"I am a deeply superficial person."Andy Warhol
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5 Steps to Hair Transplant Surgery
When an aging population lives in a society that is determined not to grow old, people will push the limits to appear younger than they are. For example, 30, even 20 years ago a procedure such as hair transplant surgery would have seemed bazaar at best, ...
Eating Disorders: Anorexia and Bulimia
The incidences of eating disorders in our society have been steadily increasing over the last few years. It now occurs in 1 out of every 100 women. Nineteen out of 20 people who suffer from eating disorders are young women between 18 and 25. Studies have ...
Hair Loss: An Overview
Hair, though often overlooked, plays an important role in our lives. Upon meeting someone, one of the first things you notice is their hair. Before a social engagement, our hair is one of the things we spend the most time on getting to look a certain way. ...
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It is likely that you are aware that there are many different forms of fat which you knowingly or unwittingly eat every day. You are probably also
aware that some types of fat are bad for you and conversely some are good... but, are you sure which ones they are?
If you are not certain and you would like to know, then this article is devoted just for you. I will
attempt to explain the basic facts that you need to know so that you will not allow 'bad; fats to damage your health and you can use the 'good' fats to enhance it.
You will often find that dietary fats are put into two simplistic categories. One being saturated fats and the
other being unsaturated fats. You are told that saturated fats are bad and unsaturated fats are good. But, is it
as simple as that? No, its not! Before we look at these closer lets discuss the real 'baddie' fat which is in
a category of its own. This is because it is 'man made'.
Maybe we should call this fat the 'ugly' one because it does the most damage.
I'm talking about Transfats or Hydrogenated fats... or, oils
OK, what are they, how are they made and where do I find them?
First of all you find them almost everywhere. In most processed foods including cookies, solid and semi solid
margarines, commercial cooking oils and many domestic cooking oils. Look carefully at the labels of any processed food that you buy. If you see hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated on the label put it back on the shelf.
Hydrogenated fats are produced by taking liquid oil and putting it through a process called hydrogenation. This is a process which combines heat and pressure to add several hydrogen atoms to the oil. This process which
takes place at around 400 degrees F for several hours in the presence of a nickel or platinum catalyst converts
the liquid to a semi solid.
This helps prevent the oil from becoming rancid even though it destroys its nutritional value. This process
enables manufacturers to convert cheap low quality oils into butter substitutes... hence the explosion of margarines on the market.
These reprocessed oils and fats are completely foreign to the body and it cannot assimilate them. There is therefore no nutritional value to them at all. Studies have shown that hydrogenated fats and oils are significant contributors to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, immunity and
reproduction problems, as well as obesity.
Give them a wide berth!
What about saturated fats?
These are the fats which are found in animal fats, red meat, poultry skin, and dairy products. Also some
vegetable oils such as coconuts and palm oil are high in saturated fat.
These are the fats that the mainstream media warns you to stay away from. This is either through ignorance or
influence from their advertisers, or both. There is no doubt that eating saturated fats in excess would not be
good for you, but this principle applies to virtually all food.
The simple fact is that your body is designed to cope with saturated fats and has been since the first human
walked the earth. Not only are our bodies designed to cope with the ingestion of a certain amount of saturated fats, our bodies also need it. I accept that many people
have too high an intake of dietary fat, but it is not usually through this source, but rather from trans or
hydrogenated fats.
Saturated fats are natural whose molecules have not been 'bent out of shape'! I'm not kidding...the molecules of transfats are actually distorted into an unnatural configuration.
Cut out
all hydrogenated fats and oils and enjoy that juicy steak.
OK, what about the unsaturated fats?
There are two types of unsaturated fats. Poly-unsaturated and mono-unsaturated.
It is generally believed that all unsaturated fats are OK, but this is not the case. Poly-unsaturated fats are
bad for your health and are consumed in excessive amounts. They should be avoided.
Polyunsaturated fats are found in safflower, corn, sunflower and ... soybean vegetable oils. They remain
liquid at room temperature. They do not have any redeeming health benefits. They are widely used because they are cheap and although they contain Omega 6 essential fatty acids most people get far too much Omega 6 which must be partially offset by Omega 3 essential fatty acids. More on that shortly!
Switch your polyunsaturated oils to mono-unsaturated.
The most common sources of mono-unsaturated fats are olive oil, rapeseed oil, hazelnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, avocado, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds.
Oils made from these foods are much more stable at high temperatures than the poly-unsaturated alternatives, and
they do not have the negative health implications. The best oil for cooking is without doubt EXTRA virgin olive
oil. I put the 'extra' in caps because it so important.
Most of the mono-unsaturated oils have been through varying degrees of processing. The more processing,
the greater is the loss of the nutrients. The best is cold mechanically pressed oils which are often processed in darkness because of the sensitivity of these oils to
light and oxidation.
Studies have shown that a quality cold pressed extra virgin olive oil will help lower the bad LDL cholesterol
and raise the good HDL cholesterol. However, ordinary virgin olive oil makes no change.
So, only use quality mono-unsaturated oils for your cooking needs.
Where do Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential
fatty acids fit into all this?
This is another subject all on its own, so I will just try and give you the outline in a nutshell!
As the name suggests Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fatty acids are just that... they are 'essential'. Many, many
ailments can be traced to a shortage of one of these ... specifically Omega 3. There are schools of thought which
believe the increasing incidence of brain disease is directly attributable to a shortage of Omega 3. I think
that is credible.
There is no shortage of Omega 6 in the typical western diet. In fact there is a general over consumption of this as it is present in most cooking oils. The problem is a deficiency of the Omega 3. The optimum ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 is 3:1. Over the last couple of
decades that ratio has got out of control where it is now estimated that the ratio is something like 20:1 or
maybe even as high as 50:1.
Start adding Omega 3 essential fatty acids into your regular diet. The best natural source is flax seeds. Go
to your local health food store and buy some ground flax seeds (preferably organic) and sprinkle a heaped
tablespoon on your food every day. You can also get omega 3 from oily fishes such as salmon. The problem there though is the difficulty of getting fish which is 100% free of contaminants.
About the Author
Warren Matthews is Chairman of Xtend Life Natural Products, manufacturer of Omega 3/DHA Fish Oil Esters. Give your body the DHA and EPA it need in a natural form that can be easily
assimilated and free from contaminants. Omega 3/ Fish Oil Esters is available at ...
http://www.InstantEnergyBoost.com
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Hair Loss Pathology Identified in Pityriasis Versicolor LesionsDoctors LoungePatients with pityriasis versicolor lesions may experience hair thinning and/or loss within the lesion, according to a study published online May 10 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. TUESDAY, May 22 (HealthDay News) -- Patients ... |
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Hair loss — prevention and treatmentPakistan ObserverThis fear is not unfounded as each year more people (both men and women) are forced to come to grips with the possibility of serious hair loss. Like every cell in the human body, the hair follicle also observes a pattern of growth cycle.and more » |
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Making hair great, even when it's not your ownBuffalo Grove CountrysideShe has spent the last five-and-a-half years fitting, shaping and repairing wigs at Hair For You Salon in Arlington Heights, where she caters to women who are experiencing hair loss from chemotherapy and various illnesses. |
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