Tag Archive for: Organic

10 High-Fat Foods That Are Actually Super Healthy

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Healthy High-fat Foods

Healthy high-fat foods do exist. High fat foods have been given a bad name but not all foods with a high fat content are bad for you. As I’m sure you know there are good fats and bad fats. Kris Gunners wrote a great article on this topic. Kris lists 10 high-fat foods that are super healthy and explains why.

Ever since fat was demonized, people started eating more sugar, refined carbs and processed foods instead. As a result, the entire world has become fatter and sicker.

Bottom Line: Avocados are a fruit, with fat at 77% of calories. They are an excellent source of potassium and fiber, and have been shown to have major benefits for cardiovascular health.

Cheese, like other high-fat dairy products, also contains powerful fatty acids that have been linked to all sorts of benefits, including reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.

Bottom Line: Cheese is incredibly nutritious, and a single slice contains a similar amount of nutrients as a glass of milk. It is a great source of vitamins, minerals, quality proteins and healthy fats.

Many healthy and nutritious foods were unfairly demonized for being high in fat. Here are 10 high-fat foods that are actually incredibly healthy.

This article discusses the following 10 high-fat foods:

Each of these foods have some great health benefits. The animal products such as butter, cheese and fish should be taken in moderation.

Avocados have a fat content of 77% but they are great for your heart and cardiovascular system.

Cheese is a great source of calcium and protein and I have to admit I love my cheese. I could not be totally vegan because of the cheese. That said there are some people that have adverse reactions to the casein protein that is found in milk products like cheese. If you are interested in a great study regarding casein you should read The China Study.

Dark Chocolate has some great antioxidant properties and contains iron, magnesium, copper and manganese.

Whole eggs used to be considered bad for you because of the high fat and cholesterol in them but recently there are studies that show that the cholesterol doesn’t affect blood cholesterol. Eggs are high in protein. I like to get local farm fresh eggs just so I know how the chickens are treated.

Fatty fish like salmon have omega-3 fatty acids and are great for lowering your risk of heart disease.

Nuts are healthy high-fat foods which have healthy fats, fiber, vitamin E and magnesium and are great for snacking and adding to meals.

Organic butter from grass-fed cows is almost pure fat. The key to healthy butter is that you make sure you buy butter from grass-fed animals and don’t overdo it.

Extra virgin olive oil is a staple of the Mediterranean diet which has been found to help reduce risk for heart disease, depression, and dementia.

Coconut products are amazing for your health. We use coconut oil to cook with and as an ingredient in lots of our food. I use it for my teeth, just swish it around for a few minutes and it does wonders for your teeth and mouth.

There you have it. Fatty foods that you can eat and feel good about.

GMO Food Explained

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What is GMO?

GMO food explained. There is a lot of talk about how GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) foods may effect your health but what are GMO foods and why are they a significant part of our food supply?

A Bit of GMO History

The first marketable GMO appeared in 1982 with the production of Humilin which is a genetically modified E. coli gene created to produce insulin for people with diabetes. In 1994 the first GMO food was introduced. This was the Flavr Savr tomato that was designed for a longer shelf life that regular tomatoes.

Since 1994 the genetically engineered food product availability has increased to include more than 70% of the food products that you get in a typical grocery store. Items such as soda, soups, crackers and almost anything that has been highly processed or contains corn or soy have a high level of GMO. Up to 85% of corn grown in the U.S. is genetically modified, 91% of soybeans and 88% of cotton.

Some examples of non-food GMO products are insulin, synthetic thyroid hormones, Aspartame and the hepatitis B vaccine.

Biggest GMO Food Producers

The largest producers of GMO seeds are Monsanto at 27%, Dupont at 17%, and Syngenta with 9% market share. Monsanto has been around since 1901 and is a multi-billion dollar company with a lot of business and political power. See who is on the Monsanto board of directors here.

GMO vs Hybridization

The basic difference between GMO and hybrid foods are that GMO foods are made in a lab and can be a combination of unrelated products such as a corn gene and an insecticide poison gene. The biggest reason to genetically modify foods are to make more food and make it faster. Farmers can make more food if the food contains the pesticide that kills the pests. GMO foods have only been available since the mid-1990s.

Hybrid foods are a combination of two similar type of the same food like two different strains of tomato. This can be produced naturally but in most cases it is the result of human experimentation with foods. The main reason for hybrid foods are to get different flavors, colors or size from the food. Hybrid foods have been around since the beginning of agriculture.

Who Really Controls The Food Supply

It’s easy to say that the big food companies control the food supply and we have no choice but that is completely wrong. The power is with the consumer.

Here is a great example that I have observed lately. Not long ago you wouldn’t find one #organic product in Walmart and now they have a reasonable selection of organic produce. This is not because they care about their customers. This is because there is a great demand from their customers and they can make more money.

The consumer has the power. The hard part is knowing the truth from the disinformation that is prevalent in our information culture. If you want to get more involved and educated about GMOs then check out The Non-GMO Project

Resources:

We all have a choice and there are plenty of healthy food options available.

Healthy Natural Sugar Substitutes

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What Are Good Healthy Sugar Substitutes?

Sugar that is added to your diet has the potential to cause some pretty bad health problems. Some of these problems include: Tooth decay, liver problems, fatty liver disease, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, cancer, weight gain and heart disease.

Don’t despair because there are several natural healthy sugar substitutes available. Real sugar is not bad taken in moderation but the more often you can use alternatives the better your health can be.

According to Dawn Combs, a certified herbalist and author. There are some great healthy sugar substitutes to add to your diet and some not so great.

Agave nectar has a low glycemic index and therefore is believed to help keep blood sugar levels in check and thusly prevent fluctuations in hormones. Worrying solely about the glycemic index of a food is not a good indicator of health. Unfortunately, agave syrup contains the highest fructose amount of any commercial sweetener, even worse than high fructose corn syrup. High levels of fructose create insulin resistance, an even bigger problem than a temporary spike due to sugar intake. Further, agave nectar is mostly produced from Agave americana.

Found at Natural Sugar Substitutes: Which are Really Healthy?

Main Sugar Alternatives

  • Maple syrup – Great for baking and we like to use it in our oatmeal as well as the lower gluten einkorn pancakes that we love to have for breakfast.
  • Honey – Find local raw honey for an excellent sugar substitute. We use it in our tea and it is great to bake with. Honey baked ham, honey dips and honey in bread is wonderful. I personally like honey for its extra antibacterial benefits.
  • Agave – This is a popular sugar substitute but not always the best choice for healthy eating as it contains the highest amount of fructose that any of the other alternatives. Not my favorite flavor.
  • Coconut sugar – You are probably aware of the benefits of coconut oils and coconut sugar is no exception because of the low fructose content. Make sure you get pure coconut sugar if you choose this alternative .
  • Brown rice syrup – Good if it is organic. This sugar substitute is mostly used in baking or cooking.

Other Natural Sugar Alternatives

Some other natural sugar alternatives are products made from stevia which is an herb commonly found in Central and South America and is sweeter than sugar without the blood sugar spike. There is however a bitter aftertaste that is a bit like licorice but there are some good products out there like Sweetleaf and Truvia that are good sugar alternatives.

Another healthy sugar substitute is Xylitol. This is not one that I think of as a great alternative because of the way that it is processed. Xylitol is basically processed birch sap. Anything that is processed and hydrogenated I try to stay away from. Also the name makes it sound like a cough medicine.

I like to stick with honey, maple syrup and raw sugar for my sweet tooth because I know where they come from and that the process from nature to the store is very simple.