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| Raw Cocoa Balls made with Coconut Oil |
In the early 90’s my former roommate and got on board the
low fat crazy train. We read the labels and the nutritional facts on all of the
‘packaged’ products we bought and stayed away from avocados, olive oil and
butter. We drank low fat milk, ate low fat cheese and we thought we were taking
a healthy step in the direction of weight loss. The funny thing is that I
actually gained weight. I totally bought into what many dietitians and doctors
at the time were selling which was cut down on fats and eat low fat foods. It
was the key to losing weight, or so we thought. Looking back now, how funny
that seems due to the fact that neither roommate was in fact overweight!
You may be wondering why I gained weight and come to think
of it, at the time so was I. Only as I was researching for this newsletter did
I realized that last week’s newsletter actually had one of the answers. When
the food industry created low fat foods, the carbohydrates were increased. In
fact, the sugar content went up. I am
sure at the time, I was not carb counting, in fact I don’t know that I ever
really believed in dieting. In the US, the diet industry is worth 42 billion
dollars annually. This is amazing for an industry that is literally built on
failure to succeed! This is a topic for
another newsletter.
Did you know that the
membrane of each and every cell in the human body has fat content? That 60% of
our brain is fat? That fat is needed for our bodies to function? Fat protects
our organs and our bones; it is involved in transmitting nerve impulses and is
a layer of insulation to protect our bodies from colder temperatures. Fat also
plays a role in immune functions and hormone construction. Fat provides energy
that the body needs when blood sugar levels deplete which can occur when we go
4 to 6 hours without food; and you wonder why people are ‘hangry’ by mid
morning when they don’t eat breakfast.
If we have depleted blood sugar (glucose) levels and no fat intake,
where is that much needed energy going to come from?
Most Vegetarian and Vegans use
grains, nuts and seeds as a good source of the much needed protein and in doing
so, they are also taking in good fats.
Cooking with plant based oils will also assist the body in getting the
good fats it needs. XV olive oil, grape seed oil, coconut oil, flax seed oils
etc. are all good sources of polyunsaturated fats. Some nuts, seeds and oil contain high
contents of Omega 3 Fatty Acids. Omega 3 fatty acid is in fact a fat, but it
cannot be created by the body so our intake determines how much our bodies
get. Omega Fatty Acids are essential to
general health and growth.
Tips at adding good fats to your
intake:
- · Make your own dressings using xv olive oil, grape seed oil, nut oils
- · Add nuts and seeds to your meals. Cashew are a tasty rich addition to noodle and rice dishes
- · Use ripe avocado as a spread for your toast or bagel, forget the butter or margarine!
- · Nut gravies are a tasty addition to veggies, rice and potatoes
- · Add nuts and seeds to your breakfast cereal or your morning shake
- · Sesame paste AKA tahini adds great flavour to your dressings
While a high fat diet is not good
either, keep in mind that good fats help you maintain a healthy body weight,
balance energy levels and manage your mood levels. It is not cutting out the
fat; it is choosing the better fats and controlling the quantities we take in
from meal to meal.
“If you don't do what's best for your body, you're the one
who comes up on the short end. “ Julius
Erving
Laurie Brennan
Owner, Vegetarian Menu For The Week
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