair the damage.

Cholesterol is a high-molecular-weight alcohol that is manufactured in the liver and in most human cells. Like the saturated fats, the cholesterol we make and consume plays many vital roles:

  • Along with saturated fats, cholesterol in the cell membrane gives our cells necessary stiffness and stability. When the diet contains an excess of polyunsaturated fatty acids, these replace saturated fatty acids in the cell membrane, so that the cell walls actually become flabby. When this happens, cholesterol from the blood is “driven” into the tissues to give them structural integrity. This is why serum cholesterol levels may go down temporarily when we replace saturated fats with polyunsaturated oils in the diet
  • Cholesterol acts as a precursor to vital corticosteroids, hormones that help us deal with stress and protect the body against heart disease and cancer; and to the sex hormones like androgen, testosterone, estrogen and progesterone
  • Cholesterol is a precursor to vitamin D, a very important fat-soluble vitamin needed for healthy bones and nervous system, proper growth, mineral metabolism, muscle tone, insulin production, reproduction and immune system function
  • The bile slats are made from cholesterol. Bile is vital for digestion and assimilation of fats in the diet
  • Recent research shows that cholesterol acts as an antioxidant. This is the likely explanation for the fact that cholesterol levels go up with age. As an antioxidant, cholesterol protects us against free radical damage that leads to heart disease and cancer
  • Cholesterol is needed for proper function of serotonin receptors in the brain. Serotonin is body’s natural “feel-good” chemical. Low cholesterol levels have been linked to aggressive and violent behavior, depression and suicidal tendencies
  • Mother’s milk is especially rich in cholesterol and contains a special enzyme that helps the baby utilize this nutrient. Babies and children need cholesterol-rich foods throughout their growing years to ensure proper development of the brains and nervous system
  • Dietary cholesterol plays an important role in maintaining the health of the intestinal wall. This is why low-cholesterol vegetarian diets can lead to leaky gut syndrome and other intestinal disorders

Cholesterol is not the cause of heart disease but rather a potent antioxidant weapon against free radicals in the blood, and a repair substance that helps heal arterial damage (although the arterial plaques themselves contain very little cholesterol).

However, like fats, cholesterol may be damaged by exposure to heat and oxygen. This damaged or oxidized cholesterol seems to promote both injury to the arterial cells as well as a pathological buildup of plaque in the arteries. Damaged cholesterol is found in powdered eggs, in powdered milk (added to reduced-fat milks to give them body) and in meats and fats that have been heated to high temperatures in frying and other high-temperature processes.

High serum cholesterol levels often indicate that the body needs cholesterol to protect itself from high levels of altered, free-radical-containing fats. Just as a large police force is needed in a locality where crime occurs frequently, so cholesterol is needed in a poorly nourished body to protect the individual from a tendency to heart disease and cancer. Blaming coronary heart disease on cholesterol is like blaming the police for murder and theft in a high crime areal

Poor thyroid function (hypothyroidism) will often result in high cholesterol levels. When thyroid function is poor, usually due to a diet high in sugar and low in usable iodine, fat-soluble vitamins and other nutrients, the body floods the blood with cholesterol as an adaptive and protective mechanism, providing a superabundance of materials needed to heal tissues and produce protective steroids. Hypothyroid individuals are particularly susceptible to infections, heart disease and cancer.

References
Jones, P J,[I] Am J Clin Nutr[/I], Aug 1997, 66(2):438-46; Julias, A D, et al, [I]J Nutr[/I], Dec 1982, 112(12):2240-9
Cranton, E M, MD, and J P Frackelton, MD, [I]Journal of Holistic Medicine[/I], Spring/Summer 1984, 6-37
Engelberg, Hyman, [I]Lancet[/I], Mar 21, 1992, 339:727-728; Wood, W G, et al, [I]Lipids[/I], Mar 1999, 34(3):225-234
Alfin-Slater, R B, and L Aftergood, “Lipids,”[I] Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease[/I], 6th ed, R S Goodhart and M E Shils, eds, Lea and Febiger, Philadelphia 1980, 134
Addis, Paul, [I]Food and Nutrition News[/I], March/April 1990, 62:2:7-10
Barnes, Broda, and L Galton, [I]Hyprthyroidism, The Unsuspected Illness[/I], 1976, T Y Crowell, New York, NY

3 Tips to Keep Olive Oil Fresh, Healthy & Delicious

Wow. This week, I debunked so many olive oil myths, I should go work for the industry! I think if I put 10 of my nutritional therapy clients together in a room and asked them about how to best store olive oil, it would turn into a brawl. Here are my best tips for olive oil storage and use. Now stop arguing!

Olive oil is one of the preferred cooking oils in the Mediterranean. Its high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids and antioxidant substances protect the heart. To keep its nutrients in the best shape and its flavor rich, follow these tips:

  • Keep olive oil away from both sunlight and indoor light. Pantry is best. It does not need to be kept in the refrigerator. Buy extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) in a dark glass bottle to further prevent light from irradiating it
  • Keep olive oil away from the stove. The heat makes it rancid
  • Use olive oil raw or used at medium heat in stir-fries, sautéing, simmering. Do not heat olive oil above its smoking point (350 degrees F)

Does that settle it?

If you’re interested in the Mediterranean diet, make sure to read the 2 other posts in this series: A Forgotten Superfood at the Heart of the Mediterranean Diet and 3 Myths about the Mediterranean Diet.

For a nutrition or a diet plan tailored to your physiology, medical issues, life stage, feel free to call me, Francesca, at 619-208-8159. I offer a free 15-minute where I recommend resources based on your particular opportunities and limitations. An athlete myself (tennis, hiking, weight-lifting) as well as a holistic nutritional therapy practitioner, I am constantly refining my own sports nutrition. Contact me to find out how you can optimize your health and performance with ideal nutrition! Get helpful tips and notification of great healthy events when you like us on our Healthful Living Facebook page as well!

Soy, friend or foe?

Every year, our supermarket shelves are inundated with new man-made concoctions. From cereals to crackers, from baby formula to granola bars. What do this items have in common? If you have a degree in chemistry, you will be able to read the labels, and find that one of the common ingredients in a variety of Franken-foods is soy. Some of the names under which soy may be listed are: soy albumin, soy fiber, soy flour, soy grits, soy milk, soy nuts, soy sprouts, soya, soybean (curd, granules), soybean butter, soy protein (concentrate, isolate) soy sauce, tamari, textured vegetable protein (TVP), tofu.

Soy protein may also found in many additives: hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), flavoring (including natural and artificial), canned chicken broth, vegetable broth, gum, and starch, bouillon cubes (beef, chicken, vegetable, etc.). I believe that sprouted soy products (miso, natto, tempeh), sprouted in the traditional manner, and used as condiments, as the Asian populations do, can be a healthy component of our diet.

Asians have discovered over 3000 years ago that soaking, fermenting and sprouting soybeans would make them more digestible. Let’s see why, soy as it comes in nature is not an health-promoting food for humans and animals alike.

Soy contains:

  • Phytic acid that prevents the absorption of vitamins and minerals, mainly iron, calcium and zinc
  • Enzyme inhibitors that prevent the absorption of vitamin A and vitamin D
  • Protease inhibitors (including trypsin and papain inhibitors). These impair the digestive enzymes necessary to metabolize protein. The results are gastric distress, poor protein digestion (which can lead to leaky gut), overworked pancreas, and malnutrition
  • Saponins bind and impair bile function and can result in damage to the intestinal lining
  • Goitrogens that suppress thyroid function by interfering with iodine uptake
  • Lectins, toxic protein compounds found in most foods, but in heavy amounts in seeds, grains and legumes. According to Dr Kaayla Daniel, large aounts of lectins can damage the heart, kidneys and liver, lower blood clotting ability, destroy the lining of the intestines, and inhibit cell division. Cooking neutralizes lectins to some extent
  • Oxalates, compounds that impair calcium absorption and are associated with kidney stone formation
  • Isoflavones, plant compounds which act like estrogen in the body and effect the reproductive and nervous system

Soy is one of the most allergenic foods. Allergens, not only are a digestion nightmare, but also weaken the immune system and cause chronic inflammation. Hydrolyzed soy protein, which is the base of so many mock meat products and soy protein powders, has a few more negative things added to it. While containing all the antinutrients listed above, in order to obtain this foodstuff, the soy beans are subject to an extensive production methods. This description is excerpted from the FAO document is titled

“Technology of Production of Edible Flours and Protein Products from Soybeans”.

“Using defatted soy flour or flakes as the starting material, the protein is first solubilized in water.

The conventional procedure for ISP production is based on protein solubilization at neutral or slightly alkaline pH, and precipitation by acidification to the isoelectric region, near pH 4.5. The resulting product is “isoelectric ISP”. It has low solubility in water and limited functional activity. Different “proteinates” can be produced by resuspending isoelectric ISP in water, neutralizing with different bases and spray-drying the resulting solution or suspension. According to the base used for neutralization sodium, potassium, ammonium or calcium “proteinates” are produced. The first three are highly soluble in water, producing solutions with very high viscosities, foaming, emulsification and gel forming properties. Calcium proteinate has low solubility. Low-solubility (inert) ISP’s are used where the formulation calls for a high level of protein incorporation without excessive viscosity of other functional contributions.

Since spray-drying is the common drying method in the production of ISP, the primary physical form of ISP in commerce, is that of fine powders.”

This is certainly not a nutrient dense, whole food.
Do you still want to eat it?

For further reference please check:
The Whole Soy Story, Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD, CCN
The Hidden Dangers of Soy, Dianne Gregg
Excitotoxins – The Taste that Kills, Russell L. Blaylock, MD

Would A GAPS Diet Help You?

Would a GAPS Diet Help You?
Ironically, our “advanced” western medical establishment cannot always successfully treat some of the most pervasive issues affecting Americans today. Families go from doctor to doctor looking for answers for:

  • Autism spectrum disorders (ASD)
  • Bi-polar disorder
  • Learning disabilities
  • Autoimmune conditions
  • Digestive distress

Many of these families find great relief and even complete healing when they regard their disease through the lens of gut and psychology syndrome, an issue first identified by British neurosurgeon Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride.

The basis of gut and psychology syndrome or GAPS™ is that when the bacteria or “flora” in the digestive tract or “gut” becomes compromised, the resulting toxicity can interfere with proper brain function. Effective nutritional therapy can re-balance gut flora to create a healthier overall physiology.

What’s in the Gut? You May Be Surprised
The human body carries around 4 to 6 pounds of bacteria or “flora.” We have more organisms living within us than we have cells in our body. It is a specialized, organized eco system, developed over years of evolution in our environment. Our gut flora has enabled us to adapt to our environment and the foods available.

When in proper balance, our gut flora supports our immune system. It synthesizes vitamins, aids digestion and elimination and detoxifies the body. Our beneficial gut flora also keeps pathogenic microorganisms in check by cleaning the intestine and fueling colon cells.

A newborn’s gut is sterile. As the baby passes through the birth canal, he swallows his first mouthful of flora. Whatever resides in mom’s vaginal tract colonizes baby’s gut.

In her book Gut And Psychology Syndrome. Natural Treatment Of Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Depression And Schizophrenia, Dr. McBride explains that antibiotics, medications, bottle feeding, chlorinated water, stress, alcohol and pollutants can put the gut flora into an unhealthy state. She also points to unhealthy foods like refined carbohydrates, sugar and processed foods ferment in the gut. This fermentation supports pathogenic microorganisms but starves the healthy flora which in better conditions would combat those pathogenic organisms.

An imbalance in gut flora also impacts the enterocytes, the cells in the small intestine that carry out final digestion by absorbing nutrients, electrolytes and water. With unbalanced gut flora, the enterocytes weaken allowing nutrients and even food particles cross the gut lining and go into the blood stream in inappropriate sizes. Without nutrients broken into the form the body can use, the immune system is compromised and the body can even become malnourished.

When the pathogenic microorganisms running rampant in the gut move into the blood stream, toxicity and disease follow. A toxic brain can cause seizures, autistic behavior, migraine headaches, mental and mood disorders, learning disabilities and more.

The GAPS Diet
The goal of the GAPS protocol is to reestablish the optimal gut ecology, heal and seal the gut lining, and gently detoxify the body.

The diet removes all:

  • Processed foods
  • Foods that feed pathogenic microorganisms; and
  • Foods that cannot be broken down by damaged enterocytes.

It replaces those with:

  • Nutrient dense, whole foods diet that provides the building blocks necessary to rebuild and repair the entire body from the cell up
  • Healing foods like bone broths, fermented vegetables and dairy products
  • Fresh vegetables, proteins and animal fats

And supports those choices with the following supplements:

  • Therapeutic probiotics
  • EPA and DHA from fish oil
  • Other supplements based on individual need and level of toxicity

GAPS Diet Creator Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride
In the 1990s British neurologist and neurosurgeon Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride’s son was diagnosed with autism. With no effective treatments available, she began to explore the condition herself.

The changes she was making in her son’s diet seemed to ease some of his behaviors. Eventually, she obtained a second doctorate in human nutrition at Sheffield University in England. She is now recognized as one of the world’s leading experts in using nutrition to treat autism spectrum conditions, mood disorders, learning disabilities and digestive and immune issues.

Why The GAPS Diet Is Worth a Shot: My Perspective
The U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that “about 1 in 88 children has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD)”. “About 1 in 6 children in the U.S. had a developmental disability in 2006-2008, ranging from mild disabilities such as speech and language impairments to serious developmental disabilities, such as intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, and autism”. The CDC also states that 4 out of 100 children have a food allergy, and children with food allergies are more prone to develop asthma and other allergic conditions. To this scenario, we add the hundreds of thousands of children suffering from delayed food sensitivities and intolerances.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of parents try treatment after treatment for these mystifying disorders with no results. I have personally seen amazing turn-arounds in the health and well-being of both children and adults after utilizing the GAPS™ diet. I had one client who, suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, spent three months detoxifying and then re-balancing and rebuilding her body with non-processed, real, whole foods. Her rheumatoid arthritis abated and she is now able to live a normal, healthy life, and even play tennis again! Another client put her autistic son on the GAPS diet. Within six months, his head-banging and other autistic behaviors had diminished to the point where he could make eye contact, play with toys without engaging in distractive behavior, he is now seeking the company of other children and he is being a social butterfly.

As a Certified GAPS Practitioner I have seen so many clients heal and regain their lives. I have seen children and families blessed with a second chance.

Getting Started on the GAPS Diet
There is enough information on the internet to make some strides in developing a diet of your own. If you or a loved one is suffering from ASD, bi-polar disorder, a learning disability, or an autoimmune condition, please get a copy of Gut And Psychology Syndrome and visit www.gaps.me (I am not affiliated with that site in any way.)

If, however, you want to make sure to get started correctly, figuring in your own medical issues and goals, I can help with a GAPS consultation. It takes time, planning and dedication to implement GAPS. The protocol is strict and it is labor intensive. But the results are short of amazing. If you’d prefer to just check me out for a while, sign up for my newsletter or “like”my  Healthful Living Facebook page.

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