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
Avoiding Bad Fats, Enjoying Good Fats Even small amounts of olive oil have been found to kill helicobacter pylori—an antibiotic-resistant bacteria that causes chronic inflammation, peptic ulcers, and gastric cancer—because it contains antimicrobial properties. Always use extra virgin olive oil, which comes from the first pressing of the olives, as it is unrefined and highest in polyphenols. It is a longer-chain fatty acid, and while 2 Tbsp. daily has been studied as a good amount to reduce heart disease risk, large amounts of this oil (more than 2 Tbsp. per meal) can lead to weight gain. Instead of sautéing food in oil, a good idea is to dress vegetables or grains in olive oil immediately after steaming them or sautéing them in vegetable broth. This preserves all the compounds discussed above that are found in the raw oil. You need no more than 1-2 Tbsp. of olive oil daily. And that’s instead of, not in addition to, the bad fats in animal flesh and processed foods. What Are the Best Oils for My Beauty Regimen? I use pure coconut oil, the same virgin oil from my kitchen, every night on my face as a moisturizer, with excellent anti-aging results. The skin absorbs the oil quickly, so you won’t have shiny skin with standing oil on it. A nice benefit is that although coconut oil may be expensive compared to other refined oils you formerly cooked with, it’s very inexpensive compared to commercially prepared facial treatments! One night a week, work a couple tablespoons of warmed oil through your hair and into the scalp. (Put the oil in a glass and set the glass in hot tap water to warm it.) Wear a stocking cap to bed and wash your hair in the morning. This practice makes hair silky and smooth, and the cost of the treatment is very low compared to commercial oil treatments that include emulsifying and preserving chemicals. I also keep a small container of coconut oil close by to use as a lip balm. By applying it to the skin, it is absorbed and utilized by the body the same way as when you eat it. Applying it directly to the skin has all the same benefits, as it is absorbed into the bloodstream, in addition to the direct moisturizing effect on the skin, hair, and lips. If you have dry skin, you may wish to put a tablespoon of coconut oil in your bath water, to restore the antimicrobial oils that are a natural barrier on your skin and that get washed off when showering or bathing. In the shower, you can apply coconut oil (olive oil works well, too) to the face and body after washing, then pat the skin dry with a towel. Just keep a small container of oil in the shower and bath. © Copyright Robyn Openshaw 12 Steps to Whole Foods 101
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Avoiding Bad Fats, Enjoying Good Fats<br />
Although coconut oil is low in Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), it increases the utilization of EFAs by up <strong>to</strong> 100%.<br />
It also nourishes the thyroid and increases metabolic rate for up <strong>to</strong> 24 hours. You may know that proteins and<br />
carbs have 4 calories per gram, and fats have 9 calories per gram. But you may be surprised <strong>to</strong> learn that the<br />
MCFAs in coconut oil actually have only 6.9 calories per gram, making coconut oil a slightly lower-calorie fat!<br />
Again, eat coconut oil, but don’t go crazy with it. Bruce Fife recommends 3-4 Tbsp. daily for an adult. 10 I<br />
personally don’t eat anywhere near that much but, including what I put on my lips and face every day (my<br />
teenagers do the same), I get probably 2 Tbsp. daily. With fats, small amounts are all you need, and 10% of<br />
your diet is enough.<br />
Why Should I Eat Olive Oil?<br />
Of the three oils promoted in this chapter, olive oil’s benefits are the most<br />
widely known, since it has been extensively studied for the longest time. That<br />
is partly due <strong>to</strong> the fact that olive oil has been consumed in abundance (often<br />
35% of calories) in some of the healthiest populations of the world for<br />
literally thousands of years. My friend David Wolfe—author, nutritionist, and<br />
leading raw-food expert—says that his research indicates that olive oil and<br />
chocolate are the two foods most linked <strong>to</strong> longevity.<br />
One study documented that those eating a typical Mediterranean diet rich in<br />
olive oil, raw vegetables, and poultry had a huge advantage—50% lower<br />
mortality risk!—over those eating lots of pasta, meat, bread, and wine. Greek<br />
research published in Clinical Cardiology found that those using only olive<br />
oil (forgoing other fats) had 47% less heart disease than the control group—<br />
whereas those using other, refined fats as well had no protection against heart<br />
disease. 4 At least one very large study (20,000 subjects) even isolated the<br />
fac<strong>to</strong>r making the biggest difference in the Mediterranean diet’s exceptional<br />
effect in lowering blood pressure: virgin olive oil. 5<br />
Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat that actually leads <strong>to</strong> breaking down s<strong>to</strong>red fats in the body, and published<br />
research shows both animals and humans losing weight when other oils are replaced in the diet with olive oil,<br />
even with caloric intake remaining constant.<br />
Olive oil is rich in the antioxidant classes polyphenols and carotenoids, as well as chlorophyll and vitamin E.<br />
Many studies for several decades have documented that those who eat olive oil regularly (instead of other fats)<br />
have dramatically lower rates of diabetes, colon cancer, asthma, and heart disease. Olive-oil-rich diets lower<br />
blood sugar as well as prevent diseases as diverse as atherosclerosis, inflammation, and bone loss. So<br />
significant were the findings of a French study on olive oil’s effect on bone health that a Brazilian company is<br />
now developing patented olive polyphenol supplements and teas for anti-osteoporosis effects. And more than<br />
one group of researchers has documented a much lower risk of breast cancer in populations eating olive oil<br />
daily.<br />
100 <strong>12</strong> <strong>Steps</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Whole</strong> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw