12 Steps to Whole Foods

Avoiding Bad Fats, Enjoying Good Fats
Although coconut oil is low in Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), it increases the utilization of EFAs by up to 100%.
It also nourishes the thyroid and increases metabolic rate for up to 24 hours. You may know that proteins and
carbs have 4 calories per gram, and fats have 9 calories per gram. But you may be surprised to learn that the
MCFAs in coconut oil actually have only 6.9 calories per gram, making coconut oil a slightly lower-calorie fat!
Again, eat coconut oil, but don’t go crazy with it. Bruce Fife recommends 3-4 Tbsp. daily for an adult. 10 I
personally don’t eat anywhere near that much but, including what I put on my lips and face every day (my
teenagers do the same), I get probably 2 Tbsp. daily. With fats, small amounts are all you need, and 10% of
your diet is enough.
Why Should I Eat Olive Oil?
Of the three oils promoted in this chapter, olive oil’s benefits are the most
widely known, since it has been extensively studied for the longest time. That
is partly due to the fact that olive oil has been consumed in abundance (often
35% of calories) in some of the healthiest populations of the world for
literally thousands of years. My friend David Wolfe—author, nutritionist, and
leading raw-food expert—says that his research indicates that olive oil and
chocolate are the two foods most linked to longevity.
One study documented that those eating a typical Mediterranean diet rich in
olive oil, raw vegetables, and poultry had a huge advantage—50% lower
mortality risk!—over those eating lots of pasta, meat, bread, and wine. Greek
research published in Clinical Cardiology found that those using only olive
oil (forgoing other fats) had 47% less heart disease than the control group—
whereas those using other, refined fats as well had no protection against heart
disease. 4 At least one very large study (20,000 subjects) even isolated the
factor making the biggest difference in the Mediterranean diet’s exceptional
effect in lowering blood pressure: virgin olive oil. 5
Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat that actually leads to breaking down stored fats in the body, and published
research shows both animals and humans losing weight when other oils are replaced in the diet with olive oil,
even with caloric intake remaining constant.
Olive oil is rich in the antioxidant classes polyphenols and carotenoids, as well as chlorophyll and vitamin E.
Many studies for several decades have documented that those who eat olive oil regularly (instead of other fats)
have dramatically lower rates of diabetes, colon cancer, asthma, and heart disease. Olive-oil-rich diets lower
blood sugar as well as prevent diseases as diverse as atherosclerosis, inflammation, and bone loss. So
significant were the findings of a French study on olive oil’s effect on bone health that a Brazilian company is
now developing patented olive polyphenol supplements and teas for anti-osteoporosis effects. And more than
one group of researchers has documented a much lower risk of breast cancer in populations eating olive oil
daily.
100 12 Steps to Whole Foods
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw