Tip 4: Eat Healthy Fats
What's Your "Fat" IQ?
Take this Simple Quiz to find out!
Consuming healthy fats is associated with:
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easier weight maintenance
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improved cardiovascular health
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stronger immune systems
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stabilization of mood swings
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increased concentration
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breast health
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prostate health
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less joint pain
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hormone balancing
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younger looking skin
Fuzzy Slipper Tales
A journal of my ongoing quest to keep
"Polyester pants" at bay!
Okay, I used to think all fats were bad. How pleasantly surprised I was to discover I was wrong.
I love butter and olive oil! I have found that eating reasonable amounts of the right kinds of fat actually makes me less hungry! It even made my skin look younger!
Read on to discover how to get the right fats into your daily routine!
The Skinny on Fats!
Fat, fat, fat! Would all of our weight-loss problems be solved if we just eliminated fat from our diets? Well, unfortunately it's just not that simple. We actually need fats and can't live without them. Dietary fats have essential functions: They provide essential fatty acids, keep our skin soft, deliver fat-soluble vitamins, and are a great source of energizing fuel. And to satisfy these important bodily functions, we need a minimum 10% of our calories to come from fat.
The problem is that the typical American diet is much, much higher in fat. In fact, roughly 34% to 40% of our calories come from fat.
The key to winning the battle against fat is knowing which fats to eat and which ones to resist
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Start changing your life today
When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless, and intelligence cannot be applied. Herophilus
10 Serious Fat Busting Tips!
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Use high quality extra virgin olive oil in your salad dressings and cooking. Olive oil is known for its heart protective properties. Be aware that monounsaturated fats, such as those in olives and nuts, will put on weight. Use them sparingly.
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Select foods high in beneficial fatty acids: RAW nuts such as cashews and sunflower seeds, avocadoes, high quality eggs, wild Pacific salmon
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Discard processed oils and foods made with partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated oils. These are used in cooking and commonly found in snack foods, salad dressings, mayonnaise and fried foods. They turn rancid easily causing excess free radicals in the body which are implicated in heart disease and cancer. These trans fats can actually keep hormones from reaching their proper destination according to Cheri Swanson, CNC.
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For cooking, rely on Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil , butter and Ghee. As naturally saturated fats, these remain stable and don't oxidize easily when exposed to heat. Butter will burn, however, and if you need to cook with a higher heat, choose ghee or coconut oil. Because of the way it is processed, Tropical Traditions is the only brand Cheri Swanson, CNC, recommends and needs to be ordered online. Makes a great spread on toast. Tastes great on popcorn and is one of the healthiest oils for popping. Coconut oil has thermogenic effects meaning it raises body temp, boosting energy and metabolic rate. I have found Ghee at Byerly's and most coops. Great for anyone lactose intolerant! We think it has a better flavor than butter and you don't have to use as much of it.
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Choose organic, range-grazed or pastured grass fed beef and lamb. Grass fed beef and lamb are the only source of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which has strong cancer fighting benefits, builds muscle and prevents weight gain. I have purchased grass fed sirloin steaks and hamburger at Byerly's and they tasted great.
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When it comes to animal fats, consume them in small amounts. A portion as big as a deck of cards is all that's recommended. Try Toffutti Better Than Sour Cream in place of real sour cream. It honestly tastes just like the real thing. Available at major grocery stores in the Health Food Section and Coops.
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Use a high quality essential omega fatty acid supplement.
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Consider taking a good lecithin supplement.
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For hormone balance Gamma Linoleic Acid in supplement form is helpful.
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Try waterless cookware and cook without any fat at all!
Beef Fajitas Recipe
This is a favorite at our house!
For the marinade:
4 cloves organic garlic mashed to a paste
1 tsp salt
1/4 C fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 lbs organic grass fed sirloin steak, trimmed
2 T extra virgin olive oil or Tropical Traditions Coconut oil
3 assorted organic colored bell peppers, sliced thin
1 large organic red onion, sliced thin
2 organic garlic cloves, minced
12 7- to 8-inch organic whole wheat or whole grain tortillas, warmed
guacamole, Toffutti Better than Sour Cream, and salsa as accompaniments
Make the marinade: In a large bowl whisk together the garlic paste, the lime juice, the cumin, and the oil. Add the steak to the marinade, turning it to coat it well, and let it marinate, covered and chilled, for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Heat a skillet and cook the steak 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let it stand for 10 minutes. While the steak is standing, in your skillet add the bell peppers, the onion, and the garlic, and sauté the mixture, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until the bell peppers are softened. Slice the steak thin across the grain on the diagonal and arrange the slices on a platter with the bell pepper mixture. Drizzle any steak juices over the steak and the pepper mixture and serve the steak and the pepper mixture with the tortillas, the guacamole, and the salsa.
To assemble a fajita: Spread some of the guacamole on a tortilla, top it with a few slices of the steak, some of the pepper mixture, and some of the salsa, and roll up the tortilla to enclose the filling.
More Recipes.....
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