15 Tips For Choosing Healthy Fats In Your Diet

For the past few decades, we’ve heard all about the virtues of a low-fat diet and the dangers of dietary fat and cholesterol.

But with the number of overweight and obese people climbing every day and statin drugs for lowering cholesterol the most commonly prescribed medications in the world, researchers have recently reviewed the low fat trend.

Emerging research has shown that there is such a thing as healthy fat which can increase your good cholesterol (HDL cholesterol-think H for healthy) and decrease your bad cholesterol (LDL cholesterol-think L for lousy). 

But with so many so-called healthy oils and butter substitutes on the market, how do decide what’s best to buy? Here are tips for choosing healthy fats in your diet:

1.    Choose plant-based oils such as olive oil, or peanut oil if you are not allergic to nuts.

Plant based oils will not contain cholesterol as compared with animal-based oils such as butter.

2.    Choose monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Mono means 1 and poly means more than 1.

  These fats are most easily used by the body for a range of important functions and are healthier for you than saturated fats.

These will help you feel full and make it less likely that you will eat saturated fats from animal products, such as butter and lard.

3.    Go Mediterranean. The Mediterranean diet has been shown to be heart healthy due to the proportion of olive oil used as dressing and cooking oil.

Olive oil is actually higher in calories than butter but contains no cholesterol.

4.    Choose natural oils, not ‘lite’ or ‘light’ ones. Some people find the taste of olive oil a bit overwhelming, such as that of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, or EVOO.

There are different grades of olive oil you can try until you find one that suits your palate.

Avoid oils labeled lite or light, however, because those words do not usually refer to the color of the oil, but the fact that is has been blended with another type of oil, one potentially less healthy for you.

5.    Eat olives. These tasty little foods are the origins of olive oil, so you can get all the benefits of the oil plus a tasty snack for only a few calories per portion.

Rinse off the salt water they are usually packed in to make them healthier, and enjoy!

6.    Substitute olive oil for butter in a range of recipes.  Use it as a spread on bread and for cooking and frying.

If you miss buttercream frosting on your cake, try a simple glaze of water and powdered sugar instead, with a dash of olive oil for body and texture.

7.    Eat avocados.  These tasty fruits contain a range of heart-healthy fats 75% monounsaturated and 25% polyunsaturated.

They are versatile and can be used in sandwiches, salads, Mexican and Tex-Mex meals, and more.

8.    Use guacamole instead of mayo in your sandwiches.  Make your own guacamole by mashing fresh avocado with some fresh tomatoes cut into cubes and a squirt of lemon or lime juice.

Use your guacamole as you would mayonnaise, on turkey sandwiches, with your tuna salad, and more. Be careful of commercially prepared guacamole, however, as it can often contain unhealthy fats.

In fact, some actually contain very little avocado. If you must buy it, be sure to read the label to make sure avocado is listed as the first ingredient.

9.    Eat nuts in moderation if you are not allergic. Studies have shown that those who eat 1 ounce of nuts each day have an easier time losing weight and keeping it off.

Nuts are not only rich in healthy fats and certain vitamins and enzymes, their fiber makes you feel fuller and aids in digestion.

10.    Try walnuts in your oatmeal each morning. Studies have shown that 8 walnuts a day can help lower you cholesterol naturally.

A bowl of oatmeal made with quick oats, water and a dash of cinnamon can help lower it even more.

11.    Switch to peanut oil.  Peanut oil is a monounsaturated fat, which means it is a simple fat easily digested and used by the body.

It increases healthy cholesterol in the body and is great for your skin and your memory.  It works well in Asian-style dishes.

12.    Cook at home using healthy oils so you can steer clear of artery-clogging trans fats.  Healthy oils like peanut, olive and coconut oil give foods a rich flavor compared with the trans fats in store-bought cookies, cakes and other packaged convenience foods.

Trans fats are created by pumping hydrogenmolecules into a range of (usually cheap and unhealthy) oils to make them solid and therefore less likely to spoil as the products they are made with sit on store shelves.  Trans fats are damaging to heart health and should be avoided as much as possible.

13.    Add coconut oil to your diet in moderation. Coconut oil is a saturated fat, but studies have shown it is processed by the body differently than animal-based saturated fats.

Coconut oil has been shown to offer a range of healing properties and can improve your digestive health. It is usually solid at room temperature but becomes liquid on warm days.

14.    Use coconut oil in a wide range of tasty recipes, even if you are not fond of the flavor.

Coconut oil is versatile and can be used in most forms of cooking and baking; however, some people find the taste too strong or overwhelming in subtly seasoned recipes.

If you do not want the strong taste of coconut to be obvious in your dishes, use expeller-pressed or deodorized coconut oil.

15.    Use butter in moderation. Butter contains a range of vitamins and nutrients, including Omega-3 fatty acids, which can be good for heart health.

Butter does also contain cholesterol, true, but also offers a range of health benefits, such as helping you feel full for longer and boosting your metabolism.

Enjoy your day.

21 Cooking Tips For Everyone

1. Never sear meat in a non-stick pan: It won’t brown nicely – you may end up with splotchy, grey meat.
2. Never heat non-stick pans past the manufacturer’s instructions (or past medium heat, if you no longer have the instructions).
3. When cooking crock pot meat, sear first.  Use meat with the highest fat marbling to prevent greyness.
4. Make your own incredible butter. Whip 35% cream until it is firm. Squeeze out whey. Add orange zest & a splash of juice.
5. Keep cheesecloth in your kitchen. It’s handy for straining liquid from yogurt, tofu and straining whey from home-made butter!
6. Rub your steak or roast with fresh cut garlic before cooking. Stick slivers of fresh garlic deep into your meat for incredible flavor.
7. Be prepared! Always keep your pan lid handy for dowsing fat fires – they do happen! (Put lid onto pot to smother flames.)
8. Keep a kitchen fire extinguisher handy in your kitchen – and learn what to do for different types of fires. (Retweet!)
9. Use vegetable oil instead of butter in cakes containing dense, starchy fruits and veggies like carrots, apples and banana.
10. Next time you make gingerbread cake, try replacing your liquid (but not fat) with ginger beer!
11. Do as much of the prep as you can the night before for stress-free cooking. (What do you set out in advance?)
12. To add oil to a dish already cooking, add it in the edge of the pan. That way, it will be heated when it reaches your food.
13. Make sure fruits and veggies are stored in a refrigerator no warmer than 40 F.  (Retweet this.)
14. Wash your fruit and veggies before peeling – not after. (Too much risk of contaminating the knife, if you wash after.)
15. Soak veggies like broccoli and cauliflower in cold water for at least three minutes to make sure contaminants are released.
16. Add a splash of milk to salted water when cooking to keep cauliflower white. Rinse momentarily in cold water before serving.
17. Dry your potatoes before mashing by returning them to the pan after draining. Cover. Let them sit on turned-off burner for 5 min.
18. When storing fresh herbs, stand the stems in a glass of water in your refrigerator.  They shouldn’t go limp and will stay fresh.
19. For a quick and easy meal, cover uncooked ribs in roast pan with BBQ sauce and 1 liter Coke.  Cover and simmer at 325F for 2 hours.
20. Save leftover sauce in ice cube trays. When frozen, add to bag of same type of sauce cubes. Reheat and use for quick dishes.
21. Crack egg into bowl. Use clean plastic water or pop bottle. Place bottle mouth against egg yolk – and squeeze to separate from white.

The Benefits Of going “On Raw Food”

So, now that you know what a raw food diet is all about, you need to decide, is it right for you? 

 Well you do not need to incorporate raw food 100% of the time. 

You can just eat more fruits and vegetables and no processed foods. 

Try drinking fruit juices until lunch time and then eating a healthy veggie sandwich.

 For dinner, eat some blanched vegetables with a cooked meal with no meats.   

When you gradually detoxify your body, you will see dramatic results. 

First, you will go through the detoxify process, where you will feel tired, have headaches, skin eruptions, etc. 

Once you are over this tough time, you will feel light, not dragged down, energetic, vitality, and conscious, among other things. 

You will have more mental clarity and therefore be more productive.  Your body will feel cleansed, you will be able to treat disease and prevent new ones from forming. 

You will see a dramatic weight loss, for instance five pounds a week. 

You will also notice that you do not seem weighed down with colds or sicknesses because your immune system is much stronger. 

You will be saving money because you can either grow your vegetables or buy them at a farmers market.  

 Buying organic food will save the earth and provide agricultural support, which is much needed. 

You will also save time and money because you will not be in the kitchen cooking up a storm. 

You will not be eating animals, because these animals have been pumped with high hormones and that wouldn’t benefit you anyway, but instead toxify you. 

This in turn, puts an end to the torture in animal farming. 

You will not be plagued with depression, or acne. 

In fact, your skin will be absolutely glowing, you will feel rejuvenated. 

 This type of eating also slows the aging process.  Your senses will be enhanced; you will be more flexible and fertile. 

You will be more creative, motivated, and also relaxed. 

You will focus more on relationships and be more environmentally attuned and inwardly attuned. 

What you will notice is an amazing spiritual awakening that you have never experienced before because you have changed your vibrations to a higher level capable of clearer thought patterns.