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February 27, 2018

From My Recipe Box To Yours: Classic-Style French Fries

February 27, 2018

I could not post a picture of those delicious homemade French fries in my recent Saturated Fat Article without sharing the recipe, as well! The link to this article on Saturated, Monounsaturated, and Polyunsaturated Fats is provided if you’re at all interested in learning about a rarely discussed facet of fat…the healthy facet.

Not only are these French Fries healthy for you, they’re loaded with healthy fats that your body will thank you for. There is no reason to feel guilty after eating these babies if you follow the recipe below. The key to a healthy fried potato lies solely in the cooking oil you choose to use. Skip those yucky hydrogenated oils such as vegetable, palm, soybean, etc. and go with a healthier, saturated option like coconut oil instead.

I LOVE coconut oil, it should be known as the superhero oil because it can be used for practically anything across a diverse list of fields and it offers so many benefits for the human body. For example, I use coconut oil as a body moisturizer in place of a synthetically-derived product filled with petroleum, soy, and who knows what else! It makes an effective hair mask for dry, damaged hair. I also add coconut oil to my Ginger-Honey Tea that I drink every morning as well as my green smoothie in the afternoon. And that’s just the beginning of my list! Basically, it is an irreplaceable item in my daily routine.

We all want to be healthy, no one enjoys being sick! But we don’t always realize that the path toward a healthy and balanced human body does not begin at the gym, it begins within.

Your brain is composed of 60% fat. When the proper amount of fat is not being delivered to the brain, it becomes prone to all kinds of health issues! There are many protective layers within your brain, two of which are essential in maintaining strong, healthy brain function. They are known as the Myelin Sheath and the Blood-Brain Barrier. Each has a different function, of course, but they are equally important and equally prone to degradation when frequently exposed to toxins. Unfortunately, fighting against daily exposure to these toxins is much more difficult than it sounds because we are constantly absorbing toxins into our bodies from an array of sources. The environment, our lifestyle choices, the lifestyle choices of others, and pollutants (naturally-occurring and synthetic) are only a few examples of the very real dangers threatening every human being’s ability to maintain superior health.

This is where we come in…we need to strive to eat foods free of synthetic and chemical ingredients so that we fight against those unwelcome toxins instead of adding more. Why not begin this fight with a batch of French Fries?? I don’t wish to force your hand with this, but when it comes to making changes to your diet does it get better than French fries as your first step?? Not in my opinion!

Coconut Oil can be purchased in both flavored and unflavored forms. I highly recommend using an unflavored coconut oil for this recipe! Coconuts and potatoes just don’t mix very well (go figure!). I prefer the Tropical Traditions brand of coconut oil because it is a good quality, raw, and organic product as it always should be, but frequently isn’t when sold by other companies. We do not want any pesticides sneaking in by using a “natural,” but not organic product. Food corporations are too good at confusing us consumers by getting wordy with their product labels. Just in case you are in need of a good coconut oil brand, I provided a link to the product I use above.

Print
From My Recipe Box To Yours: Classic-Style French Fries

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4-6 Medium Potatoes, sliced
  • 4 cups Coconut Oil
  • Sea Salt, for topping
  • Tools:
  • Heavy Duty Frying Pan, 12 inches
  • French Fry Cutter/Vegetable Slicer

Instructions

  1. Place four cups of coconut oil into the frying pan. Heat over medium low heat for about 7-10 minutes (approximately). The best way to test whether or not the oil is ready is to place a single uncooked french fry into the oil. If the oil surrounding the french fry bubbles then your oil is definitely ready. Be careful not to overheat oil because this will make it prone to splattering (and you do NOT want that!).
  2. You will want to split the whole amount of sliced raw potatoes in half and fry each half in its own smaller batch. In this way, you will allow the fries to cook up properly to a nice golden brown color.
  3. After about 8 minutes of cooking, use a spatula to separate any potatoes that may be stuck together or flip those that appear to need a little extra heat on the upward facing side.
  4. The total cook time for these french fries will be around 15-20 minutes in total. However, every stovetop is different, there I recommend keeping a close eye on your fries if it is your first time making them. Once again, you only want to cook until golden brown.
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I hope you enjoy this recipe and please comment below with any questions about preparation or if you try the recipe and would like to add a tip for other readers. I’m always looking to improve the recipes I post because you better believe I’m eating them too!

***Side Note: These French Fries are an excellent side dish with hamburgers.

Recipe for Sweet Potato Fries cooked in coconut oil for those of you who prefer this style of fry!

 

~ Bon appétit! ~

 

Medical Disclaimer:

The information posted on Seize the Day Blog, including but not limited to, articles, images, recipes, text and other material are shared for informational purposes only. None of the writings should be looked upon as advice meant to replace that of an actual medical professional. If you suspect you have a serious medical condition you should seek help from a healthcare professional immediately. Please be aware that the author of this website is posting information simply to inform NOT to recommend others about health-related topics. Before following any information (i.e. undertaking a new healthcare or diet routine) found here on Seize the Day Blog, you should always consult a medical professional first. Please be sure to never disregard any medicinal advice because of something you have read on this website.

 

Sources:

1. Blood Brain Barrier:

– http://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-the-blood-brain-barrier-and-how-can-we-overcome-it-75454

– https://qbi.uq.edu.au/brain/brain-anatomy/what-blood-brain-barrier

2. Myelin Sheath: http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/function-b12-production-myelin-8022.html

3. Tropical Traditions: https://healthytraditions.com/tropicaltraditions/coconut-oil/expeller-pressed-organic-coconut-oil/coconut-oil-organic-expeller-pressed-1-quart.html

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Posted by SeizeTheDayBlog 54 Comments
Filed Under: Recipes Tagged: brain health, classic-style, clean eating, coconut oil, epilepsy, Fat, french fries, from my recipe box to yours, ingredients, Monounsaturated Fats, Polyunsaturated Fats, recipes, Saturated Fat, seize the day blog, seizethedayblog

February 18, 2018

Saturated Fat: A Key Ingredient For A Healthy Life

February 18, 2018

One of the most shocking moments for me during my journey with epilepsy wasn’t the day I had my first seizure. It was the day I realized that I did this to my body. I am the reason that my brain isn’t functioning correctly. I am the reason that my hormones are imbalanced. I chose to eat foods that caused nutritional deficiencies, digestion issues, and a long list of many other problems. Before I was diagnosed, I did not read ingredient labels, I did eat processed foods on a daily basis, and I believed the lie that food companies and government organizations wouldn’t put anything harmful into the food products I was consuming. I involuntarily depleted my health until my body reached a point where it literally could not handle it any longer, and it is all because I did not understand the difference between healthy and unhealthy ingredients.

Considering the fact that I could have prevented the medical issues I struggle with right now is a difficult pill to swallow, but I would do it all over again for the knowledge I have gained through my personal experiences. I have been able to apply this knowledge in the way I work to overcome my own medical dilemmas, but the real icing on the cake is being able to share this knowledge with others. It is also proof of how there is always a bright side to every situation, including being diagnosed with a serious medical condition.

Take the concept of Saturated Fat, for example. Numerous people still believe this ingredient, and the foods containing it, to be unhealthy junk foods that will eventually kill you. However, despite the protests of major food companies, commercial diet regimens, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Saturated Fats never have and never will be as black and white as the reputation the afore mentioned sources have worked so hard to build for this ingredient.

The most important thing to understand about Fats and their presence in our food is that not all Fats are bad. There are many different types of fats found in foods and I’m going to help you distinguish between the good fats and the bad fats.

Too many people make the mistake of cutting all fats out of their diet completely. The food pyramid exists for a reason and it is because the human body needs a little bit of every category in order to be healthy and balanced. This includes sugar! Did you know that foods with gluten and sugar (foods supposedly containing dangerous amounts of saturated fats) actually bind to the heavy metals in your body, particularly your cells, and chelate them out through your pores, stool, and urine? This is not an open invitation to go out and buy all of the cookies, donuts, and twinkies that your heart desires. Homemade foods containing gluten and sugar are always the best sources. Learn more about the risks of cutting gluten and sugar out of your diet completely here: (The GAPS DIET ARTICLE)

On government health websites, you will typically be advised to eat as little saturated fats as possible because of the supposed “link” that has been found between saturated fats, high cholesterol, and heart disease. As advertised by most government groups, this conclusion might seem like a logical one. However, on paper, we find that this theory actually has a few holes in it. First of all, let’s take a look at cholesterol and its function in the body…the purpose of cholesterol is to fight infection in the human body.

***Side Note: A little insight from Healthline should help clarify the function of Cholesterol…“Cholesterol is a waxy substance that circulates in your blood. Your body uses it to create cells, hormones, and Vitamin D. Your liver creates all the cholesterol you need from fats in your diet.

Cholesterol doesn’t dissolve in the blood. Instead, it bonds to carriers called lipoproteins, which transport it between cells. Lipoproteins are made up of fat on the inside and protein on the outside.”

The more infection present in the body, the more cholesterol will be required to help fight it. So, when people begin taking medications to lower their cholesterol, they aren’t reducing their odds of getting heart disease, they’re increasing their odds because they are taking away their body’s defense system known as “Cholesterol.”

These people shouldn’t be focusing on their cholesterol levels being too high or too low, they should be concerned about the reasons behind their body’s need to create more cholesterol. The focus needs to be on the infection that is clearly present inside the person’s body. Realistically, you want that cholesterol present while you work to figure out the sources of the problem so that your heart and other organs will be protected. I know that Cholesterol isn’t typically advertised as a “protectant” component inside the human body, but it is protecting you by sending you a warning sign. Cholesterol isn’t the enemy here, it is your best defense against unwanted antibodies and toxins that are present within your body and possibly contributing to the infection.

Please do not think that Cholesterol levels should be ignored based upon this information. On the contrary, you should pay more attention to these levels. However, I believe it would be beneficial for one to read between the lines and strive to understand what the true source of his or her high cholesterol levels may be before using pharmaceuticals as a solution to the problem. The human body has a lot to tell a person if he or she is willing to listen. It is imperative that we pay attention to the red flags sent by our bodies so that we can treat the source of the issue, not just the symptoms.

I have a special type of epilepsy that is caused by a hormone imbalance in my body. This should be an incredibly important piece of information for doctors when they are given the task of figuring out my case, but I am yet to find a neurologist who actually takes this detail into consideration when determining my treatment plan. For some reason, every doctor chooses to ignore the source of my issue and focuses instead on curing my symptoms.

Every single neurologist I have visited whether it is the crème de la crème of neurologists at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, or my local neurologist here in California…all refuse to even try and treat the source of my problem. Ultimately, these doctors want my seizures to stop, same as me, but they never seem to understand that if the source continues to exist the symptoms will continue to exist as well. It doesn’t matter how much medication they prescribe, my body will never be free of the issue until the cause is addressed first.

This is also the case for those of you dealing with high cholesterol issues. You can take medication that might “lower” these levels, but this doesn’t solve the problem….it simply gives you inaccurate data on the inner-workings of your body. You want to work to lower those levels naturally, not synthetically. Cholesterol levels are one example of your body’s way of communicating to you from the inside out. In this case, it is bringing to your attention the presence of a red-flag situation happening somewhere in your body without your knowledge. Remember, listen to your body even if it doesn’t have much to say because there is always an explanation for all of the inner- and outer-workings that take place. Literally every single one! So be sure to keep an open mind and an open ear.

Before moving on from Cholesterol it is also important to keep in mind that “There are two main types of cholesterol carried by different types of lipoproteins. Low-density Lipoproteins (LDL) are sometimes called “bad” cholesterol. High levels of LDL cholesterol can build up in your arteries, causing heart disease.

High-density Lipoproteins (HDL) are referred to as “good” cholesterol. HDL cholesterol carries cholesterol from other parts of your body back to the liver. Your liver then processes the cholesterol out of your body. It’s important to have healthy levels of both types of cholesterol” (Healthline.com).

***Here’s a little food for thought you won’t find on a government health site: Lowering your cholesterol actually increases your risk of heart disease.

The truth is, a theory was made in 1957 about saturated fats and cholesterol, not a factually-based hypothesis, but the world chose to view it as the latter. This theory is known as the Diet-Heart Hypothesis. “The traditional diet-heart hypothesis predicts that the serum cholesterol lowering effects of replacing saturated fat with vegetable oil rich in linoleic acid will diminish deposition of cholesterol in the arterial wall, slow progression of atherosclerosis, reduce coronary heart disease events, and improve survival” (bmj.com). It is important for everyone to understand that “at the time, this was not based on any experimental evidence in humans. This hypothesis was based on assumptions, observational data, and animal studies. The diet-heart hypothesis then turned into public policy in 1977, before it was ever proven to be true” (Healthline.com).

The creator of this idea, Dr. Ancel Keys, formulated an assumption that led him to become heavily involved in the human condition. Personally, I find this to be a strange direction for someone who began his career as a zoologist. An expert in animals has not only taken it upon himself to supposedly “improve” human life, but he also went about this endeavor in all the wrong ways.

So, naturally, society labeled him an expert, gave him the title “Mr. Cholesterol” out of their adoration for him, and put his face on the cover of Time Magazine.

According to Dr. Cate Shanahan, “Keys based his claim that saturated fat increases blood cholesterol on the experiments he’d done. But the experiments were not performed using real foods rich in saturated fat. His experiments used saturated fats that had been artificially created from vegetable oils using a process called hydrogenation. Hydrogenated vegetable oils contain not just saturated fat but also trans fat and a whole host of other unnatural molecules. Trans fat does indeed raise blood cholesterol, as well as lead to heart attack and strokes, and has been since shown to be so unhealthy cities like Manhattan and San Francisco have outlawed its use in restaurants. So when Ancel Keys told doctors his experiments showed that saturated fats raise cholesterol, they thought he used butter. He actually used margarine. Keys fooled doctors using the term ‘hydrogenated fats.’ He rightly guessed nobody would bother to look up either his research or the meaning of the word. 60 years later, most doctors are still confused” (Dr. Cate Shanahan).

Somehow, the process of hydrogenation became interchangeable with the process of saturation in the eyes of Keys despite their monumental differences. Clearly, a lot of assumptions were made about Keys’ experiments and not a lot of clarification was provided. When the fuss about saturated fats began (thanks to Keys), Keys was NOT using saturated fats in his experiments, he was using hydrogenated fats (a synthetically derived form of fat), but reporting data on the former. Therefore, his data was misleading and just plain untrue about common saturated fats like butter.

The most interesting observation (and lie) made by Keys is that health conditions such as heart attacks and high cholesterol became more common when saturated fats increased in the daily diets of the average Joe. I refer to this statement as interesting because the fact of the matter is that saturated fats are not what increased in the diets of everyday people…it was actually hydrogenated fats that increased, but no one took the time to make the distinction between the two.

Let me be one of the few to actually point out the fact that regular butter (from a cow) and margarine (synthetically derived) are NOT the same thing! Butter has an ingredient label composed of real food ingredients whereas margarine is filled with synthetic chemicals. The effect these two foods have on the human body are as different as night and day.

One provides nutrients derived from real food sources, like animals, whereas the other is derived from chemical ingredients found in a lab. It has been proven that synthetic foods can warp your cells and disrupt your bodily function because your body is not meant to process synthetically derived ingredients. There is no knowledge of what to do with the chemicals it does receive, which ultimately leads to an interruption in function.

“Back in the 1950s and 1960s, Ancel Keys designed a series of highly influential experiments that changed the course of American dietary history. Before Keys, Americans enjoyed traditional foods like butter, eggs, and bacon without worrying about their health. After Keys made the cover of Time magazine on January 13, 1961, the American public was introduced to the idea that saturated fats were clogging their arteries, and that idea ultimately led to a sea of change in the foods we eat. Real foods would be increasingly replaced by processed, and the era of obesity and chronic disease would begin” (Dr. Cate Shanahan).

Once this idea was introduced, people ran with it! This is evident in the decrease in consumption of foods such as butter and lard and the increase in margarine and shortening (both made from hydrogenated vegetables oils). As a community we want to be healthier. This is evident in our actions, post-Ancel Keys hypothesis. He proposed an idea as fact and the world listened to what he had to say. The major issue here is that millions of people were turned off of nutritionally-rich foods and turned on to synthetic, nutritionally-deficient foods instead.

“This diet-heart paradigm is supported by evidence from randomized controlled trials showing that replacement of saturated fat with linoleic acid lowers serum total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein and by observational evidence linking serum cholesterol to coronary heart disease events and deaths. Despite these compelling relations, no randomized controlled trial has shown that replacement of saturated fat with linoleic acid significantly reduces coronary heart disease events or deaths” (bmj.com).

If major food companies, commercial diet regimens, and billion dollar corporations, as well as the FDA, put the same amount of effort into making healthy food products as  they always seem to put into convincing us of believing their false propaganda, we might not be in the health epidemic we currently find ourselves. I’ll go one crazy step further and suggest that we might even have healthy food products worthy of consuming.

Right now, there are few commercial food products that aren’t considered “seizure triggers” in my book. What I mean by this term is that few commercially produced food products currently exist that won’t cause a seizure in my body when I consume them. Many of these commercial products contain synthetic ingredients that affect the human brain, the way it functions, and its ability to filter the energy created by your brain waves. If too much energy becomes built up, your brain has no other choice but to dispose of this energy through a short burst of rapid brain waves…scientifically known as a seizure.

As you can imagine, the limitations I face when it comes to food make grocery shopping quite the challenge. For this very reason, I usually skip the commercial food aisles altogether and shop for baking ingredients, such as flour, salt, sugar, fruits, vegetables, etc. Instead of buying cookies at the grocery store, I bake my own from scratch. The best part? I know every single ingredient that has gone into making the final product. No hidden preservatives, no tricky names on the ingredient label that say one thing, but are actually code for another ingredient entirely, and everything is organic (well, most of the time)! This may seem like too much work for some people, but for those of you wanting to make “clean eating” a priority in your life, this lifestyle really isn’t so difficult to adopt.

Plus, it’s only February! If you couldn’t think of a New Year’s Resolution in January, now you have one. It is never too late to apply some positive change to your life and your diet makes for a great starting point! In order to do this successfully, it is very important to understand what is truly good for the human body and what is truly bad regardless of what is advertised by the FDA or marketing propaganda from individual food companies. I have found that the most accurate information is not found in popular hearsay, but my own research, which is why I take the time to research everything before I eat it.

Many mainstream sources, such as the American Heart Association (AHA), claim that all saturated fats are bad. Period. Here is their take on the situation: “Eating foods that contain saturated fats raises the level of cholesterol in your blood. High levels of LDL Cholesterol in your blood increase your risk of heart disease and stroke” (AHA, heart.org) This all sounds very convincing, especially when they use confusing scientific terms like “LDL Cholesterol”. Terms the organization is probably hoping we do not know the meaning of, so that they can continue to pull the wool over our eyes before we understand as well as they do, what a load of crap the majority of everything they endorse truly is!

Once again, we see the myth that cholesterol is the danger here. The AHA is advertising that your body’s defense system is the issue when it comes to keeping your body healthy…You may be asking yourself, “How does that make any sense???” The answer is that IT DOESN’T! The AHA wants to blame cholesterol for the heart problems people are experiencing nowadays and they actively strive to get rid of it. So why are they always completely shocked when people continue to struggle with the state of their health? Well, when you remove the defense system (Cholesterol) from the body, you remove the protection a person’s heart needs to fight off existing inflammation or infection.

This is the equivalency of removing the alarm system from within your home with the purpose of better “protecting” it and then being shocked when a break-in occurs. Without the alarm system, how are you even supposed to be aware of the presence of an intruder so that you can defend yourself?

Your cholesterol is your guide to understanding your current state of health, and whether or not you should be doing something to correct a potential problem. Cholesterol is your body’s alarm system, the inflammation, infection, disease, etc. is the intruder. The AHA wants you to ignore the inflammation and focus solely on your cholesterol, the alarm system…I don’t want you to ignore either!

I actually recommend you pay close attention to your cholesterol so that you may focus on treating any inflammation when present. It is all about finding that happy medium in the amount of attention you devote to your body, so that you don’t miss the red flags that components such as Cholesterol are designed to provide.

The input of saturated fats will feed your body, your whole body and the organs functioning within your body. And, as is the case with many ingredients, there are both healthy and unhealthy foods containing saturated fats. This part is crucial for you when it comes to achieving that goal of “clean eating” because it is the choices you make for yourself that will determine whether your saturated fats are healthy or unhealthy.

The AHA wants you to cut saturated fats out of your diet altogether, but I want you to continue consuming saturated fats in a more selective manner. Just because a food contains saturated fats doesn’t mean it is automatically unhealthy, but it also doesn’t mean that every ingredient is healthy either. Though saturated fats can be very beneficial for your body, make sure to examine the whole ingredient label before determining the quality of the product and remember, everything in moderation.

Fats have been broken up into three categories: Saturated, Monounsaturated, and Polyunsaturated fats. Trans fats also exist, but are found to be a smaller category not worth mentioning by the so-called “experts,” despite the fact that these are the least healthy fats to consume and are also found in many commercially produced foods.

You see, when eaten correctly, Saturated Fats can be incredibly beneficial for the human body. These “Fats” will actually provide energy to your entire body and they will support proper function by contributing nutrients to various organs, systems, and cells. Did you think Saturated Fats are only found in greasy snack foods such as potato chips? It wouldn’t surprise me if you have made this common mistake. I know I certainly did before I was diagnosed with epilepsy!

It was only after my change in diet that I discovered Saturated Fats had been falsely accused of a crime they didn’t commit. The preconceived notion that this notoriously unhealthy ingredient was a fabricated and synthetic additive was finally abolished once I learned the truth…Saturated fat is actually a naturally occurring component in foods. For example, did you know that avocados are actually one of the best sources of saturated fats? Would you consider an avocado unhealthy? How about coconut oil, one of the healthiest oils on the planet and a natural source of saturated fats? No, I didn’t think so. Yet we don’t hear from the FDA or commercial food companies to stop eating these foods. While this observation may seem like evidence of something “fishy” taking place, I commend you for taking notice because there most certainly is! And it’s called the double standard upheld by the majority of organizations involved in the commercial food industry.

So, please take a moment to learn a little bit more about how to incorporate rather than remove these saturated fats in your diet in order to improve your total-body health. We are told by society to avoid saturated fats if we want to preserve our heart health. However, they fail to mention the effect this diet choice could be having on the rest of your body, especially your brain.

“Your brain is 60 per cent fat. As the human brain develops in the womb and in childhood, it needs a constant fatty acid supply to support the growth of nerve cells (neurons). Even the adult brain needs fat to maintain the membranes and myelin sheaths surrounding these cells—all 86 billion of them—and in comparison to the protein components of neurons, the fatty components need to be replaced more regularly. The myelin sheath is a fatty insulating layer that speeds transmission of nerve impulses along neurons. It is produced by ogliodendrocytes in the central nervous system and Schwann cells elsewhere.

Without myelin, our nervous systems couldn’t function properly. In multiple sclerosis, people gradually lose the myelin in parts of their brain, which causes problems with movement, sight and thinking. In the 1990s, scientists found that people with multiple sclerosis had very low levels of certain fatty acids in their red blood cells and plasma” (Big Picture Education).

I am always amazed when I learn about something like the Myelin Sheath, it is such a small component of the human body in size, but when measured by importance it is monumental. The degradation of the myelin sheath layer has been linked to epilepsy, as well. It certainly got me thinking about my lifestyle and the importance of maintaining a healthy myelin sheath, something I hadn’t even heard of before I began experiencing seizures. And though vitamin supplements might seem like the best option for achieving this goal, food sources are actually preferable because they are natural and, therefore, more easily absorbed.

After all, you have to eat to maintain your bodily function so you might as well maintain healthy bodily functions, right? There are three main types of fat that human beings consume. Despite evidence that fats are not as detrimental as researchers, such as Ancel Keys, have led us to believe, major organizations continue to recommend excluding fats from our diet entirely.

This is part of the reason why silly anecdotes, such as the notion of skinless chicken being healthier than chicken with the skin, have become common knowledge for most Americans. I call this statement silly because the skin is actually where the most vitamins and nutrients are found in a chicken. In actuality, we should be avoiding the skinless chicken and choosing chicken with the skin, so that we get the naturally occurring nutrients found in their skin! Here’s a shocker for you: maybe the parts of certain animals that we consider “fatty” or “unhealthy” are actually the most nutritionally-rich areas! I’ve had a pretty strict diet for the past 7 years now and if there’s one thing I’ve learned to adopt into my natural behavior, it’s to question everything! You can’t always trust those big-wig health companies. Doing your own research is key to building a truly healthy diet regimen.

As I mentioned earlier, there are three different types of fats found in the foods some of us consume on a daily basis. They are known as Saturated Fats, Monounsaturated Fats, and Polyunsaturated Fats. Saturated Fats have become known as the taboo fat because this type of fat can be found in a multitude of unhealthy commercial food products. However, Saturated Fats are also found in healthy foods such as radishes, cream, butter, milk, and coconut oil (just to name a few). But no one ever seems to advertise this fact! Many times, people will label ALL fried foods as unhealthy because of the universal opinion shared by many people around the globe. What these people don’t realize is that the cooking style isn’t what’s making these foods unhealthy, the cooking oils are the bad guys here!

The truth is, you can switch out that vegetable oil, palm kernel oil, soybean oil, or any other kind of synthetic cooking oil for a healthier option like coconut oil. By doing so, you’re making the switch to a healthier lifestyle! Coconut Oil is naturally derived from the edible white flesh and clear liquid found inside the coconut fruit shell. No additives, no preservatives, and no synthetic ingredients. I prefer to use organic companies such as Tropical Traditions for my source of coconut oil because I know they are grown with the utmost care and attention. This company is also an excellent source for flavored and unflavored coconut oils. You are definitely going to want the unflavored coconut oil when making foods such as French fries, fried chicken, and baked garlic green beans.

However, the flavored coconut oil is excellent in hot teas! I drink a Ginger-Honey-Coconut Tea with breakfast and it has become an incredibly convenient way to consume a tablespoon of coconut oil each morning! It is always good to double-check your source for legitimate Saturated Fat components before consuming (you don’t want anything synthetic sneaking its way into your healthy meal). You just might find that these “fats” will provide you with more of a brain boost than that supposedly healthier granola bar!

Monounsaturated Fats are actually a very highly underrated fat component in our diets because they do provide a helping hand in the bodily functions that keep us healthy. A key characteristic of monounsaturated fats is their anti-inflammatory nature. These types of fats actually fight infection and inflammation within the human body in order to protect your heart health and total-body function. Also, these fats work to lower your bodily inflammation, which also means these fats are working to lower your cholesterol levels back to a healthy level, as well. If no inflammation in your body exists, your cholesterol levels will not be raised to a level of concern. This is yet another reason why you should eat more avocados on a daily basis! Avocados are probably the most famous food containing monounsaturated fats. Once again, everything I recommend should be consumed in moderation. If you gorge yourself on anything it is considered unhealthy for your body! Keep this in mind!

Lastly, we have Polyunsaturated fats. This fat is found in eggs, fish, certain nuts, cooking oils, and dairy products. It one of the many reasons why fish oils have become a common vitamin supplement in today’s market. Polyunsaturated fats are a bit tricky because they are found in foods such as Canola Oil and recommended as a good cooking substitute for butter, however, this is untrue. When consumed in healthy amounts, butter will be incredibly healthy for your heart, your brain, and the long-term function of your body. Too often, foods like butter are blamed for our sky-rocketing rates of obesity, especially in children. However, no one ever points out that any food can be fattening if the portions are too large. Though I believe ingredients labels should always be reviewed before purchasing a product, mainstream companies need to address the issue of portion control rather than trying to phase healthy foods like butter completely out of our diets and replacing it with an unhealthy synthetic product like margarine.

 

Foods Containing Saturated Fats:

– Cheeses

– Milk

– Cream (Heavy Whipping Cream, Whipped Cream, Ice Cream, etc.)

– Butter

– Ghee

– Coconut Oil

– Mayonnaise

– Beef (esp. fatty meat)

– Lamb

– Pork (bacon is particularly good)

– Baked Goods

 

Foods Containing Monounsaturated Fats (List courtesy of Dr. Axe):

– Olives

– Extra Virgin Olive Oil

– Avocados

– Almonds

– Peanuts

– Cashews

– Eggs

– Red Meat

– Tea Seed Oil

 

Foods Containing Polyunsaturated Fats (List courtesy of Medline Plus):

– Walnuts

– Sunflower Seeds

– Flax Seeds or Flax Oil

– Fish (Salmon, Mackeral, Herring, Albacore Tuna, & Trout)

– Cooking Oils (careful with these because unhealthy oils such as Corn, Soybean, Safflower, and Sunflower are recommended sources of Polyunsaturated Fats, but should never be consumed because of their poor quality ingredients…Stick with oils such as Coconut, Almond, and Olive instead, they are much healthier!)

 

You will notice in each of these lists some foods that our society considers to be “unhealthy” and recommends (for humanity’s sake, of course) to exclude each from every person’s diet. However, I have found the true sign of a healthy product does not lie in the amount of fats contained in a product, it lies in the ingredient label. You can have a product that is completely free from any type of fat, but the ingredient label is full to the brim with synthetic ingredients that have only negative effects on the human body. Society would say this is a healthy product because the fat levels read zero, but is such a product actually healthy? No, it isn’t! You have to dig deeper into the content of a product or else you’ll end up thinking Twinkies are a healthy snack for you or your children to consume.

Yes, the label on the side of a Twinkies box does read “0” when it comes to the amount of fat in the product. However, the first eight ingredients of this product’s label are as follows: Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour, Water, Sugar, Corn Syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil and/or Animal Shortening (Soybean, Cottonseed and/or Canola Oil, Beef Fat), Whole Eggs, Dextrose. Ingredient Label courtesy of Fooducate.

Does that sound like a healthy product to you? I’m sorry, but it is impossible for me to consider a product containing more synthetic than natural ingredients as “healthy.” I’m sorry to all of the Twinkie lovers out there, but just say “No” the next time you are tempted. Seriously!

Bottom Line: You cannot determine a product’s quality by the reported levels of sugar, fat, calories, or cholesterol. The ingredient label is where all the information resides that will actually help you to determine if a product is good or bad. Don’t be fooled.

Discussion on the subject of Saturated Fats is always welcome so please fill out a comment form below to join in!

Also, be sure to check out Seize the Day Blog for a healthy recipe (packed full of Saturated Fats) for Classic-Style French Fries!!!

If you prefer Sweet Potato Fries, no problem! Just click here and bon appétit!

Medical Disclaimer:

The information posted on Seize the Day Blog, including but not limited to, articles, images, recipes, text and other material are shared for informational purposes only. None of the writings should be looked upon as advice meant to replace that of an actual medical professional. If you suspect you have a serious medical condition you should seek help from a healthcare professional immediately. Please be aware that the author of this website is posting information simply to inform NOT to recommend others about health-related topics. Before following any information (i.e. undertaking a new healthcare or diet routine) found here on Seize the Day Blog, you should always consult a medical professional first. Please be sure to never disregard any medicinal advice because of something you have read on this website.

 

Sources:

American Heart Association (AHA): http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/FatsAndOils/Fats101/Saturated-Fats_UCM_301110_Article.jsp#.WoC79CO-Jn5

Anne Guillot: http://www.anneshealthykitchen.com/top-30-foods-high-in-polyunsaturated-fat/

Big Picture Education: https://bigpictureeducation.com/fat-brain

BMJ: http://www.bmj.com/content/353/bmj.i1246

Cate Shanahan: http://drcate.com/what-every-doctor-should-know-about-ancel-keys-experiments/

Dr. Axe: https://draxe.com/monounsaturated-fat/

Dr. Deborah MD: http://www.drdeborahmd.com/56-years-testing-diet-heart-hypothesis

Fitness Magazine: https://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/healthy-eating/nutrition/good-and-bad-fats/

Fooducate: https://www.fooducate.com/app#!page=product&id=9C3C44C0-EAAE-11E1-83D2-1231381BA074

Greatist: https://greatist.com/health/saturated-fat-healthy

Harvard School of Public Health: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/top-food-sources-of-saturated-fat-in-the-us/

Healthline (Cholesterol): https://www.healthline.com/health/ldl-cholesterol

Healthline (Saturated Fats): https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/saturated-fat-good-or-bad

Healthy Eating / SF Gate: http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/monounsaturated-fat-vs-polyunsaturated-fat-6898.html

Healthy Food Guide: http://www.healthyfood.co.uk/article/different-types-of-fat-explained/

Irish Institute of Health and Nutrition (IINH): https://www.iinh.net/all-about-carbohydrates/

MedlinePlus.gov: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000747.htm

Myelin Sheath: http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/function-b12-production-myelin-8022.html

World’s Healthiest Foods: http://whfoods.org

 

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Posted by SeizeTheDayBlog 49 Comments
Filed Under: Articles Tagged: ancel keys, catamenial epilepsy, cholesterol, clean eating, coconut oil, diet-heart hypothesis, fats, Food and Drug Administration, gluten, heart disease, heart problems, high cholesterol, human body, hydrogenated fats, infection, inflammation, ingredient labels, lipoproteins, Monounsaturated Fats, mr. cholesterol, myelin sheath, Polyunsaturated Fats, processed foods, Saturated Fats, seize the day, seize the day blog, seizure triggers, sugar, Trans Fats

November 12, 2017

Maple Holistics Almond Oil Product Review

November 12, 2017

The leaves on the trees are beginning to fall, most shopping malls are completely decked out in Christmas décor, and the temperatures are beginning to drop (even here in California!)…It’s official, the holiday season is here and most companies are taking advantage of this fact! The cosmetic industry, in particular, has added those typical holiday symbols to the majority of their product packaging and marketing strategies. Don’t believe me? Walk into an Ulta Cosmetics Store or a Sephora right now and I guarantee your mind will be changed.

Lotions are a popular “holiday” item each year and the Winter 2017 season is no exception. Pumpkin, Candy Cane, and Gingerbread are just a few of the many seasonal flavors available right now. Don’t get me wrong, they all smell delicious and their packaging is even cuter…I’m practically sold every time I see something with a smiling gingerbread man on the label, they’re always so cute, how do you resist? For me, all irresistible qualities disappear once I flip the bottle around and take a look at the ingredient label. The typical ingredients used by large and small companies alike are enough to steal the holiday spirit right out of you!

The fact of the matter is you’re doing more harm than you are good to your body when you apply synthetic ingredients like these to your skin. One way or another, they will be absorbed through your pores and into your bloodstream. My advice? Despite the cute packaging and holiday scents, just say “No”! If you’re in the mood to spread some holiday cheer just leave your skin alone and focus instead on your friends and family. Most communities could use some holiday cheer anyway, here’s your chance to give the kindness of your Christmas Spirit where it is truly needed! Or, if you would prefer to stay indoors where it’s warm, get those oven mitts out and make some gingerbread cookies!

Skip these synthetic holiday flavors altogether and choose instead a product that is natural and contains only ONE ingredient…Maple Holistics Almond Oil. I know, this isn’t necessarily a “lotion” type of product, but it is one of the best moisturizers I have come across in a very long time! Some people are opposed to using oils as moisturizers because of their texture and/or consistency. Trust me, I completely understand this viewpoint! There was once a time when I held this exact same opinion. Body oils were always too “oily” for me (go figure!). I felt like I couldn’t even move until the product was completely absorbed because I didn’t want to risk getting any oil on my furniture, clothing, or anywhere else. I experienced this issue when I first began using Coconut Oil, but what I soon came to realize was that the product was never too oily, I was just using too much!

I guess I was used to conventional lotion where a big dollop is always required for proper moisturizing treatment. So, to prevent you from making my same mistakes, be sure to always begin with a teeny tiny amount of oil and add more only when necessary.

Maple Holistics Almond Oil is rich in vitamins and nutrients the human body desperately needs for proper daily and long-term function. “Almond Oil is absorbed into the skin more quickly than other moisturizers, providing softness that lasts for a longer period of time without leaving a greasy feeling behind” (MapleHolistics.com).

Although you can use this oil as a hair mask for healthier hair or as a natural massage oil, I prefer using it as a lotion substitute. I’m absolutely fed up with reading the ingredient labels of commercial lotion products and seeing names like Mineral Oil, Petrolatum, Glycerin, Fragrance, and Xanthan Gum (all of which are synthetic and a few which happen to be petroleum derivatives).

Okay, let’s talk about the almond scent. Typically, whenever I’ve come across “almond” flavored products in the past they have always smelled exactly the same as cherry to me.

Typically, whenever I’ve come across “almond” flavored products in the past their scent has always strongly resembled that of a synthetic cherry flavor to me.

Although I love the actual fruit, I despise cherry flavoring because it always reminds me of cherry cough syrup (gag!). But, as I began pouring the Maple Holistics Almond Oil into my hand, do you know what I smelled??? Nothing. Not a single hint of cherry. The scent was, by far, the subtlest I have come across yet.

In fact, if the label hadn’t been on the bottle, I would never have known that it was almond oil. Nowadays, it seems like the majority of companies are overflowing their products with synthetic flavorings and fragrances, probably in an attempt to cover up the scent of the other terrible ingredients corrupting its overall quality. Discovering this uncommonly subtle scent was incredibly refreshing and it is probably one of my favorite characteristics of the entire product!

Texture is another remarkable part of what makes this product so incredible and easy to use. By using a small amount, you get the perfect cure for dry skin. The vitamins in the actual oil provide a healing source that will benefit your body inside and out. If you spread Maple Holistics Almond Oil across your skin, you’re actually going to want your pores to absorb this product into your bloodstream.

The best part is that once the oil is absorbed, that “moisturized” feeling lasts all day. It’s good quality and it’s long lasting! I understand that an oil as a moisturizer isn’t for everyone, but if you’re willing to try it out, I highly recommend Maple Holistics Almond Oil!

The ingredient label should be enough to persuade you so here it is: 100% Pure Almond Oil. Yep, that’s it! Only one ingredient. This healthy and natural ingredient was enough to inspire me to try this product. I’m so glad I did because ingredient labels like Maple Holistics’ are rare and the superb quality of this product even more so! As always, this is not an advertisement nor am I receiving any kind of kickback for writing this post! I am simply sharing with my readers the truth about a really fantastic product that I have come to love by using this product and experiencing all of its benefits firsthand. It would unfair to you, my readers, if I chose not to share this incredible product. As more and more ingredients become synthetically derived, you really can’t take for granted those companies who choose to maintain the good quality of their product. Maple Holistics is one of those companies! If you’re at all interested, check out their Product Sample Program for a little taste of the great variety of products they have to offer!

 

Medical Disclaimer:

The information posted on Seize the Day Blog, including but not limited to, articles, images, recipes, text and other material are shared for informational purposes only. None of the writings should be looked upon as advice meant to replace that of an actual medical professional. If you suspect you have a serious medical condition you should seek help from a healthcare professional immediately. Please be aware that the author of this website is posting information simply to inform NOT to recommend others about health-related topics. Before following any information (i.e. undertaking a new healthcare or diet routine) found here on Seize the Day Blog, you should always consult a medical professional first. Please be sure to never disregard any medicinal advice because of something you have read on this website.

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Posted by SeizeTheDayBlog 27 Comments
Filed Under: Articles Tagged: almond oil, autumn, coconut oil, cosmetics, good quality, holiday season, ingredient labels, lotion substitute, maple holistics, moisturizer, product review, seize the day blog, seizethedayblog, synthetic ingredients, winter

February 2, 2017

From My Recipe Box to Yours: Ginger-Honey Tea

February 2, 2017

Why hello there, February! My favorite part about this month??? It gives me an excuse to mold everything I make into the shape of a heart! If anyone questions my logic, I can simply say, ‘Hey, it’s for Valentine’s Day!’ and get away with it pretty easily (as you can see in the picture above).

So, even though this recipe post is for tea, I am still playing with my food and sculpting any ingredient willing to cooperate into a heart. Enjoy!

In addition to the fun you can have with this recipe, it is also a fantastic way to simultaneously incorporate more water into your daily diet and strengthen your immune system. Ginger is known to be one of the best anti-inflammatory foods in existence! Drinking lots of water will already cause a process of natural detoxification to occur through the increase in urination, so just imagine the perks of mixing these two ingredients together into one!

Honey and Coconut Oil (the flavored kind b/c it adds an extra zing of Coconut to the spicy ginger and the sweet honey flavors) are also anti-inflammatory ingredients. Basically, this tea is only filled with ingredients meant to help the human body. No preservatives, no chemicals, no synthetic ingredients. Only real ingredients that have proven to provide results for me, personally!

If you have cold/flu-like symptoms, this tea is your best friend! Truth be told, I am yet to find a downside to this beverage.

I try to drink at least three cups a day, everyday. One cup in the morning with breakfast, another around 12:00 pm, and the third cup some time in the evening.

If you are like me this New Year and you want to drink more water on a daily basis, you are definitely going to want to add this to your beverage menu!!

Print
From My Recipe Box to Yours: Ginger-Honey Tea

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 1 mug

From My Recipe Box to Yours: Ginger-Honey Tea

Ingredients

  • 1 T fresh Ginger Root, finely grated
  • 2 T Raw & Organic Honey
  • 1 tsp Coconut Oil, flavored
  • 1 cup filtered Water, boiled

Instructions

  1. Turn the stovetop burner beneath the kettle to medium heat. While the kettle is heating up, begin shaving off the outside layer of the ginger root until you have an entirely "yellow" piece of fresh ginger.
  2. Once you have shaved off the outer layer, finely grate the ginger on a cheese grater until the entire root is finely shredded. The inside of fresh ginger root can tend to be a bit "hairy," this is okay just pick these pieces out of your pile of ginger so that they do not end up in your tea (trust me, it is better without the hairy pieces).
  3. Transfer ginger to your mug along with the rest of your ingredients.
  4. Lastly, add hot water to the cup containing the ingredients and mix well.
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If you enjoyed this recipe, please comment below!

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Posted by SeizeTheDayBlog 746 Comments
Filed Under: Articles, Recipes Tagged: anti-inflammatory, coconut oil, from my recipe box to yours, ginger, honey, seize the day, seize the day blog, tea

November 16, 2015

From My Recipe Box to Yours: Sweet Potato Fries

November 16, 2015

 

“As if being one of the top vegetable sources of beta-carotene weren’t enough, sweet potatoes are also rich in vitamins C and E. These are potent antioxidant vitamins that play an important role in disease prevention and longevity.”

– Danna Norek, naturalnews.com

Sweet Potato Fries 6

Sweet potatoes are one of those foods that many people eat exclusively around the holidays, when they really should be eating them much more often! Incorporating sweet potatoes into your regular diet might be a bit of a challenge because most of us only know one way to prepare this delicious and incredibly healthy vegetable….covered in marshmallows. I don’t know about you, but I usually only feel like eating this dish around Thanksgiving or Christmas.

While eating at a foodie restaurant in Los Angeles, I discovered a genius and conventional way to prepare sweet potatoes…in fry form! Top these babies with a little bit of sea salt and rosemary and you’ll get your new favorite side dish! I also recommend coating the sliced sweet potatoes in Coconut Oil before sticking them in the oven for the full 30 minutes.

Sweet Potato Fries 7       Sweet Potato Fries 20

Just remember to pull the fries out at the 15 minute mark and flip them with a spatula so that one side does not get well done while the opposite side is only slightly done. You can cook the fries on a baking sheet or in a glass pan, just be sure to spread them out evenly over multiple pans. The fries won’t cook right if they’re all crammed together in one pan.

Sweet Potato Fries 25

 

Print
From My Recipe Box to Yours: Sweet Potato Fries

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6-8 Sweet Potatoes, medium
  • 4 T Coconut Oil
  • 1-2 T Sea Salt
  • 2-3 T Dried Rosemary

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 450F. Wash potatoes, slice into your desired shape and set aside in a large bowl.
  2. Drizzle coconut oil over sweet potato fries and toss to coat. Spread evenly over multiple glass pans or baking sheets.
  3. Once your fries are evenly dispersed, sprinkle half of the sea salt and rosemary to season.
  4. Place in pre-heated oven for 15 minutes.
  5. After 15 minutes, take all pans out of the oven (fries should be about halfway done at this point) and use a spatula to flip the fries. Once all the fries have been flipped, place pans back into the oven for another 15 minutes.
  6. Your sweet potato fries should cook for a total of 30 minutes. They should be soft with slightly crispy edges. Add the other half of sea salt and rosemary. You may need to add more to taste.
  7. Serve with ketchup, ranch or blue cheese dressings, or BBQ sauce.
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Sweet Potato Fries 26

 

Sources:

www.naturalnews.com/035739_sweet_potatoes_beta-carotene_nutrients.html

 

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Posted by SeizeTheDayBlog 9 Comments
Filed Under: Recipes Tagged: antioxidant, beta-carotene, catamenial epilepsy blog, clean eating, coconut oil, diet, epilepsy, from my recipe box to yours, healthy eating, nutrients, nutrition, sweet potato fries, Vitamin C, Vitamin E

November 16, 2015

It’s Fall Y’all! The Seasons are Changing, Why Not Change Your Nutritional Lifestyle, too?

November 16, 2015

 

Fall Leaves 7

As the autumnal season continues to progress, it brings with it a multitude of changes like the various shades of red and yellow most leaves seem to be turning this time of year.

With the season so vibrantly changing all around us, I am reminded that while many of the changes taking place this time of year are imminent, we must not forget to stop and consider the changes that require a bit of a spark. You know, the ones that many of us tend to put on the back burner until life gets less hectic. More specifically, the changes that need to take place in the lives of most people and are concerning the quality of their nutritional lifestyle.

Fall Leaves 13

 

Take a moment and think about your nutritional lifestyle…would you consider your “lifestyle” to be a healthy one? Or, do you need to make some much-needed changes in your life before you’re even close to that neighborhood? If you do, that’s okay! I have an excellent way for you to kick-start your new “healthy” nutritional lifestyle and all you need to do is add a new product to your diet/cooking routine! What is this product, you may be asking? Well, drumroll, please…it’s Coconut Oil! Not only is it extremely healthy for the human body, but it’s fantastic for those with brain disorders (like epilepsy), as well! Read more about the health benefits of Coconut Oil here!

Coconut Oil 5

Coconut Oil is a saturated fat, something that has been marketed as “unhealthy,” but it is actually a major brain food! Yep, saturated fats are actually really great for your body! Click here to read more about the benefits of saturated fats and why everyone desiring healthy brain function should incorporate them into their diet. In addition to the saturated fats, the human brain also operates on protein (Want to learn more about protein? Click here to read my article, “Protein: It’s Kind of Important“).

And guess what coconuts happen to be full of…Yep, protein! It is this very component of coconuts that also makes the oil ideal for weight loss. With the holiday season fast approaching, now is the time to make the switch to Coconut Oil. If you’re cooking your holiday meal in Coconut Oil, you’ll be able to eat all the delicious food you’ve spent hours making without any of the regret or weight gain that it is typical for this time of year. Unlike normal holiday meals, you’ll be cooking your foods in oil that is both free of trans-fats and incredibly healthy for your body!

Many people fail to realize the important connection between nutrition and total body health. Albeit, more and more people are realizing the connection between vegetable oils like Canola and various cancers affecting adults, which is yet another reason why YOU should be cooking with Coconut Oil!

Fall Leaves 4

***Side Note: Please remember everything in moderation! Just because you’re using Coconut Oil does not mean you’re now allowed to eat an entire plate of stuffing all by yourself! It is simply a healthy alternative to existing cooking oils and should, therefore, still be considered come serving time.

So, hopefully, by now, I have convinced you of your need for Coconut Oil in your life! If you still need some convincing then let me just present you with a delightful fact….did you know that Coconut Oil can even make fried foods healthy? Who knew coconuts were such a total super fruit??? I first discovered this quality thanks to my Catamenial Epilepsy. As an epileptic, the current state of my brain health has become a prominent focus for me. Coconut Oil can have therapeutic effects on brain disorders (such as epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, depression, etc.) and reducing seizures is included in that long list of beneficial effects.

I can use all the help I can get when it comes to my brain health, so I now drink a tablespoon of melted Coconut Oil in the morning with breakfast. Drinking oil might sound completely disgusting, but believe me when I say it’s totally worth it! Coconut Oil is such an amazing supporter of brain health; you’ll be giving your brain a boost and promoting healthy long-term brain function simultaneously!

Coconut Oil 3Coconut Oil 2Coconut Oil 4

 

***Side Note: I recommend taking the oil with a glass of orange juice; it makes swallowing without gagging much easier!

The simplest adjustment in your daily regime truly can make a world of difference for your health! After discovering my allergy to Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) in 2010, I immediately stopped using cooking oils like Canola, Palm, Safflower and Sunflower…oils that are also commonly known to contain hidden forms of MSG. It was this allergy that prompted me to make the switch to Coconut Oil, but it is the endless list of health benefits offered by this product that have now made it a key component of my nutritional lifestyle.

Some of you might be concerned about the flavor of the oil affecting flavors you might be cooking with, but Tropical Traditions (a reputable Coconut Oil vendor) has already solved this problem for you! The company offers both flavored and unflavored oils.

While speeding up your metabolism, you will also find the Coconut Oil successfully working to reduce your hunger. So, ladies and gentlemen, seize the day, ditch the Canola oil and jump on the Coconut Oil bandwagon already!

P.S. Once you’ve got your Coconut Oil, click here for a delicious and simple recipe for Sweet Potato Fries! Or check out this delicious recipe from Jen Reviews Blog for Water Spinach Crepes with Coconut Cream Sauce where they use Coconut Oil to cook with instead of an unhealthy option. I’m always a fan of that cooking style!

Fall Leaves 14

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Filed Under: Articles, Epilepsy Tagged: clean eating, coconut oil, diet, healthy eating, nutritional lifestyle, seize the day, seize the day blog

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About Me

Hi, I'm Katie! I was diagnosed with Catamenial Epilepsy when I was 16 years old. What started out to be an impossible struggle has now become a journey toward healing thanks to natural/Holistic methods.
For the last 6 years, I have continuously gone through a trial and error period where I have been discovering for myself the true quality of various foods, products, and lifestyles.
I am going to share everything I have learned with the hope that it will help you to begin your healthy lifestyle that much faster. Read More…

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