Eat Good Fats, Drink Good Wine

Sounds easy huh?  Eating "Good Fats" and drinking "Good Wine" to stay healthy...  These are two of the best things in life, so I invite you to enjoy them!  Fat is, indeed, the "Vehicle of Taste".  It is the substance that gives food a full flavor in the mouth and a satisfying feeling in the belly.  And wine, well, it tastes wonderful, makes you feel good and has some healthy effects to boot.  Read on and discover how eating more fat can keep you healthy.

The age of the "low-fat diet" is over and research is showing that a healthy diet is not found in reducing fat, instead, it should be based on eating the right fats.  The standard American diet is loaded with saturated animal fats and processed vegetable fats.  These types of fats and oils have the potential to cause a host of health problems that most of us have heard about - including atherosclerosis, high blood pressure and others.  The good fats, however, have the complete opposite effect on the body.  Good fats protect against atherosclerosis, lower blood pressure and have a whole range of additional benefits.  In fact, the good fats can even make you thinner - Take that, low-fat diet!

So how do we get the "Good Fats" then?  The simple answer is to eat unprocessed foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids.  Some of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids are flax seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts and coldwater fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, sturgeon, and anchovies.  One key to getting the best health benefit from these delicate fats is to make sure that they are as fresh as possible and not exposed to heat.  For these omega-3 fatty acids, as with most "real" food, heat, air and light are the main causes of spoilage.  Keep this in mind when cooking a nice piece of salmon or buying flax seeds:  To preserve the health benefits, cook salmon lightly with a bit of fresh ginger & eat your flax seeds raw and grind them just before use for the maximum benefit (see next article on flax seeds).

The benefits of omega-3s include reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke while helping to reduce symptoms of hypertension, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), joint pain and other rheumatoid problems, as well as certain skin ailments. Some research has even shown that omega-3s can boost the immune system and help protect us from an array of illnesses including Alzheimer's disease.  "It not only plays a vital role in the health of the membrane of every cell in our body, it also helps protect us from a number of key health threats," says Laurie Tansman, MS, RD, CDN, a nutritionist at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York.As for wine, not nearly as much needs to be said.  Just buy a nice bottle of red and enjoy a glass in the evening as you put your feet up and take a deep breath... Everything in moderation, right?