Category: Food

Healthy Food

Essential Fatty Acids Keep Skin Healthy

How Essential Fatty Acids Keep Skin Healthy

Who knew that essential fatty acids and skin go hand-in-hand. Consuming fatty acids should be part of your skin care regimen, and here’s why:

What Are Essential Fatty Acids?

Essential fatty acids are some of the “good fats” that your body needs for healthy performance. ‘Essential’ designates these fatty acids as ones that are not made by the human body, and therefore must be replenished through food. These fatty acids are responsible for regulating cell function. They maintain the integrity of cellular walls, and allow transference of waste and water. This function plays a big part in skin health.

Skin Cells and Fatty Acids

Youthful skin is full of plump, water-filled cells. A skin cell’s ability to hold water decreases with age. A healthy skin cell has a healthy membrane, which keeps good things in, like water and nutrients, and allows waste products to pass out. It is a fatty acid’s job to keep that cell healthy and its membrane functioning. Not getting enough essential amino acids results in unstable membranes that cannot keep their buoyant shape, which in turn leads to saggy, aged skin.

Prevents Acne

Soft, non-oily skin is among the skin types least likely to suffer acne flare-ups. Acne occurs when glands over produce the substances keratin and sebum. They clog skin pores and result in skin infections. Essential fatty acids have a two-fold benefit for acne. First, they cause healthy cell transference, which helps dissolves the fatty deposits that block pores and cause acne. They also work to repair the skin damaged by pimples and blemishes.

Helps with Cellulite

There is no quick fix or final answer for getting rid of your cellulite. Depending on their genetics, even the thinnest of supermodels sometimes must struggle with the bumpy appearance of fat deposits pressing against the skin. However, essential fatty acids might help in the battle. There is evidence to suggest that the healthier and more supple your skin cells, the less intense the appearance of cellulite. Consuming plenty of essential fatty acids will give your skin cells more fullness and flexibility, and thereby possibly reducing the appearance of cellulite.

The Best Foods For Healthy Skin

Essential fatty acids are a must for healthy, youthful skin. Most essential fatty acids can be consumed in healthy foods. Flax seed, walnuts, salmon and canola oil, eaten in moderation, all contain enough of these fatty acids to have a positive effect on your skin. The essentials you are trying to get are omega 3 and omega 6, two of the most important components of healthy skin.

If healthy, youthful appearing skin is a priority to you, there are treatments and precautions you can take to insure your skin’s lifespan. Don’t neglect proper nutrition in the form of essential fatty acids to keep you skin cells full, flexible and strong.

Proof of how good food can be.

Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Stew

Contributed by : Daphne Oz and Mario Batali

■For Daphne’s Stew:
■Olive Oil
■1 Red Onion (finely chopped)
■Salt and Pepper to taste
■7 Carrots (thinly sliced coins)
■2 Celery Ribs (finely chopped)
■3 Garlic cloves (finely minced)
■2 cups Red Lentils (rinsed)
■2 teaspoons Cumin Seeds (toasted and ground)
■1 teaspoon Coriander (toasted and ground)
■1 teaspoon Chipotle Chili Flakes
■1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
■6 cups Water
■1 Sweet Potato (peeled and finely diced; about 1 cup)
■1 bunch Black Kale (finely shredded)
For Mario’s Croutons:

■1 cup Goat Cheese (at room temperature)
■1/3 cup Spicy Mango Chutney
■1 tablespoon Curry Powder
■Olive Oil
■1 piece of Focaccia Bread (cut into wedges)
For Daphne’s Stew: In a heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat, add about 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Once the oil is shimmering and hot, add the onion. Season with salt and saute for 4 to 5 minutes, or until soft.

Add the carrots and celery and cook for 3 more minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 1 more minute. Add in the rinsed lentils and cook for about 2 minutes, toasting in the oil. Add the cumin seeds, coriander, chipotle chili flakes, and turmeric, and continue to toast for another minute, or until fragrant. Add the water and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce to a very low heat and gently simmer for about 10 minutes.

Then, carefully stir in the sweet potato and kale. Cook for another 10-15 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked through but not mushy.

For Mario’s Croutons: Preheat the oven to broil. Mix together the goat cheese, mango chutney, curry powder, and about 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Smear the focaccia pieces with about 1 tablespoon of the goat cheese mixture and place them on a baking sheet. Put under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and melted.

Remove the tray from the oven and let cool slightly. Serve the croutons with the stew

Twenty Potatoes

Getting Well On Twenty Potatoes a Day

By    |   Posted on January 7, 2013 

 

Potatoes570x2991 Getting Well On Twenty Potatoes a Day

Chris Voigt is the executive director of the Washington State Potato Commission. In an effort to educate the public about the nutritional value of potatoes, he ate 20 potatoes a day, for 60 days straight. That’s right, his diet consisted of only potatoes and nothing else. No toppings, no chili, no sour cream, no cheese, no gravy – just potatoes and maybe some seasonings or herbs and a little oil for some of the cooking.

Watch the video about Chris Voigt’s potato diet:

Chris’s diet started on October 1, 2010 and ended November 29, 2010. His mission was to show the world that the potato is so healthy that you could live off them alone for an extended period of time without any negative impact to your health.

Of course, those of us involved in the science and practice of healthy living were curious what impact this would have on his health and well-being. We all know how potatoes have received a lot of bad press over the last few years. They’ve been said to be high in the glycemic index, will raise your blood sugar, increase your risk for diabetes, raise your triglycerides and increase your risk for heart disease and even possibly some cancers.

For the record, his goal was not to lose weight but to consume enough calories (2,200) to maintain his weight – which is the equivalent of 20 average potatoes a day.

Take a look at Chris’s numbers:

Before (9/24/2010)
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 197
BMI: 26
Cholesterol: 214 (high)
Triglycerides: 135
HDL: 45
LDL: 142 (high)
Glucose: 104 (high)
Chol/HDL ratio: 4.75
LDL/HDL ratio: 3.15

After 60 Days (11/29/2010)
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 176
BMI: 23
Cholesterol: 147
Triglycerides: 75
HDL: 48
LDL: 84
Glucose: 94
Chol/HDL ratio: 3.0
LDL/HDL ratio: 1.75

Overall Results (After 60 Days)
Weight: -21 lbs (-11%)
BMI : -3 pt
Cholesterol:-67 pts (-31%)
Triglycerides: -60 pts (-44%)
HDL: +3 pt
LDL: -58 pts (-41%)
Glucose: -10 pts (-9%)
Chol/HDL ratio:-1.75 pts (-37%)
LDL/HDL ratio: -1.40 pts (-44%)

As we can see, even though Chris was not attempting to lose weight, he did; but more importantly he had highly significant reductions in his cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, glucose, TC/HDL ratio, LDL/HDL ratio. These numbers indicate that Chris dramatically reduced his risk for heart disease and diabetes.

The improvements were in fact greater than what we see from drugs and many intensive lifestyle programs. And he did it all in 60 days!

While I would not recommend an all potato diet for the long-term for anyone, all of this points to the simple fact that in spite of all the bad press, potatoes are a nutritious and healthy food.