Fats are important to brain & nerve development especially in infants & children (vitally important up to 2 years old). Essential fats are necessary for healthy nerve function, healthy skin, & proper wound healing. Healthy fats also help to manage cholesterol & control blood pressure.

Fat molecules are composed of a fatty acid or acids plus glycerol. Fatty acids are basically chains of carbon atoms with hydrogen and oxygen atoms.

Saturated fats –Contain the maximum possible amount of hydrogen. Primarily found in animal products including dairy. Saturated fats can cause a rise in blood cholesterol levels. Has been implicated in many of the degenerative diseases seen in affluent countries today.

Unsaturated fats have less than the maximum possible amount of hydrogen

•Polyunsaturated fatty acids (more than one pair of hydrogen atoms missing) corn soybean, safflower, & sunflower.

•Monounsaturated (one pair of hydrogen atoms missing) vegetables & nuts. Olive oil, avocado, almonds & other nuts & seeds.

Trans-fatty acids – when polyunsaturated oils are altered through hydrogenation (a process used to harden liquid vegetable oils into solid like margarine & shortening). Trans-fats have been linked to many disease conditions including cardiovascular disease & cancer. Partially hydrogenated oil (found in most packaged foods today) is also a source of Trans-fatty acids.

I am often asked for ideas on how to transition a family into healthier eating habits. My first recommendation is education! The more you learn, the easier the transition process will be. Be patient with your family and try to work with them to encourage them into better eating habits. Education will be the key for them as well. When I began to make changes, I first started eating better myself. As I prepared ‘my foods’ my children would usually ask “What’s that?” I would let them have a taste, and sometimes they would say “oooo yuck!” (Whole foods don’t always taste good to our junk food taste buds!). But, sometimes they would say “Yummmmm!” I began to purchase and prepare the foods they liked and as I found enough things I knew they would eat THEN I said, “I’m not buying junk foods anymore!” I had a teenager at the time and I did not stop her from buying junk food items with her own money but I would not buy it for her. The younger children didn’t have that as an option, and they adapted very well. I have taken time to find things that they truly enjoyed eating and educated them every step of the way. God has blessed us with creativity in preparing truly delicious whole food - good for you - dishes and desserts. I am thankful to Him for that.

Going through a radical overnight dietary change for a single individual is certainly possible if the person is very motivated, determined and well educated about what they are doing. This type of approach is often needed if a person chooses to use nutrition & lifestyle changes in the process of overcoming a specific health challenge. A quick transition also can help curb food cravings, which can make the process easier. However, making fast overnight changes for an entire family can be a different matter. Each situation is unique, but when trying to change the lifestyle habits of a whole family it is often more successful when approached as a process. Transitioning into healthier eating habits, while educating your family concerning the steps that you are taking, can be a winning combination. Preparing special homemade treats using recipes from a good natural foods cookbook or purchasing healthy snacks at your local health food store - can be a step toward transitioning away from sugar & fat filled desserts. Always read labels! I usually tell people that are learning to read labels “if an ingredient doesn’t sound like a food . . . it probably isn’t”. Even some foods found at the health food store, can contain ingredients that you may want to avoid. The more you read and learn, the more you will be able to spot items on a label that may be harmful. There are many names for highly processed sugars. Learn what these are so that you will be aware of what you are buying. Also, remember that there are many whole-food, nutrient-rich treats that are easy to prepare and are DELICIOUS. There are many recipe books available that will help encourage you and your family with good & healthy recipes.

It is reported that 62% of Americans are overweight with 44 Million being Clinically obese. One half of all mid-age people in America are dieting, while $30 Billion is being spent on dieting annually. More Americans than ever are struggling with this issue and yet the more we “diet” the more overweight our nation is becoming. Weight loss is not usually achieved simply by going on a “diet”. Long term results require lifestyle changes.

People often say, “When I lose weight the doctor said that my health problem will go away”. This thought pattern has caused us to believe that it is the weight itself that causes our ill health. It is also this way of thinking that, in many cases, has encouraged us to go about losing weight in some very unhealthy ways. Lose weight at all costs! Unfortunately many methods of weight loss are counterfeits. Not only can an unhealthy approach to weight loss add to our long-term health problems; they can also add to our long term weight problems. Although they may produce quick ‘results’ up front, this can come at a great cost to our health. Since the underlying factors have not been addressed, the weight often returns – sometimes with interest! Because some weight loss approaches can alter the metabolism, this weight may now be even harder to lose!

While maintaining proper body weight is important to avoiding disease, being overweight is simply a sign or symptom that there are underlying physical imbalances. If the method used to lose the excess weight does not address these imbalances, losing weight can become a long-term struggle. These struggles often bring on feelings of self-condemnation, inadequacy, low self-esteem & other emotional frustrations. Patiently dealing with root issues can bring about success and freedom from these traps.