Fats are one of the main components in all of the cell membranes throughout your entire body. If you eat enough healthy natural fats, your cellular processes will proceed normally. On the other hand, if you eat man-made, heavily processed, chemically altered fats (damaged fats) that are found in most processed foods, your cellular function will be impaired as these damaged fats become part of your cell membranes, the body will have to work harder to operate correctly, and degenerative diseases can develop.  Coconut oil burns fat.

32-oz. – 2-Jar Pack – Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil – 2 quarts Total

In addition, healthy dietary fats are essential for optimal hormone production and balance within the body and are therefore essential for the muscle building and fat burning processes. Other important functions that dietary fats play in a healthy body are aiding vitamin and mineral utilization, enzyme regulation, energy, etc.

I cringe every time I hear so called “health experts” recommend restriction of dietary fat, claiming that a low-fat diet is the key to good health, weight loss, and prevention of degenerative diseases. Restriction of any one macronutrient (protein, carbs, or fat) in your diet works against what your body needs and can only lead to problems.

All three basic macronutrients serve important functions for a lean, healthy, and disease-free body. As Dr. Mary Enig, Ph.D, and one of the leading fats and lipids researchers in the world notes in several of her books and articles, there is very little true scientific evidence supporting the assertion that a high fat diet is bad for us. For example, if these so called “health experts” that admonish fat are correct, and a low-fat diet is the solution to good health, then why did traditional Pacific Islanders who typically obtained 2/3 to 3/4 of their total daily calories from fat (mostly from coconut fat), remain virtually free from heart disease, obesity, and other modern degenerative diseases (that is, until Western dietary influences invaded)?

Also, why did traditional Eskimo populations, consuming up to 75% of their total caloric intake from fat (mostly from whale blubber, seal fat, organ meats, and cold water fish), display superior health and longevity without heart disease or obesity? Why did members of the Masai tribe in Africa remain free from degenerative diseases and maintain low body fat percentages on diets consisting of large quantities of raw whole milk, blood, and meat? What about the Samburu tribe of Africa, which eats an average of 5 times the quantity of dietary fat (mostly from raw whole milk and meat) as overweight, disease-ridden Americans, yet Samburu members are lean, healthy, and free of degenerative diseases?

What about traditional Mediterranean diets, which are known to be very high in fat (sometimes up to 70% fat), and are also well known to be very healthy?

These examples of high fat diets and the associated excellent health of traditional populations around the world go on and on, yet it seems that many doctors, nutritionists, and government agencies still ignore these facts and continue to promote a diet that restricts fat intake. Well, the problem is that the good fats (the natural unprocessed health promoting fats) have gotten mistakenly lumped together in nutritional advice with the deadly processed fats and oils that make up a large percentage of almost all processed food that is sold at your local grocery store, restaurant, deli, fast food joint, etc.

These deadly processed fats are literally everywhere and almost impossible to avoid unless you know what to look for and make smart choices in what you feed your body with.

Take note that I’m not recommending following a super high fat diet. Active individuals that exercise on a regular basis certainly also need adequate supplies of healthy carbohydrates for energy and muscle glycogen replenishment as well as good sources of protein for muscle repair. The above examples of the high fat diets of traditional populations and their corresponding excellent health were simply to prove the point that you don’t need to be afraid of dietary fats as long as you make healthy natural choices and stay within your daily caloric range to maintain or lose weight (depending on your goals). Following is a list of some of the healthiest fatty foods (some will surprise you!) as well as some of the deadliest fatty foods to try to avoid at all costs:

The Healthy Fatty Food Choices:

Coconut fat: Coconut fat is approximately 92% saturated fat, yet surprisingly to most people, is considered a very healthy natural fat. The health benefits of coconut fat lie in its composition of approximately 65% medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). Specifically, about 50% of coconut fat is a MCT called lauric acid, which has very potent anti-microbial properties helping to enhance the immune system. Also, MCTs are more easily utilized for immediate energy instead of being stored as body fat. Coconut oil is also an excellent cooking oil for stir-frying, etc. since saturated fats are much more stable and do not oxidize like polyunsaturated oils when exposed to heat and light, which creates damaging free radicals. The best sources of healthy coconut fat are organic coconut milk, virgin coconut oil, or fresh coconut.

Extra virgin olive oil: Olive oil is approximately 71% monounsaturated, 16% saturated, and 13% polyunsaturated. Choose ‘extra virgin’ olive oil, which comes from the first pressing of the olives and has higher quantities of antioxidants. Unlike most other oils on supermarket shelves, extra virgin olive oil is not extracted with the use of harmful industrial solvents and is one of your healthiest choices for liquid oils. Try making your own salad dressing by mixing a small amount of olive oil with vinegar. This is healthier than most store bought salad dressings, which are usually made with highly processed and refined (chemically damaged) soybean oil extracted with industrial solvents.

Dark, bittersweet chocolate (>70% cocoa): The cocoa bean is a very concentrated source of antioxidants and responsible for part of the health benefit of dark chocolate. The fat portion of the cocoa bean (cocoa butter) is a healthy natural fat, composed of approximately 59% saturated fat (mostly healthy stearic acid), 38% monounsaturated fat, and 3% polyunsaturated fat. I’ll limit the description of healthy chocolate to ONLY dark bittersweet chocolate with >70% cocoa content. Most milk chocolates are only about 30% cocoa, and even most dark chocolates are only about 55% cocoa, leaving the remainder of those products composed of high amounts of sugar, milk fat, corn sweeteners, etc. Look for a quality dark chocolate that lists its cocoa content between 70%-80%. A dark chocolate with cocoa content in this range will contain mostly cocoa and very little sugar. Keep in mind that although dark chocolate can be a healthy treat, it is still calorie dense, so keeping it to just a square or two is a good idea.

Avocados or guacamole: The fat in avocados (depending on where they’re grown) is approximately 60% monounsaturated, 25% saturated, and 15% polyunsaturated. Avocados are a very healthy natural food that provides many nutrients, fiber, and healthful fats, while adding a rich flavor to any meal. Try sliced avocado on sandwiches or in salads or use guacamole in wraps, sandwiches, or quesadillas.

High fat fish such as wild salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, trout, etc.: Just about any fish or seafood are good sources of natural omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, but the higher fat fish listed above are the best sources of omega-3′s. Due to the radical switch to a higher proportion of omega-6 polyunsaturated fats like soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, etc. in our food supply during the middle of the 20th century, the average western diet is currently way too high in omega-6′s compared to omega-3′s, which wreaks havoc in your body. This is where good omega-3 sources like high fat fish, walnuts, and flax seeds can help bring you back to a better ratio of omega-6/omega-3.

Nuts (any and all – walnuts, almonds, peanuts, cashews, macadamias, etc.): Nuts are great sources of healthy unprocessed fats as well as minerals and other trace nutrients. Macadamias, almonds, and cashews are great sources of monounsaturated fats, while walnuts are a good source of unprocessed polyunsaturated fats (including omega-3′s). Try to avoid nuts that are cooked in oil. Instead, choose raw or dry roasted nuts.

Seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds): All of these seeds are great sources of natural unprocessed healthy fats. In particular, flax seeds have received a lot of attention lately due to their high omega-3 content.
32-oz. – Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil – 1 quart

However, keep in mind that omega-3 polyunsaturated fats are highly reactive to heat and light, and prone to oxidation and free radical production, so freshly ground flax seed is the only way to go. Instead of using the store bought ground flax seed, you can buy whole flax seed and use one of those miniature coffee grinders to grind your own flax seed. Try grinding fresh flax seed into your yogurt, cereal, or even your salad. If you’re using a flax oil, make sure it’s a cold-pressed oil in a light-proof refrigerated container, and use it up within a few weeks to prevent it from going rancid. NEVER cook with flax oil!

The fat in organically raised, free-range animals: This is where most people have been misinformed by the mass media. Animal fat is inherently good for us, that is, if it came from a healthy animal. Human beings have thrived on animal fats for thousands of years. The problem lies in the fact that most mass produced animal products today do not come from healthy animals. They come from animals given loads of antibiotics and fattened up with hormones and fed un-natural feed. The solution is to choose organically raised, free-range meats, eggs, and dairy. At this time, the price is still a little higher, but it is worth it, and as demand grows, the prices will come down.

The Deadly Fatty Foods:

Hydrogenated oils (trans fats): These are industrially produced chemically altered oils subjected to extremely high pressure and temperature, with added industrial solvents such as hexane for extraction, and have a metal catalyst added to promote the artificial hydrogenation, followed by bleaching and deodorizing agents…..and somehow the FDA still allows this crap to pass as food. These oils aren’t even worthy of your lawnmower, much less your body! They’ve been linked to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and more. Even small quantities have been shown in studies to be dangerous. If you care about your health, check the ingredients of everything you buy, and if you see partially hydrogenated oils of any kind, margarine, or shortening, protect yourself and your family by choosing something else. The FDA has mandated that all food manufacturers have to show the quantity of trans fat on all labels by January 2006.

Refined oils: Even if the oils are not hydrogenated, most oils on your supermarket shelves are refined, even most of the so called ‘healthy’ canola oils. Even most refined oils still undergo the high temperature, high pressure, solvent extraction, bleaching, and deodorizing processes. Anything labeled vegetable oil, soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, and even many canola oils have been damaged by this refining process. This damages the natural structure of the fats, destroys natural antioxidants, creates free radicals, and produces a generally unhealthy product. Take note that the explosion of heart disease in the middle of the 20th century coincides quite nicely with the rapid increase in the use of hydrogenated and refined oils in the food supply at that time.

Anything deep fried: including tortilla chips, potato chips, French fries, donuts, fried chicken, chicken nuggets, etc. All of this crap doesn’t even pass as real food in my opinion!

Homogenized milk fat – Milk fat is a very healthy fat in its natural raw state. Traditional populations around the world thrived in perfect health while consuming huge quantities of raw, non-pasteurized, non-homogenized, full fat dairy products. Once again, food processing ruins a good thing by pasteurizing and homogenizing milk fat, rendering it potentially dangerous inside the human body. Unfortunately, you will find it almost impossible to find raw milk in the US unless you personally know a farmer. Check out realmilk.com for more info on the benefits of raw milk and to find out if it’s available near you. As an alternative, cultured dairy products like yogurt have at least had beneficial microorganisms added back to them making them better for you. Realistically, since you probably won’t find raw milk, sticking to skim milk is the best option. If you use butter for cooking, cultured organic butter is the best option.

I hope this article has shed some light on the truth about dietary fats and made you realize their importance in a healthy diet. Visit my website below to find more free fitness articles and bonuses for stopping by.

About The Author

Visit Truth About Abs to discover dozens of powerful strategies for losing body fat and bringing out your hidden muscular definition. Several free bonuses are yours to keep just for stopping by.

Michael Geary is a nationally dual certified personal trainer (NCSF-CPT, AFAA-CPT), and author of “The Truth about Six Pack Abs” ©2004-2005.

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How Do I Take Coconut Oil

When you learn how to eat coconut oil the benefits of coconut oil will show in your improved health.  Learn about weight loss with virgin coconut oil.

Getting coconut oil in your daily diet is easy.  You will need to work up to 4 tablespoons a day.  This can be from frying eggs in organic coconut oil, adding it to a cup of green tea or replacing vegetable cooking oils with coconut oil.

I use nutiva coconut oil. 

When people think about eating coconut oil they often envision clogged arteries and bad health, but the fact is that natural coconut oil is a very healthy food and may even be the healthiest oil you can eat. Here are seven reasons why you might want to add this healthy oil to your diet:

1.Your Body Doesn’t Turn It Into Fat

Yes, believe it or not coconut oil won’t make you as fat as other types of oils. That’s because it contains medium chain triglycerides which the body can easily burn without converting to fat. Most of the other types of oils used for cooking contain longchain triglycerides which the body typically stores as fat. In simple terms, your body can convert this oil to energy faster and has no need to store it on your hips.

2. It Can Increase Your Metabolism

Interestingly enough, coconut oil may even help you lose weight because it can increase or metabolism. This helps your body burn fat more efficiently and some say that it may actually triple the calories you burn for up to six hours after eating it with a meal. In fact, an issue of woman’s world magazine called coconut oil the "high metabolism secret".

3.Natural Coconut Oil Has Omega 3 Fatty Acids.

In much of the living under a rock, you know that adding omega-3 fatty acids to your diet is quite desirable. But what many people don’t know is that traditional cooking oils contain omega six fatty acids which we already get way too much of. The problem then results that we have an unbalanced ratio of omega-3 to omega sixes. One way to rectify this would be to use natural coconut oil in your cooking instead of cooking oils as the coconut oil is filled with the Omega 3′s.

4.Coconut Oil Will Energize You

Combine those healthy omega three fatty acids with your increased metabolism and the ease with which your body can convert coconut oil into energy and you’ve got a healthy energy boost. In fact, many people with chronic fatigue syndrome have found that adding coconut oil to their diet has helped them gain more energy.

5.It’s Great For Your Skin And Hair

Not only can you eat it, but coconut oil is great for your skin and your hair. It can relieve rashes and other skin problems and help to give your skin a younger appearance. In addition to being a great moisturizer, it also has antioxidant properties that can actually protect the skin from aging due to free radical damage. Not only that, but it smells great too!

6. Coconut oil has healthy benefits that most other oils do not.

While most other oils are only good for greasing up your food, coconut oil has added health benefits. It has antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties and it does not oxidized easily. Oxidization of oils can cause free radical damage and many of your standard cooking oils will oxidize very quickly when stored at room temperature (probably within a month). Coconut oil, on the other hand will stay good for up to a year at room temperature. In addition, coconut oil can help your body absorb other vitamins like vitamin E.

7. Coconut Oil Is One Of The Best Oils You Can Use For Cooking.

Did you ever put olive oil in a pan to heat it up and it starts to smoke? Not only does this make your food not so great, it’s not good for your health either but coconut oil has a higher smoke point which means you can use it to cook in higher temperatures. You can cook anything in it and it adds a delightful taste your food – not too sweet and "coconutty" like you might think – in fact, I’ve used it to cook meals with and my family hasn’t even noticed!

When it comes to natural Coconut oil, there really can’t be healthier food. Unfortunately we’ve been misinformed about coconut oil for years so many people do not use it. However, it has been used in the tropics for cooking and healthcare for centuries with good results. So why not get a tasty, healthy boost and add some  nutiva coconut oil  to your cooking today?

Author: Lee Dobbins   There’s no reason why you should suffer from poor health and lack of energy. If you’re ready to gain back your youthful vitality and take control of your health, then visit http://www.naturalhealthbuzz.com where you can learn more about healthy living and how food affects your health as well as the way you look and feel

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lee_Dobbins

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It is a known fact that people adding coconut oil to their diet are receiving incredible results. Read on to know more about the coconut oil diet and its benefits.

Considered as a vital source of energy, coconut oil has been used for centuries for the general well being in the traditional communities of tropical regions. The coconut tree also known as the ‘Tree of Life’ provides us with various options that help us in maintaining a well balanced, nutritious and wholesome diet.

What is a Coconut Oil Diet?
Lauric acid has been recognized very recently for its unique properties when used in foods and these are often related to its antiviral and antibacterial properties. And coconut oil is also unusually rich in medium chain fatty acids. Lauric acid is the major fatty acid that is derived from the fat of the coconut.

Having a coconut oil diet is considered as a healthy addition to a weight-loss diet. This is albeit the fact it has higher levels of saturated fat. It is known that desiccated coconut contains about 69% coconut fat. Full coconut milk has approximately 24% fat. And approximately 50% of the fatty acids in coconut fat are lauric acid. It is therefore possible to add the right fat to the diet to help one lose weight. Adding coconut oil as a substitute to polyunsaturated oils helps to suppress appetite, bring about weight loss and boost up the metabolism. Most dieticians recommend the addition of least 3 large tablespoons of natural coconut oil, processed or in virgin form, daily.

Food prepared by coconut oil tastes extremely delicious and the coconut oil diet is one of the best-kept secrets in the tropics. The coconut oil diet is delicious, fun, exciting and is one of the few diets that will bring a smile to your face once you step on the scale. It is known that the coconut oil diet has natural coconut fats, which leads to the normalization of body lipids.

Recent studies have shown that the use of coconut oil helps specifically those who follow an unhealthy lifestyle. Experts have suggested that reverting back to natural foods can definitely help to reverse most of the diseases that have been manifested in the bodies through the highly refined diet of the modern society.

Coconut Oil Diet Benefits:
The coconut oil has many health benefits and is one of the healthiest oils to consume. Here’s a quick look at coconut oil diet benefits.

• One of the prime benefits of coconut oil is the very fact it helps in weight loss. Unlike many other common oils, coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCT). These are definitely an easy fuel for the body to burn. The use of coconut oil in the diet also helps one to be lean and trim. A look at people in the tropics will show the health benefits of coconut oil. The people in the tropics have therefore always relied on coconuts as a traditional item in their diet for many years. Coconut oil doesn’t convert itself to fat in the body.
• Coconut oil helps to convert the energy in the body much more quickly and also helps to increase the metabolism. Due to this, the fat in the body burns more effectively. This is because, since coconut oil is an MCT, it creates a lot of heat when converted into energy. Coconut oil triples the calorie burn in the body. It also causes the increase in the metabolism and helps the body to burn fat more easily.
• It is also proven that coconut oil has anti-bacterial and anti-viral effects. This is possible even when its consumed or applied on the skin. This is yet another benefit of coconut oil as the other oils tend to go bad and cause some form of harm to the body. Coconut oil on the other hand does not oxidize like others and assists the body to absorb nutrients even more effectively.
• Having a coconut oil diet is also important because food that is cooked in coconut oil can take higher temperatures. Because the coconut oil doesn’t turn rancid, one can maintain higher temperatures and this oil also remains uniform in its consistency when stored for over a year.

Apart from the intake of coconut oil, this oil when applied to the hair proves to be very beneficial. It is also known to soften and smoothen the skin and can be used as excellent oil for massage. This highly multifunctional oil, therefore holds a prominent place in our lifestyle today.

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