Even if you are on a diet or looking to lose weight, fats are an essential part of a healthy diet and a play a critical part in your weight loss goals.

New research points to the critical role mono and polyunsaturated fats play in weight control and maintaining weight loss. There’s more and more evidence that many fats are good for us and actually reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Good fats raise HDL (good cholesterol), which is extremely important in an age where many Americans are struggling with their cholesterol levels and fighting heart disease and obesity. They also help our sugar and insulin metabolism, and therefore contribute to our goals of long-term weight loss and weight maintenance.

Both Omega 6 and Omega 3 are the essential fatty acids (EFAs) needed in our diets — what we call the “good fats.” But it is important that we consume them at the right ratio. They should be consumed at a ratio of 2 to 1. However, the American diet today has a much higher ratio, more like 25 to 1.

Omega 6 is only considered a good fat when consumed in moderation, and in proper proportion to Omega 3.  When too many Omega 6s are consumed, they become pro-inflammatory and your body becomes toxic. Omega 3 is anti-inflammatory. 

The bad fats are saturated fats (in most cases animal fat), but some vegetable foods like coconut oil and coconut cream are also high in saturated fat.

The worst fats are Trans fats.

Trans fats are vegetable oil that has been through hydrogenation. Manufacturers add hydrogen to the oil in order for it to last longer and be more stable.

Stay far away from hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. They are very toxic. 

However, fat is only part of the problem when it comes to the obesity epidemic now plaguing our nation. Obesity is much more complicated than just over eating a single nutrient. People who get little physical activity and eat a diet high in calories are going to gain weight. Genetics, age, sex, and lifestyle also contribute to weight issues. That said, dietary fat still plays a significant role in overweight America. Studies have shown the more fat we have cut out of our diets, the fatter we have become! So, it’s time we get educated and read labels.

If you are looking for help with your eating habits or need to lose weight, I can help. I offer several weight loss programs designed for every individual. No points, no calorie counting, no gimmicks. It’s all about the food, not about you.

For more information on these programs and links to additional FREE articles and downloads, please visit http://www.intuitivehealth.com. Launching November 2008: Exciting New Weight Loss e-Book and Affordable Take Home Study Course with complete 90-day step-by-step weight loss plan, including shopping list, menus, supplements and online support.

While many overweight Americans are fixated on reducing fat and carbs or cutting calories, they have overlooked a major culprit in the cause for obesity today: sugar! And the worst sugar? High Fructose Corn Syrup.

The American population today is in dire need for better health education.  Most people don’t know or even realize the harmful foods they are putting into their body on a daily basis. One of the most common, you guessed it: High Fructose Corn Syrup. This “sugar” is hidden in almost everything today — mostly because it’s cheap, but also because it’s 20 times sweeter than sugar and very addictive. But if you don’t read labels, you wouldn’t know it’s in many of the foods you eat. Even those you think are healthy or considered diet snacks, like protein bars, contain high fructose corn syrup. Did you know that most every brand of sliced bread that you buy in any supermarket chain contains high fructose corn syrup? It’s almost impossible to avoid, if you are not aware!

High-fructose corn syrup is a sweetener and preservative used in many processed foods. It is made by changing the sugar in cornstarch to fructose — another form of sugar. Because high-fructose corn syrup extends the shelf life of foods, it has become a popular ingredient in many foods, including sodas, fruit-flavored drinks and many other processed foods.

Alarmingly, today the number one source of calories in the US comes from high fructose corn syrup.  Even though fat has 250% more calories than sugar, people still get MOST of their calories from sugar out of corn, primarily in the form of soft drinks.

Some nutrition experts blame increased consumption of high-fructose corn syrup for the growing obesity problem. One theory is that the body actually processes the fructose in high fructose corn syrup differently than it does old-fashioned cane or beet sugar, which in turn alters the way metabolic-regulating hormones function. In addition, fructose is more readily converted to fat by your liver than is sucrose, increasing the levels of fat in your bloodstream.

The end result is that our bodies are essentially tricked into wanting to eat more (remember it’s highly addictive) and at the same time, we are storing more fat.

Scientific evidence aside, it’s clear that Americans are consuming large quantities of high-fructose corn syrup hidden in a variety of every day food choices. These types of foods are often high in calories and low in nutritional value. This fact alone is reason to be cautious about foods containing high-fructose corn syrup, especially if you are struggling with a weight problem or other health-related issues.

If you are looking for help with your eating habits or need to lose weight, I can help. I offer several weight loss programs designed for every individual. No points, no calorie counting, no gimmicks. It’s all about the food, not about you.

For more information on these programs and links to additional FREE articles and downloads, please visit http://www.intuitivehealth.com. Launching November 2008: Exciting New Weight Loss e-Book and Affordable Take Home Study Course with complete 90-day step-by-step weight loss plan, including shopping list, menus, supplements and online support.

Most people are unaware of the many potent chemical toxins contained in soy. Because of the way soybeans are manufactured and processed (quick and cheap), it does not matter what kind of products you buy, organic or not. They all carry high levels of toxins, and should not be eaten, or only very sparingly, like they do in Asian cultures. Contrary to popular belief, soy products have never been a food staple in Asian countries. Historically, soy was used by the poor in times of extreme food shortage, and only then the soybeans were carefully prepared by lengthy fermentation to destroy the soy toxins.

So, if you think soy will keep you and your kids from getting fat, think again. These claims come directly from the soy industry who has led us all to believe in its “health food” qualities. It really doesn’t make sense, especially when we know farmers give animals soy feed to fatten them for slaughter as fast as possible.

Soy contains an abundant amount of isoflavones (phytoestrogens), which actually interfere with the thyroid gland’s ability to manufacture thyroid hormones, and that means weight gain, tiredness and depression. A diet rich in soy is also rich in isoflavones, and it doesn’t take much. Just one glass of soy milk a day, said to contain between 30-45 milligrams, is enough to suppress thyroid function. And with a weakened thyroid, you’ll find it harder and harder to lose any weight at all.

It is the isoflavones in soy that are supposed to protect us from heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis and the discomforts of menopause. Not so.

But the most alarming and extremely sad effect comes from feeding soy to our infants. While everyone knows, breastfeeding is best; mothers today think they are doing their newborns a service by giving them soy-based formula instead of the traditional milk-based. In fact, it is causing devastating harm to our children.

Infants exclusively fed soy-based formula have 13,000 to 22,000 times more estrogen compounds in their blood than babies fed milk-based formula, the estrogenic equivalent of at least five birth control pills per day. Premature development of girls has been linked to the use of soy formula, as has the underdevelopment of males.

The soy industry is a powerful multi-billion dollar industry. And the PR and funding for its advertising as a “health food” is really causing a “health crisis.” Soy is dangerous —  for you, and especially your children. Don’t get sucked into their marketing gimmicks.