How Eating Healthy Foods Can Lead To A Slimmer, Healthier Body

There are a large variety of healthy, nutritious foods for anyone interested in eating a healthy diet. Unfortunately, there are even more processed, packaged and fast foods that are a detriment to your health.

Processed foods are manufactured with Omega-6 oils for a longer shelf life; chips and fries are soaked in soybean oil. Omega-6's are vital as they are part of every cell membrane controlling what goes in and out of the cell but without a correct balance to Omega-3's, more harm sets in.

An imbalance of Omega-6's to Omega 3's causes inflammation in the body, which is causes you to gain weight, get more belly fat, it's bad for your heart and your entire body. Today's main stream diet has produced an imbalance from 15:1 to as high as 30:1 in favor of Omega-6. A ratio of 3:1 would be optimal and healthy.

Animal fats contain less than 20% Omega-6 and are much less likely to cause inflammation than the supposedly healthy oils labeled polyunsaturated. There is no actual science that states saturated fat alone causes heart disease. The science that saturated fat raises blood cholesterol is also very weak.

Refined sugars along with other simple carbohydrates cause the body to produce high levels of insulin. Over time, cells will become sensitive and less resistant to too much insulin causing Type 2 diabetes. Then they become abnormally stiff from an overload of Omega-6 fatty acids.

When we consume more sugars than we use or need, a cycle of internal terror begins as our bodies are not designed to eliminate toxic substances. Cells will become overloaded, producing a substance called resistin that makes cells even less responsive to insulin.

LDL, which is referred to as the bad cholesterol, is chemically changed from this cycle of internal terror and becomes abnormal. The LDL chemical changes are perceived by the body as an invader, an infection or foreign substance to be destroyed and the inflammatory process begins.

The important point to remember is LDL would not become trapped in the artery wall and cause a plaque unless the LDL changed from oxidation or high blood sugar in the presence of inflammation.

Without inflammation being present, cholesterol would move freely throughout as nature intended.

Excess weight creates overloaded fat cells. This adds to the inflammation and along with the multiple problems caused by high blood sugar they become very dangerous. Eventually this vicious cycle evolves into high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's, etc. You get the picture.

Inflammation is simply your body's natural defense to a foreign invader such as a bacteria, toxin or virus. The cycle of inflammation is perfect in how it protects your body from bacterial and viral invaders. However, if we chronically expose the body to injury by toxins or foods the human body was never designed to process, a condition results called chronic inflammation. That's where the problems begin.

It's not hard to prevent this cycle. Return to foods closer to their natural states. Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Avoid processed, packaged foods and foods that say no-fat or low-fat. Eat beef that is grass fed and chicken that is free range. If the meat and chicken you buy in your grocery store is "grass fed" or "free range" it will be marked as such.

It's not hard to do. It's really just a matter of changing a few habits. The reward you get will be better tasting food that is good for you along with a slimmer, healthier body.