Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom (159 page)

Fish oil supplements have been shown to be effective in supporting healthy joints.
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Omega- 3 fats increase the feeling of fullness after eating a meal.
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Essential fatty acids can lessen the symptoms of autoimmune dis eases. Multiple sclerosis patients in one study who remained on a diet high in naturally occurring essential fatty acids and low in saturated fats had only minimal disability for as long as thirty years. But for pa tients who discontinued this therapeutic diet, their disease was reacti vated and their symptoms increased dramatically.
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Fish oil has been shown to lessen menstrual cramps even in those who didn’t change other aspects of their diets.
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Research from Italy indicates that taking fish oil may lessen the frequency and severity of hot flashes by 25 percent over twenty-four weeks.
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Studies show that fish oil’s anti-inflammatory properties can help reduce the body’s negative response to psychological stress.
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RISKS OF “BAD” FATS

Partially hydrogenated fats are associated with higher cancer rates than are saturated fats.
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These artificial fats inhibit normal fatty acid metabolism in our bodies, decrease HDL (the good cholesterol), and increase LDL (the bad stuff), increasing the chance for heart disease.

Excess trans fatty acids (as well as sugar, cortisol, alcohol, and inadequate levels of magnesium, zinc, vitamin B3, vitamin B6, and vi tamin C) inhibit the conversion of essential fatty acids to cellular hormones that are needed for the optimal health of the female body. This can result in water weight gain (edema), increased blood clot formation, arthritis, and increased uterine cramps and pelvic pain.
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Diets that are high in saturated fat, trans fats, and omega-6 fats have been found to significantly alter insulin efficiency and glucose response and to contribute to insulin resistance. These types of fats have also been found to increase the accumulation of storage triglyceride in skeletal muscles (leading to marbling). Marbling of skeletal muscles leads directly to insulin resistance in these muscles, and it also reroutes triglycerides directly to abdominal fat storage sites. In order to burn glucose effectively, the cellular membrane must be flexible. Cell membranes consist of the kind of fat we eat. The more “unsaturated” a cell membrane, the more effectively glucose is utilized and the better our overall health. (Remember, the cell membrane is the “brain” of the cell—and it must be flexible and be composed of the right fats in order to function optimally. The more saturated and “stiff” the membrane, and the more trans fats are incorporated into it, the more deleterious the effect on insulin efficiency and other cell functions as well.)

Fat is not the enemy it has been made out to be in the last forty years or so. When sugar and insulin levels are kept normal and the diet is adequate in the right balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats and micronutrients, then there’s no need to worry about the im pact of your fat intake on overall health. (By the way, olive oil is an omega-9 fat, which has a neutral effect. And virgin coconut oil, which is a medium-chain fatty acid, has been found to have many health benefits, including an ability to fight infection.)
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Using organic coconut oil in cooking can be a very healthy part of your diet. Avocados and avocado oils are other good sources of healthy fats. You can safely use some butter and some saturated fat in your diet, too. But everyone needs to se verely limit her intake of foods that include both large amounts of refined carbs and large amounts of fat, such as macaroni and cheese, doughnuts, and pastries.

Calories Count, but Don’t Count Them

Though calories do count in a broad general way, using the calorie counts of foods to determine what to eat completely ignores how food is metabolized in the body for optimal health. Though you may be able to lose weight on 1,200 calories a day from bread and pasta, your body won’t be able to build the lean muscle mass you need to burn fat efficiently, and your body—in response to the insulin levels generated to metabolize the starch— will tend to go into conservation mode.