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properties of goji berriesHealthy Saturated Fats? Yes, You Heard Me Right!

I�ll preface this article by saying that it will help if you have an open mind and accept that some of these facts are a slap in the face to politically correct nutrition in this day and age where fats are admonished by many doctors, health "experts", the mass media, etc. To start, eating an adequate supply of healthy dietary fats is vitally important to your overall health. 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. 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. 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.

Visit http://truthaboutabs.com/Training-and-Nutrition-Articles.html to receive your own personalized metabolic rate calculator as well as 4 of my secret hard-body workout routines - both FREE, with no purchase necessary.

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

Live Lobster Shipped

If you are not lucky enough to live in a state that has lobster fisherman walking down the streets as heroes, then you do not know what real lobster is. All of that imitation canned stuff loses its taste when it�s mixed in with the other chemicals in the plant. The dead frozen ones are stiff as a rock when they arrive and you can sometimes taste the ice box it came in. The best way to get lobster is for it to be live and shipped to you. There are some secrets though when wanting to get live lobster shipped to your home.

First of all, make sure that you are getting live lobster shipped from a place that is actually known for good lobster. Sure, it may be cheaper to get live lobster shipped from Zaire, but that wont compare in taste to lobster that has been caught in Maine. It�s obvious that you want to buy good lobster, which is why you didn�t just go to the store and buy it from the filthy tanks they keep them in, so spend the extra cash and get something good.

Live lobster is shipped in coolers or crates and thus has a very short lifespan when living in the box. You will probably get a confirmation email from the company you ordered from telling you when your lobsters will arrive on your front doorstep. Make sure you are there. Live lobster that has been baking under the sun all day long while you were at work is not going to taste good or be worth the cost of shipping.

Live lobster shipped overseas may experience some problems as well. Some countries may have high tariffs and taxes with live shipped animals or food, so watch out for that. Also, if you order lobster from a little known country or province, there is a chance that the health codes over there are not as strict as in Maine or Washington State. Remember that lobsters are still crustaceans and are susceptible to the diseases of any animal.

As you can see, getting live lobster shipped can be very easy, but you must keep these things in mind before ordering anything live to come to your home. Remember too that live lobsters are not dangerous when they get shipped to your home, as the pinchers will be rubber banded shut. That doesn�t mean though, that they are safe to keep as pets.

If you would like more information on how to get live lobster shipped safely, go to http://www.squidoo.com/livelobster/

How Exactly Does Fiber Help Your Health?

When you go to the doctor does he/she ask you about how much fiber you are getting? It seems that fiber is being discussed as a possible solution to everything, including the ozone layer. Okay, maybe not the ozone problem, but it is looking like if you get enough fiber in your diet, your chances reduce dramatically of acquiring many diseases you could be susceptible to as you get older.

What exactly does fiber help to prevent? Studies have shown that a diet with plenty of fiber in it can reduce the chances of heart disease (by cutting cholesterol), diabetes (by slowing the release of sugars from foods into the blood), diverticulosis, and other diseases. The thought that it helps prevent cancer are conflicting, but by eating the foods you need to acquire fiber (fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) you also get a lot of vitamins and minerals that are very beneficial to the body. Bonus, baby!!!

Basically, what fiber does is go through the intestines and pick up all the wastes and toxins along the way. It passes through quickly and doesn�t allow the waste time to settle and develop into health problems such as cancer or tumors. Also, if you want weight loss, the intake of fiber helps give you a fullness feeling and as a result you don�t want to eat as much. Thus, because you�re not eating as much, you lose weight. Pretty nice, huh!

Most Americans get on average 10 to 15 grams a day of fiber, but it is usually on the low end. Experts say that you should up that amount to around 30 to 35 grams a day for optimal cancer prevention and health benefits. A lot of Americans eat diets that are high in saturated fat, protein, and processed carbohydrates. You really can�t find a lot of fiber in those types of foods. Some Americans couldn�t identify a fruit or a vegetable if it were in front of them. So the obvious question would be, how does one change his/her diet to get enough fiber?

Good sources of fiber can be found in the following sources: apples, citrus fruits, strawberries, oats, oatmeal, potatoes, pasta, and dried beans. These are soluble fibers, meaning they dissolve in water. These fibers help lower the cholesterol and give you that fullness feeling mentioned earlier. Other sources of fiber that help remove wastes and possibly prevent cancer are: whole wheat pasta, whole wheat grains, and crunchy vegetables. These are insoluble fibers meaning they don�t dissolve in water. They help with waste removal as well as possible cancer prevention. Really try to avoid foods that are processed such as white breads and white pastas.

All in all you want to make sure you get a lot of fiber in your diet, but don�t neglect your proteins and carbohydrates so you can really get a balanced diet and acquire the nutrients your body needs to run efficiently. If you are looking for fiber supplements go to http://fitnessplanning.com/supplements.htm and look at the information on BiosLife2. Don�t neglect the fiber sources mentioned above, but if you can�t get enough from those sources, BiosLife2 can definitely help you out.

Copyright 2006 Adam Kessler

Adam Kessler is President of Fitness Planning Consultants in Columbus, Ohio. He operates Sports Conditioning Specialists. Find out about free health and fitness news and sign up for their free newsletter at http://fitnessplanning.com

More Great Wellness Resources.

goji berries vitamin cOlive Garden Coupons on eBay

Finding restaurant coupons isn't all that hard. Everyone knows you can look in the newspaper, perhaps the mail. Another good source that sometimes goes unnoticed is EBay.

The first step in finding bargains is knowing how to search for the many different types of coupons or gift cards available. The other thing to consider is how much you are willing to pay. Some coupons on EBay are actually gift cards. So to save money, you need to buy them at a discount.

When using EBay, the way you do the search will generate far different results. For example: typing Olive Garden Coupons, will generate a result of all items with all three words in any order. Type it in quotes as: "Olive Garden Coupons" then you will only get listings with the phrase exactly as you typed it. If you are seeing more results than you expected, you can filter the search by bid amount or category, etc. There are several advanced search commands available to narrow your search down to what you're looking for.

The second part of the search is a little tougher, everyone has a price that they are willing to pay. I find the key for me is deciding my top price before I start bidding. If you are bidding on coupons, consider how much your saving, along with how hard it is to find a particular coupon. If you are bidding on gift cards the math is easier to do, consider how reputable the seller is along with how much cash value the gift card has. Just don't let yourself get caught up in a bidding war, which could lead to paying more than you should have. Good Luck.

J Cox runs several websites designed to locate coupons and bargains of all types. A good example is http://www.coupon-restaurant.com/ for a good source of coupons.

How To Become A Healthy Eater

Healthy eating is all about balanced and moderate eating, consisting of healthy meals at least three times per day. Healthy eaters eat many different types of foods, not limiting themselves to one specific food type or food group.

Being a healthy eater requires you to become both educated and smart about what healthy eating actually is. Being food smart isn't about learning to calculate grams or fat, or is it about studying labels and counting calories.

Eating healthy requires quite a bit of leeway. You might eat too much or not enough, consume foods that are sometimes more or less nutritious.However, you should always fuel your body and your brain regularly with enough food to keep both your mind and body strong and alert.

A healthy eater is a good problem solver. Healthy eaters have learned to take care of themselves and their eating with sound judgment and making wise decisions. Healthy eaters are always aware of what they eat, and know the effect that it will have on their bodies.

When someone is unable to take control of their eating, they are also likely to get out of control with other aspects of life as well. They could end up spending too much, talking too much, even going to bed later and later.

You should always remember that restricting food bin any way is always a bad thing. Healthy eating is a way of life, something that you can do to enhance your body or your lifestyle. If you've thought about making your life better, healthy eating is just the place to start. You'll make life easier for yourself, those around you, and even your family.

Eating healthy is something we all would like to do, although it can be hard. In order to eat healthy, you must first make the right food choices. Eating healthy is all about what you eat, which makes the choices very crucial to your results.

Healthy Food Choices

Vegetables

These should be varied, as you should eat 2 1/2 cups of them each day. You should start eating more of the dark vegetables, such as broccoli and spinach. Carrots and sweet potatoes are good as well. You should also eat more dry beans such as peas, pinto beans, and even kidney beans.

Grains

You should consume 6 ounces of grains per day. To do this,you can eat 3 ounces of whole grain cereals, breads, rice,crackers, or pasta. You can get an ounce of grains in a single slice of bread, or 1 cut of cereal.

Fruits

Fruits are very important. You should try to eat 2 cups of them each day. Focus on eating a variety, such as fresh, frozen, canned, or even dried fruit. You can drink fruit juices as well, although you should use moderation when doing so.

Milk

Milk is your calcium rich friend. For adults, 3 cups is the ideal goal. For kids 2 - 8, 2 cups is where you want to be. When choosing milk products or yogurt, you should go for fat-free or low-fat. Those of you who don't like milk or can't have it, should go for lactose free products or other sources of calcium such as fortified foods and beverages.

Beans And Meat

Eating 5 ounces a day is the ideal goal, as you should go lean with your protein. When eating meat, always bake it,grill it, or broil it, as this will prevent grease from adding to the equation. You should vary your protein as well, with more fish, beans, peas, and nuts.

When cooking your food, you should also limit solid fats such as butter, margarine, shortening, and lard. These foods may add flavor to your dishes, although they can also help raise your cholesterol as well. Therefore, you should try to add these foods and any foods that happen to contain them.

To help keep your saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium low, you can check the nutrition facts label. This label can be found on the food package and will tell you all the information you need to know about the food item.

By picking your foods wisely and watching what you eat,you'll help control your lifestyle. Exercise is great as well, as it goes along perfect with a healthy eating lifestyle. No matter what your age may be, eating healthy will help you keep your active lifestyle for years and years - even help you and your health in the long run as well.

Freedom,peace of mind, and joy are not just for other people: They're for you,too!

The benefits of Healthy Living are real, and so is the path you take to get there.

Follow The Path Of Healthy Living with me!

You can learn a lot more here:

http://Live-O-Natural.com

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