No matter what time of the year, you’re constantly faced with decisions about what to put into your body. Every year, the holidays roll around, and any efforts you’ve made during the year goes out the door to slices of cheesecakes, pies, cookies and puddings, and everything else in between.
When considering what to put in your body, you may want to think twice when thinking about “fat free” and “low fat” food options, and even what types of fats that go into your body. With the holidays, people tend to eat out a lot, and opt to eat fat free and low fat dressings and just plain unhealthy fat food items because they are on the grocery shelves and in restaurants…the easy choice.
Although it sounds like you’re making a good choice by cutting back fat, especially if you’re “dieting,” the “low fat/fat free”options could take a toll on your skin, the signs of aging, and even have effects on your metabolism. What an irony when you think of a low fat or fat free option that would wreck your metabolism.
Stop putting your body and fats to chance, and learn about what kinds of fats to put into your body to help your skin, slow the signs of aging, and ramp up your metabolism. Although it may be overwhelming, or intimidating at first, learning the right kind of fats can prove to be beneficial throughout the year, and for the rest of your life.
There is such a thing as beneficial fats that stimulate the production of collagen, and even improves the blood flow in the layer under the skin that supplies nutrients to facilitate the creation of new, healthy skin cells. Fats keep the skin moist, from the inside, and are crucial for the absorption of the fat soluble vitamin – A, D, E, and K. Beneficial phytonutrients such as carotene, lycopene and lutein also need fats to be absorbed.
Fats also help produce and regulate hormones, reduce inflammation (the right fats, of course), can prevent eczema, psoriasis, and yes, even hair loss. A very small amount of healthy fats (about 2 Tbsp) are needed so the skins can lubricate itself, and help absorb the very important Vitamin A, and for other important processes in the body, but is needed on a daily basis.
Be creative and careful with the types of fats that you allow in your diet: olive oil, flaxseed oil, walnut oil, pumpkin seed oil, coconut oil, soy oil, macadamia oil, canola oil,mustard seed oil, and avocado oil are all good options for healthy fats.
Of the oils listed, the mono unsaturated oils are olive oil, avocado oil, macadamia oil, as well as the oil from most fish; Mono unsaturated oils can reduce wrinkles. The poly unsaturated oils are flaxseed, walnut, pumpkin seed, and canola oil. Another fat that is good for you is coconut oil, but it is a saturated fat, so you should stay away from using it for the bulk of your daily intake of healthy fats.
Surprisingly, unsaturated fats, such as regular vegetable oils, decrease your metabolism rate. Unsaturated fats can suppress the response of body’s tissues to the thyroid hormone. Unsaturated fats inhibit a protein digestive enzyme that forms the thyroid hormone, as well as damages the mitochondria in cells, therefore effecting cellular energy production. Coconut oil counteracts these unwelcome effects of unsaturated fats.
Coconut oil is incredibly versatile. Because it is so stable, it can be used in cooking without becoming hydrogenated, doesn’t change the flavor of the food, and is the only saturated fat that is good for the body.
Make sure to add different healthy fats in your diet over the holidays to increase the amount of important vitamins that are absorbed into your body, and to help you to keep like your beautiful, mommy self. Remember that it’s a time to enjoy yourself, so even though you want to have that piece of cake or pie, just do so in moderation, and you won’t wreck all the hard work you put into making you and your family healthy. Keep yourself healthy and looking great all year long, and it’s NEVER too late to start!
To your health!
~Hale Mom
