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After decades of thinking all fat is bad fat and causes us to get fat, it turns out that not all fats are created equal. Some of them are actually good for you and you need to consume fat to stay alive and healthy. Certain vitamins can only be absorbed by the body if consumed with some sort of fat. For example, vitamins A, D, E, and K require fat to be absorbed by the body.
And there are various parts of your body, including your heart that need fat to run smoothly and stay healthy.
At first glance it makes sense to cut fat from your diet when you want to lose excess body fat. That’s been the basis behind every single diet from 1950 to 1990. It lead to the development and sale of countless low fat and fat free foods that still populate our grocery stores today. The idea of eating low fat has become deeply ingrained into our collective cultural conscious. The only problem is that it didn’t work.
Yes, you can lose weight on a low calorie, low fat diet.
Plenty of people have done it. But it takes a lot of willpower, and the vast majority of people can’t stick to it long term. They end up giving up and gaining more weight back then they lost in the first place. Our bodies are genetically engineered to crave fat. It’s what keeps us going, keeps us warm, and keeps up our energy levels.
While fat does have a lot more calories than the same amount of carbs or protein, it takes a long time to digest fat. It keeps us full and satisfied much longer than any other type of food. Does that mean you should go on a bacon and butter diet with a sprinkle of deep fried foods? Of course not. First off, we need to strive for balance and shouldn’t compensate for our past low fat diets that only made us fatter by overindulging in fats. Balance is the name of the game when it comes to healthy weight loss. Secondly, not all fats are created equal.
There is Still a Lot to be Learned About Fats
While there is still a lot to be learned about fats and the role they play in the many chemical process that take place in our bodies, we know that some fats are better for us than others. I’m sure you’ve heard of saturated fats, unsaturated fats, trans fats, and mono-unsaturated fats. Stay away from mostly man-made Trans Fats. There’s been a big push in this direction and it’s a good thing.
The main fats you want to increase are mono-unsaturated and Omega-3 fats. These types of fats will help lower your bad cholesterol and increase the good one. They will help your body repair itself and run at its best. Think of it as high performance fuel for your body. You can find these healthy types of fats in avocados, almonds, coconut oil, peanut butter, peanut oil, canola oil olives, and olive oil for mono-unsaturated. And you will find lots of omega-3s in fatty fish such as salmon and canned tuna.
The most important lesson I want you to take away from this post is that fat isn’t bad for you. Some sources of fat are better for you than others, but overall, it’s not the enemy we so long thought it was.
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First of all, yes, I received a free copy. And yes, I was asked to review the product. However, I want to make one thing clear. I only give positive reviews when it is deserved.
So, now for the review. “God and Snow, 5 Things Snow Teaches about God” has a target audience of 8 years plus. And some of the exercises are pretty challenging. In fact, I had to peak at least once at the answer key. However, I think that younger audiences will also benefit from this precious book. Numerous lovely pictures fill the book. And the author uses allegories to drive the point home. Note that the book is in black and white, which means opportunities to color, something that littles usually enjoy.
A variety of fun activities fills the book. For example, visual snowflake matching, hidden pictures, completing text messages on a phone, and bible journaling.
Lesson titles include, “Jesus Makes us White as Snow,” and “Snow Reminds Us that God made Us One of a Kind.”
And you can't beat the price of “God and Snow.” The print version is currently only $6.97 on Amazon, which in my opinion, is a steal.
Visit the author, Corine Hyman, at the site below:
This is a quick summary of why you need folate, also known as vitamin B9, in your diet. Folate is important for healthy fetal development. It is important in preventing heart disorders, sperm abnormalities, and birth defects. Folate also helps build muscles, and is needed for red blood cell production. Below are 5 reasons why you need folate. (This post may contain affiliate links).
1. You Need Folate for Healthy Fetal Development
Folate is important for healthy blood in adults as well as unborn babies. Thus, folate sufficiency reduces the risk of folate-deficiency anemia. Macrocytic anemia is another name for this type of anemia. “Macro” means big, “cytic” refers to cells. Thus, “macrocytic” literally means large red blood cells.
2. Red Blood Cell Production and Prevention of Anemia.
Anytime anemia is present, it means there is not enough oxygen being transported through the blood. This results in fatigue for the already born person. Anemia causes mental retardation, learning disabilities, and increased risk of infection and growth retardation. Thus, folate insufficiency during pregnancy increases the risk of birth defects in the unborn child.
3. Folate Prevents Birth Defects
Studies show that sufficient folate intake during pregnancy reduces birth defects by 50%.
4. Prevents Heart Disorders
Homocysteine is an amino acid that, when it is too high, leads to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Sufficient folate in the diet reduces harmful homocysteine levels in the blood. Thus, folate reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke by reducing homocysteine levels in the blood.
Folate has also been shown to reduce the thickening of the arterial wall. This is another way that folate reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
5. Folate Fights against Chromosome Abnormalities
Folate fights against chromosome (think “genetic”) abnormalities in sperm. This means that it is possible to reduce the risk of birth defects even before conception by assuring you are eating enough folate-rich foods. This applies to men as well as women.
Originally I only intended to write about 5 Reasons Why You Need Folate. However, I found another good reason. (And there are more, but this is just a quick summary).
6. Folate is important for Healthy Muscles
Muscles are made stronger and bigger with the help of folate, which is required for the conversion of arginine to nitric oxide (NO). So, if you or anyone you know, is trying to strengthen and grow your muscles, a folate-rich diet will help with this process.
Below is a delicious recipe that is rich in folate, vitamin B6, iron, vitamin a, vitamin c, and fiber.
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