YOGHURTS : How to choose the best for your health

Yogurt is often marketed as a healthy food.

However, the sugar and flavorings added to many yogurts can make them more like junk food.

For this reason, navigating the yogurt aisle of your grocery store can be confusing.

Always Read the Label

Reading the label should always be your first step when deciding what food to buy.

This is because reading the label is essential to knowing what is really in your food.

On the outside, it may seem like all yogurts are the same. However, if you know what to look for, the label on each yogurt can tell a different story.

Ingredients List

Although all yogurts start out as plain yogurt, they often contain a variety of added ingredients, such as sugar, artificial flavors, dyes, stabilizers and preservatives.

When possible, choose a yogurt without large amounts of added ingredients. Instead, try to choose a yogurt with few ingredients.

They should include milk, the bacterial cultures used to turn milk into yogurt and not much else.

Ingredients are listed by weight, so avoid yogurts that have sugar listed near the top.

Better yet, simply avoid all yogurts that have any type of added sugar on the ingredients list.

Sugar can be listed under a number of different names including sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, cane sugar and agave nectar.

Nutrition Facts

The nutrition facts on the label can give you some of the most specific information.

The serving size and calories per serving are listed at the top. The nutrition facts can also tell you how many carbs, fat, protein and sugar are in each serving.

Note that there may be more than one serving per container, meaning there are more calories too.

Right now, the nutrition label does not distinguish added sugar from naturally occurring sugar, which can make it difficult to tell how much sugar has been added.

However, labeling guidelines have recently changed so that the grams of added sugar per serving will also be listed on labels in the future.

The nutrition information will also tell you how much calcium and vitamin D each yogurt serving contains.

Ideally, your yogurt will contain vitamin D and a significant part of your daily calcium needs. This will be listed as percentage of daily value (% DV) on the label. 

Avoid Added Sugar

The main culprit that turns yogurt from a healthy food into an unhealthy one is added sugar 

It’s estimated that sugar-sweetened beverages are responsible for 40% of that increase. However, processed foods with added sugar, including sweetened yogurts, help contribute to it.

Eating too much sugar can be very damaging to health. Research has linked it to the development of obesity, heart disease, metabolic dysfunction, liver disease and type 2 diabetes, among other problems.

Although yogurt already contains some natural sugar in the form of lactose (milk sugar), food companies often add large amounts of simple sugars to make yogurt taste sweeter.

Plain yogurt typically contains around 10–15 grams of carbs per cup (245 grams), but flavored or sweetened yogurts can easily contain more than 30 grams per serving.

To choose a healthy yogurt, pick the brands with the least sugar per serving. This means as little as possible over the 10–15 grams per cup (245 grams) that is already present from lactose.

Typically, the healthiest choice is plain, unflavored yogurt. But if you don’t like plain yogurt, there are a few things you can do instead.

One option is to sweeten it yourself with your favorite fresh fruit.

You can also make your own chia seed yogurt to make plain yogurt less tart.

Look for Live Cultures

Healthy prebiotic are used to make yogurt. They turn the milk sugar (lactose) into lactic acid, which causes the yogurt to taste sour.

These probiotic bacteria, often referred to as “live cultures” in yogurt, can offer a large number of health benefits.

Although research on probiotics is still in its infancy, studies suggest that they can:

• Improve symptoms of lactose intolerance.
• Stimulate the immune system.
• Significantly reduce symptoms of depression.
• Reduce the risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhea in children and adults.
• Improve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

Other studies found that probiotic yogurt could help lower cholesterol body weight and even inflammatory markers.

Eating yogurt with the probioticBifidobacterium has also been shown to improve bowel regularity in children and women.

All yogurts contain these live cultures initially, since they are the ingredient that turns milk into yogurt.

However, the probiotic content of a yogurt can vary greatly depending on a number of factors, including packaging methods and storage conditions.

To get the most benefits from your yogurt, choose one with the most probiotics. Unfortunately, there’s no easy way to tell how much each yogurt contains.

The National Yogurt Association offers a “Live and Active Cultures” seal for yogurts that contain 100 million cultures (bacteria) per gram at the time of testing. The seal looks like this:

Image Source: Fage.

However, getting the seal is expensive. Many brands opt to go without it, even if they do meet the 100 million cultures per gram qualification.

Low-Fat vs Full-Fat

Yogurt can be made from whole, low-fat or fat-free milk.

Health experts often recommend low-fat dairy products because most people already eat more calories than they need.

As a result, most yogurts are made from low-fat or fat-free milk.

However, reduced-fat yogurts typically contain the most sugar, which is added to compensate for the loss of flavor from fat. So if you choose low-fat yogurt, be sure to look for one without added sugar.

When Choosing a Healthy Yogurt, Less Is More

When it comes to yogurt, keeping it healthy means keeping it simple.

Try to pick a yogurt that has few ingredients and as little added sugar as possible. Plain and unsweetened yogurt is best.

Apart from that, most choices are up to personal preference.

As long as you follow these tips, you can feel confident that the yogurt you pick is a healthy and nutritious choice.

ARE GREEN BANANAS GOOD OR BAD?

Bananas are incredibly tasty and easy to eat.

What’s more, they’re rich in many essential vitamins and minerals.

Most people eat bananas when they’re yellow and ripe, but green and unripe bananas are also safe to eat.

However, some people dislike their taste and texture.

Green vs Yellow Bananas: What’s the Difference?

Bananas are typically harvested while they’re still green. This helps ensure they don’t get too ripe before you buy them.

Therefore, you might see them in this color in the supermarket.

Besides being different in color, green and yellow bananas differ in several ways:

• Taste: Green bananas are less sweet. They’re actually quite bitter in taste.
• Texture: Green bananas are firmer than yellow bananas. Their texture has sometimes been described as waxy.
• Composition: Green bananas are higher in starches. As bananas ripen and turn yellow, the starches transform into sugars.

Additionally, green bananas are harder to peel, while ripe bananas are easy to peel.

As The Banana Ripens, The Carb Composition Changes

Unripe bananas contain mostly starch, which makes up 70–80% of their dry weight.

Much of that starch is resistant starch which is not digested in the small intestine.

Therefore, it’s often classified as dietary fiber 

However, bananas lose their starch as they ripen. During ripening, their starch is converted into simple sugars (sucrose, glucose and fructose).

Interestingly, ripe bananas contain only 1% starch.

Green bananas are also a good source of pectin. This type of dietary fiber is found in fruits and helps them keep their structural form. Pectin breaks down when a banana becomes overripe, which causes the fruit to become soft and mushy.

The resistant starch and pectin in green bananas can provide a number of health benefits, including improved blood sugar control and better digestive health.

Health

The nutrients in green bananas may also have a prebiotic effect 

Instead of being broken down in your intestine, resistant starch and pectin feed the friendly bacteria that reside in your gut.

The bacteria ferment these two types of fiber, producing butyrate and other beneficial short-chain fatty acids 

Short-chain fatty acids may help with various digestive problems.

In addition, there is some evidence suggesting that they help protect against colon cancer.

They Have Benefits for Your Blood Sugar

Having high blood sugar levels is a major health concern.

If left untreated over time, it may lead to type 2 diabetes and raise the risk of other serious health problems.

Both the pectin and resistant starch in green bananas may help control blood sugar levels after meals.

Unripe, green bananas also rank low on the glycemic index, with a value of 30. Well-ripened bananas have a score of around 60.

The glycemic index measures how quickly foods raise blood sugar levels after eating. 

The scale runs from 0 to 100, and lower values are good for blood sugar control.

Are Green Bananas Unhealthy in Any Way?

Green bananas are generally considered to be healthy.

However, there have been some online reports of people experiencing discomfort after eating them.

This includes digestive symptoms like bloating, gas and constipation 

Additionally, you may want to be careful with green bananas if you’re allergic to latex.

They contain proteins that are similar to the allergy-causing proteins in latex, which may cause reactions for people with a latex allergy. This condition is known as the latex-fruit syndrome.

How Green Does The Banana Have to Be?

Green bananas may provide some additional nutrients and benefits that yellow bananas do not.

They’re rich in resistant starch and pectin, which are filling, improve digestive health and help lower blood sugar levels.

However, some people find that green bananas have a bitter taste and bad texture.

Interestingly, the resistant starch and pectin gradually decrease as the banana ripens, so bananas that are yellow with a hint of green should still contain small amounts.

For this reason, the banana doesn’t have to be completely green for you to get at least some of these benefits.

ACNE AND COCONUT OIL: does coconut oil actually treat acne?

Acne is a common skin disease that affects up to 80% of people in their lifetime.

It is most common among teenagers, but it can affect adults of all ages.

Because of coconut oil’s many health properties, some people have started using it to treat acne.

This involves applying coconut oil directly to the skin, as well as eating it.

However, while coconut oil has been studied  for various health benefits.

What Causes Acne?

Acne forms when oil and dead skin cells clog up pores.

Pores are little holes in the skin, often referred to as hair follicles. Each hair follicle is connected to a sebaceous gland, which produces an oily substance called sebum.

When too much sebum is produced, it can fill and plug the hair follicle. This causes bacteria known as propionibacterium acnes or P. acnes, to grow.

The bacteria get trapped in the follicle, which causes your white blood cells to attack it. This results in skin inflammation, which leads to acne.

Symptoms of acne include whiteheads, blackheads and pimples. Some cases are more severe than others.

Many factors contribute to the development of acne, including hormone changes, genetics, diet, stress and infection.

The Fatty Acids in Coconut Oil Help Kill The Bacteria That Cause Acne

Coconut oil consists almost entirely of medium chain-fatty acids (MCFAs).

MCFAs have strong antimicrobial effects, which means they can kill disease-causing microorganisms.

Almost 50% of the fatty acids found in coconut oil are the medium-chain lauric acid.

Lauric acid may help kill harmful bacteria, fungi and viruses in the body. On its own, lauric acid has been shown to kill P. acnes

Coconut oil also contains capric, caproic and caprylic medium-chain fatty acids. While not as powerful as lauric acid, some of these are also effective against the bacteria that cause acne.

This property only applies when applying coconut oil directly to the skin, as this is where the acne-causing bacteria are located.

Applying Coconut Oil to Your Skin Can Moisturize It and Help With Healing

Many people with acne suffer from skin damage, which can lead to scarring.

Moisturizing the skin is an important step in keeping it healthy. That’s because your skin needs adequate moisture to fight infection and heal properly.

Research shows that applying coconut oil to the skin can help relieve dry skin while fighting bacteria.

In fact, studies show that using coconut oil as a moisturizer is as effective or more effective than using mineral oil.

Additionally, coconut oil may help heal your skin and prevent it from scarring.

However, some people apply it directly to the skin as a facial cleanser or moisturizer.

This may be beneficial against acne, but it’s not recommended for people who have very oily skin.

Coconut oil is highly comedogenic, which means it can clog pores. Consequently, it may actually make acne worse for some people.

To avoid making the problem worse, you may want to check with a dermatologist before trying it out.

PRE-WORKOUT NUTRITION : WHAT TO EAT BEFORE A WORKOUT

Good nutrition can help your body perform better and recover faster after each workout.

Optimal nutrient intake prior to exercise will not only help you maximize your performance but also minimize muscle damage.

Knowing What to Eat Is Important

Fueling your body with the right nutrients prior to exercise will give you the energy and strength you need to perform better.

Each macronutrient has a specific role before a workout. However, the ratio in which you need to consume them varies by individual and the type of exercise.

Below is a brief look at the role of each macronutrient.

Carbs

Your muscles use the glucose from carbohydrate fuel.

For short- and high-intensity exercise, your muscle and liver stores of glycogen are your muscles’ main source of energy.

But for longer exercises, the degree to which carbs are used depends on several factors. These include the intensity, type of training and your overall diet.

Your muscles’ glycogen stores are limited. As these stores become depleted, your output and intensity diminish.

Studies have consistently shown the ability of carbohydrates to increase glycogen stores and utilization while boosting carb oxidation during exercise.

Carb loading, which involves consuming a high-carb diet for 1–7 days, is a well-known method to maximize glycogen stores.

Protein

Many studies have documented the potential of pre-workout protein consumption to improve athletic performance.

Consuming protein alone or with carbs prior to exercise has been shown to increase muscle protein synthesis.

One study showed a positive anabolic response after the ingestion of 20 grams of whey protein before exercise.

Other benefits of eating protein before exercise include:

• Promote a better anabolic response, or muscle growth.
• Improve muscle recovery.
• Increase strength and lean body mass.
• Increase muscle performance
• 
  

• The Timing of Your Pre-Workout Meal Is Key

  The timing also an important aspect of pre-exercise nutrition.
  To maximize the results of your training, try to eat a complete meal containing carbs, protein and fat 2–3 hours before you exercise.
  However, in some cases you may not be able to get in a full meal 2-3 hours before working out.
  In that case, then you can still eat a decent pre-workout meal. Just keep in mind that the sooner you eat before your workout, the smaller and simpler the meal should be.
  So if you eat 45–60 minutes prior to your workout, choose foods that are simple to digest and contain mainly carbs and some protein.
  This will help prevent any stomach discomfort during exercise.

• Some Examples of Pre-Workout Meals

  Which foods and how much to eat depends on the type, duration and intensity of the workout.
  A good rule of thumb is to eat a mixture of carbs and protein prior to exercise.
  Here are some examples of balanced pre-workout meals:

  If Your Workout Starts in 2–3 Hours or More

  • Sandwich on whole grain bread, lean protein and side salad.
  • Egg omelet and whole grain toast topped with avocado spread and a cup of fruit.
  • Lean protein, brown rice and roasted vegetables.

  If Your Workout Starts Within 2 Hours

  • Protein smoothie made with milk, protein powder, banana and mixed berries.
  • Whole-grain cereal and milk.
  • A cup of oatmeal topped with banana and sliced almonds.
  • Natural almond butter and fruit preserve sandwich on whole-grain bread.

  If Your Workout Starts in 1 Hour or Less

  • Greek yogurt and fruit.
  • Nutrition bar with protein and wholesome ingredients.
  • A piece of fruit such as banana, orange or apple.
  Keep in mind that you don’t need to eat many pre-workout meals at different times. Just choose one of these.
  For best results, experiment with different timings and compositions of your pre-workout meal.

• Hydration Is Also Crucial

  Your body needs water to function optimally.
  Good hydration has been shown to sustain and even enhance performance, while dehydration has been linked to significant decreases in performance.
  It’s recommended to consume both water and sodium before exercise. This will improve fluid balance

COLLAGEN - what Is It And What Is It Good For

Collagen is the most plentiful protein in the body.

It has important roles, including providing structure to your skin and helping your blood clot. It’s one of the major building blocks of bones, skin, muscles, tendons and ligaments.Collagen is also found in many other body parts, including blood vessels, corneas and teeth.

You can think of it as the “glue” that holds all these things together. In fact, the word comes from the Greek word “kólla,” which means glue.

What Does It Do in the Body?

There are at least 16 types of collagen. The four main types are type I, II, III and IV.

Here’s a closer look at the four main types of collagen and their role in your body:

• Type I: This type accounts for 90% of your body’s collagen and is made of densely packed fibers. It provides structure to skin, bones, tendons, fibrous cartilage, connective tissue and teeth.
• Type II: This type is made of more loosely packed fibers and is found in elastic cartilage, which cushions joints.
• Type III: This type supports the structure of muscles, organs and arteries.
• Type IV: This type helps with filtration and is found in layers of your skin.

As you age, your body produces less and lower-quality collagen.

One of the visible signs of this is in your skin, which becomes less firm and supple. Cartilage also weakens with age.

Nutrients That Increase Collagen Production

All collagen starts off as procollagen.

Your body makes procollagen by combining two amino acids: glycine and proline. This process uses vitamin C.

You may be able to help your body produce this important protein by making sure you get plenty of the following nutrients:

• Vitamin C: Large amounts are found in citrus fruits, bell peppers and strawberries.
• Proline: Large amounts are found in egg whites, wheat germ, dairy products, cabbage, asparagus and mushrooms.
• Glycine: Large amounts are found in pork skin, chicken skin and gelatin, but glycine is also found in various protein-containing foods.
• Copper: Large amounts are found in organ meats, sesame seeds, cocoa powder, cashews and lentils.

In addition, your body needs high-quality protein that contains the amino acids needed to make new proteins. Meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, legumes are all excellent sources of amino acids.

Things That Damage Collagen

Perhaps it’s even more important to avoid the following collagen-destroying behaviors:

• Sugar and refined carbs: Sugar interferes with collagen’s ability to repair itself. Minimize your consumption of added sugar and refined carbs.
• Too much sunshine: Ultraviolet radiation can reduce collagen production. Avoid excessive sun exposure .
• Smoking: Smoking reduces collagen production. This can impair wound healing and lead to wrinkles.

Some autoimmune disorders, such as lupus, can also damage collagen.

Natural Food Sources

Collagen is found in the connective tissues of animal foods. For example, it’s found in large amounts in chicken and pork skin.

One particularly rich source is bwhich is made by boiling down the bones of chicken and other animals.

Gelatin is basically cooked collagen, so it is very high in the amino acids needed to produce it.

But there’s debate over whether consuming collagen-rich foods actually increases the levels in your body.

When you eat protein, it’s broken down into amino acids and then reassembled, so the collagen you eat wouldn’t translate directly into higher levels in your body.

AMAZING HEALTH BENEFITS OF BAKING SODA

What Exactly Is Baking Soda?

It's 100 percent sodium bicarbonate, which can be used as a leavening agent in baked goods. When mixed with an acid, baking soda reacts, making bubbles and giving off carbon dioxide gas, which causes dough to rise. Anecdotal reports throughout history suggest that many civilizations used forms of baking soda when making bread and other foods that required rising.

In its natural form, baking soda is known as nahcolite, which is part of the natural mineral natron. Natron, which contains large amounts of sodium bicarbonate, has been used since ancient times. And no, you don't need to get aluminum-free baking soda (you are confusing that with baking powder), as baking soda is already aluminum free.

 Ways to Use Baking Soda for Your Health purposes 

In addition to using it for minor accidents and injuries, baking soda can become a part of your regular hygiene routine.

1. Natural Deodorant

If you want to avoid the paraben and aluminum found in many deodorants and antiperspirants, try a pinch of baking soda mixed with water instead. This simple paste makes an effective and simple natural deodorant. You can also simply brush some dry baking soda under your arms.

2. Insect Bites and Poison Ivy

Apply a paste made of baking soda and water to insect bites to help relieve itching. You can also try rubbing the dry powder onto your skin. This is also effective for itchy rashes and poison ivy. Baking soda helps to relieve minor skin irritation and itching by neutralizing toxins and irritants on your skin's surface.

3. Heartburn, Indigestion, and Ulcer Pain

Most over-the-counter antacids contain some form of bicarbonate. Baking soda works by immediately neutralizing stomach acid, helping to relieve heartburn, indigestion and even ulcer pain.

Dosing is typically ½ teaspoon fully dissolved in a half a glass of water, taken every two hours (do not take more than seven ½ teaspoons in 24 hours, or three ½ teaspoons if you're over 60).

This should only be used as an occasional (not chronic) treatment, however, and be careful not to consume excessive amounts, which can cause serious electrolyte and acid/base imbalances.

4. Foot Soak and Exfoliator

Add three tablespoons of baking soda to a tub of warm water for an invigorating foot soak. You can scrub your feet with a baking soda paste for additional exfoliation. A paste made from three parts of baking soda combined with one part water can be used as an exfoliator for your face and body, too. It's natural, inexpensive and gentle enough to use every day

5. Hand Cleanser

Mix three parts baking soda with one part of water to make a natural hand cleanser that will scrub away dirt and neutralize odors.

6. Splinter removal

Add a tablespoon of baking soda to a small glass of water, then soak the affected area twice a day. Many splinters will come out on their own after a couple of days using this treatment.

7. Sunburn Remedy

Add ½ cup of baking soda to lukewarm bathwater, then soak in the tub for natural relief. When you get out, let your skin air dry, rather than toweling off the excess baking soda, for extra relief. You can also add a mixture of baking soda and water to a cool compress and apply it to the sunburn directly.

8. Enhanced Sports Performance

Distance runners have long engaged in a practice known as "soda doping" -- or taking baking soda capsules -- before races to enhance performance, a measure that's thought to work similarly to carbohydrate loading. It's also been shown to improve speed among swimmers. 

"Essentially, sodium bicarbonate is an alkali substance that increases the pH of the blood. This seems to reduce and offset the acidity produced in the muscles during intense, anaerobic exercise that produces lactic acid most quickly, such as fast running or swimming."

9. Tooth and Gum Paste

Baking soda has a mild abrasive action that helps to remove plaque and polish, clean, and deodorize your teeth. One review of data from five controlled clinical studies found that toothpaste containing baking soda "enhanced plaque removal effectiveness of tooth brushing to a significantly greater extent" than brushing with a non-baking soda toothpaste.

Baking soda also has antibacterial activity and has been found to killStreptococcus mutans bacteria – a significant contributor to tooth decay. For an incredibly effective tooth and gum paste, use a mixture of six parts of baking soda to one part of sea salt.

Place them in a blender and mix for 30 seconds, then place in a container to use. Wet the tip of your index finger and place a small amount of the salt and soda mixture on your gums.

Starting with the upper outside gums and then the inside of the upper, followed by the lower outside of the gums then the lower inside, rub the mixture onto your teeth and gums. Spit out the excess. After 15 minutes rinse your mouth. This mixture is incredibly effective at killing bacteria.

You need to exert some caution in this area though as many believe baking soda can be too abrasive on your enamel, and 

10. Teeth whitener

For a natural way to whiten your teeth, crush one ripe strawberry and mix it with 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. Spread the mixture onto your teeth and leave on for five minutes. Then brush your teeth and rinse. This method should be used no more than once a week, as excessive use could potentially damage your tooth enamel.

How We Store Body Fat And What To Eat To Stay Lean

How can we be perpetually obsessed with losing weight, yet continue to suffer from an unprecedented obesity epidemic? Could it be that we’re approaching the issue with the wrong advice? If eating less and exercising more are the essential components to weight control, why have we gotten fatter since the mid-70’s, when our overall calorie intake has actually gone down since then? What has correlated with the rampant rise in obesity is a shift in our nation’s dietary advice. In 1977 the US dietary guidelines recommended we base our diet on carbohydrate eat 6-11 servings/day. It’s time to admit that those guidelines were misguided and have hurt us.

What is Body Fat?

Most people are under the impression that body fat (adipose tissue) is inert tissue, but in fact, it is a complex metabolic organ. In addition to fat cells, body fat contains connective tissue, nerve tissue and immune cells. It also produces hormones including leptin and estrogen. A complex interplay of factors determines how much body fat an individual will store, where fat distribution will occur and at what rate it can be burned.

Where the Human Body Stores Fat

Body fat in humans is stored in five main fat “depots”: subcutaneously (beneath the skin), viscerally (around internal organs), in bone marrow, muscle tissue, and breast tissue. Where fat is stored helps determine what it does and how it affects your health. Visceral fat, which is also known as intra-abdominal fat, is deposited between vital organs and in the abdominal cavity and excessive accumulation can cause health problems including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, insulin resistance and some forms of cancer.

Subcutaneous fat, which tends to be located in the thighs and buttocks (particularly in women) is less metabolically active than visceral fat, and less harmful to overall health. However, in the presence of high levels of subcutaneous fat, visceral fat tends to be excessive as well. Research from as far back as the 1940’s proved that certain types of foods contributed to fat accumulation and specific types of foods did not. We need to do a u-turn with our current dietary advise and apply what we’ve known for over 6 decades – Carbohydrates trigger fat storage.  Dietary fat does not!

What’s Considered A Healthy Diet?

We’ve been instructed to follow a “low fat diet” and exercise regularly in order to lose weight and maintain our health. I would like to bring to your attention something that might shock you.  A healthy diet can’t be low fat. As mentioned by Zoe Harcombe, the author of the Obesity Epidemic there are essential (i.e. nutrients that must be obtained through diet) amino acids, essential fatty acids, but there are no essential carbohydrates. If mankind never ate another processed or starchy carbohydrate, we would be just fine. I agree with Ms Harcombe when she says, “Nature has no vested interest, no profit to be made from us and no reason to provide us with anything other than nutritious food.  Therefore I believe that the human race must return to eating food in the form closest to that provided by nature.” This would include basing our diet on vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruits, meat, fish, poultry, eggs and dairy from naturally raised animals and some whole grains.

Science has proven time and time again that fat accumulation is regulated primarily by insulin and dietary carbohydrates and history supports this as we have grown fatter and sicker with the introduction of dietary guidelines recommending we base our diet on this macronutrient.

What We Should Be Eating Instead of 55-60% of Our Diet As Carbohydrates

Natural occurring fats are an essential part of a healthy diet

All dietary fats are not beneficial to the human body and that’s mainly due to the implementation of man made forms, like trans and hydrogenated fats and processed vegetables oils.  What most people aren’t aware of is that all natural sources of fats, both from vegetables and animal sources contain both saturated and unsaturated fat. Breast milk, for example is mostly saturated fat and cholesterol, which is necessary for the proper development of an infants nervous system, brain function and energy, so that the protein consumed can be used for development. Women on low fat, high carbohydrate diets tend to have lower fat content in their breast milk. If a diet rich in health sustaining fats is essential for a growing infant, why would that same diet all of a sudden be harmful for adults?

If you’re interested in learning more about body fat and how to eat to control it and your health, we invite you to contact us.