About Fats, Sugar, and Mineral Deficiencies

Good Fats:

Essential fatty acids dramatically contribute to health and vitality throughout life, beginning with the development of the human brain.  Over half the brain is composed of fat.  Brain chemicals called neurotransmitters are regulated by the prostaglandins that are created by essential fatty acids.  The brain and the entire nervous system need fats for nourishment and protection.  Prostaglandins, made from fatty acids,  are  essential for the entire body's cellular functioning--from the tiniest cells to the largest of the vital organs.  Healthy prostaglandin functioning is critical in the body's fight against a wide variety of conditions ranging from arthritis and ulcers to migraines and cancer.  They also boost the functioning of the cardiovascular, reproductive, immune, and central nervous systems.  Given the importance of the role of fatty acids in the body, how can we survive and be healthy on the low fat diets of today unless we are knowledgeable about the need for good fats in the diet?

Your body cannot produce essential fatty acids on it's own. You need to take in essential fatty acids from a food source or a food supplement.  There are two primary families of essential fatty acids--omega 3 and omega 6.  High amounts of omega-3 oils are found in fatty fish like salmon, anchovies, sardines, and mackerel.  Vegetarian sources are flaxseeds, walnuts, soybeans, and pumpkin seeds.  Omega-6 oils can be found in nuts, seeds, and seed oils.  These foods need to be included in your diet to provide a healthy balance of essential fatty acids.

What Are Bad Fats?

At the other end of the health spectrum from the natural, good fats, are the transfats.  Transfats are rigid and difficult for the body to process. Research has shown that transfatty acids contribute to impaired cellular function, clogged arteries, and degenerative disease.  Both fried foods and margarine, for example, contain fats that are harmful.  The fats in fried foods have been transformed by high temperatures into transfats.

Margarine is a hydrogenated food product, which means its oils have been artificially processed to make them stiff.  Unfortunately, hydrogenated fats contain the harmful transfatty acids associated with accelerated aging and degenerative diseases like heart disease and cancer.  Hydrogenated fats are present in many processed foods also.  It is almost impossible to buy cookies or crackers that are not made with hydrogenated fats or partially hydrogenated fats.  Check those package ingredients next time you go shopping.  Processed foods are generally made with hydrogenated fats to prolong shelve life at the expense of our good health.

In contrast to margarine, the saturated fat in butter is natural and actually increases HDL levels of cholesterol (good cholesterol).  Fresh, organic butter is a better choice and is recommended as an allowable fat in our Rejuvenation Diet.

Sugar Stress:

Deficient protein and fat intake, coupled with increased carbohydrate consumption leads to a condition of sugar stress in the body.  It is important to be aware of the relationship between sugar consumption and levels of insulin in the body.  Please read the article on Longevity Through Insulin Control available in the Human Diamond Center.

About Mineral Deficiencies:

Minerals are the building blocks for body tissues and other body structures.  They enable enzymes and hormones to regulate the metabolism.  Vitamins do not work effectively without the availability of proper minerals.  Because of over farming and use of synthetic fertilizers, most soil is now deficient in minerals.  Plants grown in this poor soil no longer give humans the minerals we need in our diet. 

Unfortunately, many mineral supplements are not in a form that the body can use.  Many of them are made from rocks and other substances not normally eaten by humans.  It is the role of  plants to digest these minerals from the earth, and we humans are designed to obtain our minerals from the plants we eat.  Today, fruits and vegetables still contain active vitamins, but are most likely deficient in minerals.  Therefore, we strongly recommend taking an organic mineral supplement which is derived from a plant source in addition to eating a balanced diet.