5 Sources of Fat That You Thought Were Bad But Are Actually Healthy

Along with the myth that dietary cholesterol causes heart disease comes a whole list of foods that are allegedly destroying our health. Take a look at these 5 most delicious foods that you may have been avoiding, but that are actually good for you.

Note that in order to reap the benefits of these foods, you'll have to go with the organic versions. Organic products have much better omega-3 to omega-6 ratios and are free of antibiotics, hormones and all kinds of nasty stuff that conventionally grown animals are fed.

1. Eggs

Eggs are in fact a nutritious superfood. They're a rich source of antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin, which prevent you against age-related macular degeneration (a common cause for blindness).

Tryptophan and tyrosine are very important amino acids contained in eggs. The former is a precursor for serotonin (the feel-good hormone). The latter synthesizes dopamine and norepinephrine, which promote mental activity and alertness.

An organic or free range egg contains around twice as much omega-3 fats, 3 times more vitamin E and 7 times more beta-carotene than a conventionally raised egg.

How to eat eggs

Scrambled is your worst choice. You'll destroy many antioxidants and the cholesterol in yolks will oxidize, which may in fact harm your health.

Soft-boiled would be the second best option.

And, this may come as a surprise to you, but eggs are best consumed raw. Heating causes the protein in the egg to change it's shape, which may cause allergies. This is a non-issue with raw eggs.

I can only recommend eating organic raw eggs. Never eat conventionally raised eggs raw, as they may be infected with salmonella.

Try to get your eggs from a local farmer, if at all possible. Avoid omega-3-enriched eggs, as the quality of these omega-3 fats is usually very poor - they may as well be already oxidized when they get to you.

2. Butter

Butter is a rich source of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K2 and minerals, like manganese, chromium, zinc, copper, iodine and selenium. It provides short- and medium-chain fatty acids, and it's omega-3 to omega-6 ratio is perfectly balanced.

Butter from grass-fed cows is rich in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) - an extremely valuable cancer fighting and muscle building nutrient.

It's also a good source of cholesterol, which as you now know is a good thing*. All in all, butter will protect you against heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, asthma and overweight. It's also good for digestion, fertility and thyroid health.

3. Cheese

Full-fat organic cheese is an excellent source of protein and fat. As most dairy products, they can be a rich source of calcium and vitamins.

If you have the option, go for cheese made from raw (not pasteurized) milk. Unfortunately it's very hard to find, even forbidden in many countries.

There are a gazillion types of cheese out there and I'm by no means a cheese expert. I love cheddar for the rich, creamy flavor and I add it to my vegetable salads almost every day.

Avoid cheese spread as it's not real cheese. Low fat cheese is a no-go too.

4. Red meat

Red meat has been demonized for years now and has been 'clearly associated with cancer' by 'experts'.

I agree that conventionally raised meat won't do your health any favors, but organic, grass fed meat is a totally different story.

I would especially recommend organic beef. It's rich in CLA and has a good omega ratio. Conventionally raised beef, on the other hand, has several times less CLA and the omega ratio is nowhere near ideal (1.65 vs. 4.84). Organic meat also has a much higher vitamin and other precious micronutrient content.

How you cook your meat is important too. Deep frying in vegetable oils is about the worst it can get. My favourite method is sautéing - it's quick and easy and doesn't pump the meat with trans-fats.

Avoid processed 'meat', such as sausages, hot-dogs and salami, which are nothing but a parody of meat.

5. Bacon

This one's a real shocker, I know.

The main reason for bacon being thought of as dangerous and unhealthy (along with it's saturated fat content) is the nitrate/nitrite it contains. But it's a lesser known fact, that 70-90% of your nitrite exposure comes from within your own body - from saliva.

In addition, about 90% of nitrites we get from food actually come from vegetables. Nitrites are not stored in your body in any way and most of them are excreted in urine within 5 hours of consumption.

Bacon is a rich source of choline, B vitamins, zinc, magnesium and iron. It actually consists of more monounsaturated than saturated fat. These two make up around 90% of bacon's fat content. The rest are polyunsaturates. No deadly trans-fats.

Choline is especially important - check out the Guide to Fats to find out more about it.

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By Marian Cerny

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Foods To Eat In Order To Lose Belly Fat Fast

We all know that excess fat is a serious health hazard but did you know that carrying excess belly fat is such a serious health hazard that it increases heart failure risk by up to 15%? It does this by increasing vascular inflammation, insulin resistance as well as lowering the level of good cholesterol found in the body. This makes it very important to lose stomach fat and to start you on this healthy journey, here are some foods to help you lose belly fat quickly.

Foods To Lose Belly Fat

1. Almonds

Almonds and various other nuts and seeds are extremely healthy as they include a high amount of monounsaturated fats which improve heart health as they increase the amount of good fats in the body. They contain high amounts of protein which helps to make you feel fuller faster which will help to trim your belly and your figure by not allowing you to eat more than you should.

One important feature of protein is that it helps you build lean muscle if you incorporate resistance training into your exercises. When you build lean muscle, it will increase the results you are able to achieve through exercise. More muscle leads to more fat burning by the body. More fat burning means less belly fat which means that almonds and other nuts are some of the best foods to lose belly fat. Eat them raw or dry roasted and avoid smoked or salted nuts. Good choices besides almonds include sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.

2. Eggs

Eggs are a great source of protein which makes them one of the best foods to lose belly fat as protein helps build lein muscle which helps to burn fat.

Some studies have also shown that those who consume eggs at the start of the day consume less calories later in the day than those who start off the day without an egg. Consuming fewer calories a day means a leaner body so have an egg for breakfast.

3. Lean Meat Like Turkey

Turkey and many other lean meats are also a great source of protein which is essential for fat and calorie burning through the creation of lean muscle. Eating more protein has been shown to reduce the amount of fat around your midsection and foods containing great amounts of protein are some of the best foods to lose belly fat. In addition to turkey, try lean steak, fish, chicken, Canadian bacon, shellfish, etc, while avoiding bacon, rib eye, T-bone steak, sausage, etc.

4. Peanut Butter

The all natural and sugar free type of peanut butter is another of the best foods to lose belly fat as it is loaded with healthy fats that are extremely beneficial for fat burning as well as to keep you feeling fuller for longer periods of time, to clean out your arteries and to increase the amount of good cholesterol. Other butters that are good for you include cashew butter and almond butter.

These are just a few of the best foods to lose belly fat. Make changes to your diet and see your body change for the better. For more tips on the foods to eat as well as the best exercise to lose belly fat, visit http://losestubbornbellyfat.info/ and create the belly and body of your dreams.

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By Wendy Stanton

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The Best Weight Loss Tips Everyone Who Wants to Lose Weight Should Know

The fact that you are searching for effective ways to lose weight is good news! However, it's never easy. Most women who decide to trim off a few digits from their waist line whether to improve their looks or for health reasons usually end up confused as to where to start. There are countless weight loss techniques to choose from so expect confusion while choosing which one best fits your needs. Luckily, weight loss does not require complicated procedures since all you need to do is follow a few important rules. Your first goal must be to reduce calorie intake while increasing your daily physical activities. This might seem very simple but it is proven effective. Nevertheless, do it in a healthy way. Never resort on quick weight loss schemes since they usually offer temporary results. Who would want to lose a couple of pounds within a week and gain two times more the month after? The key to be successful in this endeavor is proper planning. Diligently take note of everything you eat in a certain period of time and use the list to create a reference. Focus on eliminating foods and drinks with excessive calorie content and inorganic ones. Exaggeratedly minimizing your food intake is not advisable as well. Most women believe that crash diets are the most effective weight loss methods since they offer fast and astonishing results. What they don't realize is that they are compromising their overall health in the process. You will eventually lose weight if you don't eat anything for several days but it will also cause a negative toll to your metabolism. Crash diets are also very hard to maintain since the urge to eat heightens as each day pass.

Exercise is a must if you want to lose weight. Although you can get rid of annoying excess body fat by solely following a strict diet, you'll achieve it in a much shorter time frame through exercise. It doesn't have to be a routine laid out by a professional fitness instructor. Simply involve yourself in any kind of physical activity like sports and you'll notice good great results in no time. At least 4 hours of cardio is enough to encourage weight loss. However, losing weight for a month or two is much desirable than achieving your dream body after a year so you must exert more effort to it. There's no better way to start than setting up minor goals. Success breeds success so you'll most likely achieve succeeding high goals once you managed to pull through a few smaller ones. Some women are not interested about going to the gym. If you belong to this group, consider swimming, dancing, or any other exciting sport. Regular jogging is also a great idea but you must be careful not to increase your millage abruptly or it might cause you serious injuries. Remember that it's not about following the most infamous weight loss program but one that best fits your lifestyle. Pick one that you can maintain for a couple of years. Avoid what most call Yo-yo diet and aim for a consistent healthy meal plan. To sum it up, reducing your daily calorie intake by at least 20% while maintain a daily cardio workout will guarantee weight loss. It's also advisable to choose an exercise routine that won't bore you so sustaining it won't be a very big challenge.

Are you still baffled on how to lose weight effectively? Do you think you need more proven effective guidelines to lose weight? Click Here to discover the Top 10 Best Weight Loss Tips to date.

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By Glaiza M Boto

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Diabetes and Foot Neuropathy

Aside form loss of vision and problems with kidney, another important thing that diabetics should be very careful with is foot neuropathy. Foot neuropathy is a kind of nerve damage. The covering of the nerves in the feet are stripped off which makes the feet feel hot and eventually takes away the sensation in the feet. Millions of diabetics' feet are amputated because of ignored care for foot neuropathy.

While it cannot be treated because it is a damage to the nerves that is caused by many factors one of which is diabetes, foot neuropathy can be controlled. Diabetics should always check their feet for callous and blisters. Since neuropathy takes away the sensation in the feet, they might not feel that their feet are developing very thick callous that can be the start of ulcers. These ulcers are very dangerous because they eat the tissues of the body. If the affected body part is not cut, the ulcers might continue on eating the tissues until they reach vital parts of the body.

People with diabetes and foot neuropathy should never walk barefoot. They should take care of their feet not be exposed to objects that might wound them. They may not feel the bump because of the neuropathy so they should always check. Patients should not dip the feet in very hot water because they might not feel it but their feet are already experiencing high degree of burn.

Finally, they should always have their feet checked by a podiatrist, a doctor whose specialty if with the feet and the diseases that are associated with feet. It is possible to have complete set of legs even with this disease. Just like the daily checking and care for the diabetes, foot neuropathy should also be checked and given attention everyday. With this, many patients will not have wounds in feet that can be the start of ulcers that can be the reason for the amputation of the feet.

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By Aarona Bancs

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