Fats
(This is an excerpt from a University Of Metaphysical Sciences course at www.umsonline.org, please feel free to visit the school website)
Fats, or lipids as they are properly called, have gotten a very bad reputation in recent times, but are essential for the body to produce our hormones and to help our bodies absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Every cell in our bodies needs fats for their cell walls. The body’s bile salts are made from cholesterol. Cholesterol has been found to have antioxidative properties that protect the body from free radical damage leading to heart disease or cancer. The seratonin receptors in our brains need cholesterol for proper functioning, making us feel good. Cholesterol also contributes to the integrity of the intestinal walls. Babies and children must have adequate amounts of fats to ensure proper development of the brain and nervous system.
Oils, which are a type of fat, contain three different kinds of fatty acids, which are its building blocks: saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. The difference between them is only the number of hydrogen atoms present. While most saturated fat sources are unhealthy, there is one of great health benefits. This is coconut oil. Coconut oil has been labeled as being unhealthy because of being a saturated fat. However, in Eating For Beauty (2002), David Wolfe explains, “Coconut oil has been used as a food and a medicine since the dawn of history… Unlike the high-calorie, cholesterol-soaked, long-chain saturated animal fats found in meat and dairy products, coconut oil is a raw saturated fat containing mostly medium-chain fatty acids which the body can metabolize efficiently and convert to energy quickly. By weight, coconut oil has less calories than any other fat source.” (121) Some other high quality oils are flax, hemp, olive, and sesame. It is recommended to buy raw oils because cooked oils can be hard for the body to digest. Look for oils that say either cold-pressed or stone crushed. Stone crushed oils have the best chance at actually being raw. Even some cold-pressed oils are heated at high temperatures, so look to see if they say heated at low temperatures.
Storing oils properly is very important. Most should be stored in a dark place or dark container. Refrigerating them is even better, except for olive oil. In fact, flaxseed and hemp oils must be refrigerated to prevent oxidation, and used within two to three months from the time you open them.
Proteins are essential in the human diet. There is optimum nutrition in about ten percent protein. High carbohydrate vegetarian diets are typically also rich in amino acid s. An amino acid chain can combine to form essential neurotransmitters. Diets rich in pure organic foods typically reduce the amount of free radicals. Nutrition is simple when you know what vitamin you need. Various programs now can help bulk your omega three fatty acid load to a more acceptable level. Universal rule of thumb is anything genetically modified is probably not something you want in your house.