"Good Fats" Don't Make You Fat

Our society is obsessed with low-fat, fat-free foods.   Where as our bodies need good quality fats (unsaturated preferably) to function properly.   Our brains are made up of approximately 60% fat, mostly from omega 3 fatty acids (DHA).  The fat we eat literally feeds our brains.   We need DHA to promote good cell communication and access to good quality Omega 3 cognition, memory, happiness and mental clarity.   Where a deficiency  of those same amino acids leads to depression, anxiety and many other neurological issues.   Most low-fat and fat-free foods are highly processed with a lot of added sugars to take their place.   Sugar is whats makes us fat.   Consuming a lot of sugar means your cells become numb to insulin's "call".  Your body pumps out more and more insulin to pull your blood sugar levels back down.   You can't burn all the sugar you eat, so your body stores it as fat creating insulin resistance and overall metabolic mayhem.   The more sugar stored the heavier we get.   The more insulin resistance we have, the quicker we become diabetic and our health is going downhill.

  Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats are vital to good health and we should try to consume them in a 1;1 ratio.   As to many Omega 6 fats without the balance of Omega 3 fats cause inflammation in our bodies.   Inflammation is the root of most chronic diseases.   Good sources of balanced omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids for plant-based diets are:

*Green leafy vegetables; Spinach, kale, broccoli rabe, grape leaves, etc. 

*Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, and Cauliflower (the most notable with 208 mg omega 3 and 62 mg omega 6).

*Seeds: chia, flax and hemp.

Nuts: walnuts, brazil, almonds etc.

* Fruits: strawberries and kiwi.

*Organic cold pressed oils: coconut, olive.

And my favorite;

Avocados:

Although the ratio of 3 and 6 fats are not that great, they are high in nutritional value.   They are an excellent source of glutathione, a powerful antioxidant that helps cleanse and detox our bodies of heavy metals and fighting free-radicals.  They are rich in folate which reduces heart disease and strokes and helps maintain optimum health.   Certain nutrients are absorbed better when eaten with avocados such as leafy greens in salads, smoothies and sandwiches.

This is a very good article from Dr. Mercola: "Major trouble ahead"

Here's a great easy Buffalo Cauliflower Wings from "The Happy Pear"

The Happy Pear are twin brothers from Ireland, who are two very highly enthusiastic plant-based entrepreneurs.   They have a YouTube channel  with awesome recipes, mostly doable in 5 minutes.

You can listen to a Rich Roll podcast with them here.

For a great motivational uplift for the a new way of tackling life check out Rich Roll's podcast with David Goggins.

Next week: Salt

Have a great week.

Be kind.

Judd