Is it really healthier?

As you know, I'm all about the decadence of food and enjoying it without the typical trade offs- weight gain and health issues. Let's be real, the only thing healthy is what grows from God's green earth. That is fruits and vegetables, anything else isn't necessarily unhealthy but it's not as healthy as the fruits and vegetables. One of the questions I ask when shopping is: isn't milk supposed to have fat in it? and is the fat really killing is? When I ask the latter question, I know that Omegas-6 are not great for you but many of our organs are made out of fat: so if we remove the fat do we hurt our organs? Just a question.

Let's talk about the most common culprits for the healthy bait and switch: fat, salt, and sugar. Let's start with sugar. For the last decade, sugar has been getting a bad reputation, which isn't completely undeserved. Americans are consuming more sugar than ever and it shows in our health and waistlines. As Americans try to limit sugar consumption, they usually trade it for salt or processed substitutes. Instead of trying artificial sweeteners, which are chemical laden and proven to increase strokes in people regularly using them, try honey or agave nectar. The latter is my drug of choice. I've moved on to the amber nectar, which is very sweet but I need about 1/4 cup less in recipes and it doesn't raise my glucose level. Guess what? No diabetes or sugar crash. If you're not that adventurous, try honey. It's one of the only foods that doesn't expire and it adds sweetness without overpowering.

Salt. The cause of hypertension, kidney problems, water retention, high blood pressure and probably more effects that are hidden from us. The only true way to avoid excess salt is to cook your own meals. Have you ever read a label? More than half of the ingredients may be sodium related. Sodium is used as a preservative and as a way to add extra flavor to food that is over processed. Don't fall for the sea salt thing. Salt is still salt. Note: how are they extracting this salt from the sea? hmmm. I have homework to do. Anyway, limit your salt intake by cooking at home and limiting processed foods. Avoid adding extra salt to your food.

Let's talk about the "f-word" not that f-word. The other one, fat. Let's talk about fat. The studies of fat are confusing. We hear that Omega-3's are the best fats and to avoid omega 6, that we shouldn't have saturated fat but some of it isn't bad for us. How do we avoid fat? We don't. I have a problem with fat free and low fat foods because of the process used to avoid the fats that occur naturally in these foods. I don't buy low fat or fat free anything, mainly because I eat a lot of healthier foods and because I don't trust them. Avoid long chain saturated fats which are mammal fats and maybe dairy fats but the website I checked, puts dairy fats under medium chain also with a question mark, so that's in the air. Don't avoid them but have them in moderation. Sources of fat to avoid include margarine, contrary to popular belief margarine is not healthier it's just cheaper to make and buy, it's actually worse than better and is proven to cause cancer, and baked goods which use margarine. Good fats include coconut oil, avocadoes, salmon, olives, vegetables, eggs, and grass fed beef.

The truth is that if a food makes a health claim, it's probably lying. That's not to say all foods are lying but if a food has a reputation for being unhealthy and now it offers a source of veggies, it's a lie. The only way to get the nutrients you need is to cook at home.