PART 8: What
Should be our Focus?
Recall
that EFAs cannot be made by the body, must be present for the normal (healthy)
functioning of every cell, tissue, gland, and organ, and must therefore be provided
by foods. Since EFAs are easily destroyed by light, oxygen, and heat, oils containing
them should be made and stored under protection from these destructive influences,
and should not be used for high heat applications in the home.
While they can be used in hot soup or on steamed vegetables, they
should not be fried, deep-fried, or even sautéed. They can be used in
all kinds of foods-cold, warm, and boiling water-hot foods. EFAs come in two
varieties: omega-3 and omega-6. Both are essential. Both are sensitive to destruction.
omega-3 is too low for good health in most people's diet. Low and no fat diets are
too low in omega-3 and omega-6. Omega-6 is too low in people who use flax oil exclusively
as the source of EFAs in their diet (these are primarily people who have been
misled, by research on the benefits of omega-3s and problems caused by omega-6s, to seek
to remove omega-6s from their diet.
It is important to obtain both EFAs in the most beneficial ratio, which we find
to be 2 omega-3s to each omega-6. It is also important that our EFAs come from oils that
retain their 'minor ingredients', which include antioxidants, phytosterols, lecithin,
and other oil-soluble molecules present in seeds and nuts. These 'minor ingredients' have
major health benefits. When colorless, odorless, tasteless, shelf-stable oils
are made, the 'minor ingredients' are removed from oils for the sake of longer
shelf life. In addition, some of the fatty acid molecules present in the oil
are changed from natural to toxic. The toxicity blamed on omega-6 oils like corn
and safflower results primarily from the removal of 'minor ingredients', damage
to fatty acids due to careless processing, and lack of sufficient omega-3.
Summary and
Recommendations: Bottom Line
Instead of using CLA, we need in our diet EFAs made with health in mind, in an
optimal omega-3: omega-6 ratio, pressed from organically grown seeds, and retaining their
natural antioxidants, phytosterols, and other 'minor ingredients'. Being far
less expensive than CLA, such oils can be taken in the 30 to 150 gram/day range
over the long term, and confer all of the health benefits hyped for but not delivered
by CLA. 
We recommend this approach as part of the 'The Right Fat Diet®', a food program
emphasizes green vegetables, the right fat rich in both EFAs in
the right ratio and made, packaged, stored and used right (carefully with health
in mind), and proteins as the foundation for good health. To make sure
that digestion works effectively, we recommend that digestive enzymes be
taken with meals. The Right Fat Diet® lowers most cardiovascular risk factors,
provides the EFAs essential for insulin function, inhibits fat production and
enhances fat burning, promotes healthy fat loss, increases thermogenesis, and
improves insulin sensitivity.
The Right Fat Diet® also improves brain function and mood, inhibits cancer,
enhances bone mineral retention, improves protein retention, has anti-catabolic
benefits, improves skin beauty, increases energy, stamina, performance, recovery,
and healing of injuries, and improves thyroid, adrenal, and reproductive gland
functions. Further, The Right Fat Diet® decreases inflammation, improves
digestion, reduces allergy symptoms, and decreases the problems of autoimmune
conditions.
Finally, The Right Fat Diet® enhances food flavors, suppresses appetite,
and improves the absorption from food of oil-soluble phytonutrients with health
benefits. All of the benefits touted for CLA (and more) are more effectively
provided by good old EFAs. That's why we use the following slogan:
"Forget
CLA, and remember EFA."
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