Following The Herd

Did you know that U.S. cattle farmers used to feed cows coconut oil to get them fat quickly, but it had the direct opposite effect? The cows became extremely lean, toned, and healthy. This is because coconut oil actually burns fat as fuel, instead of storing it for later.

Coconut oil also helps to regulate blood sugar, improve skin complexion, & boost the immune system, as this oil contains many anti-viral & anti-microbial properties. Who knew that eating fat can get you thin?

(Side Note: Today, cattle are given corn/vegetable oils to get them fat and weak so that their meat is much more tender and palatable for consumers. Yet these are the very oils that we are told are "heart healthy" in America, and we are fatter and weaker than ever....just some food for thought.)

Butter Check Your Ingredients

Check your ingredients list! Butter substitutes (on the right) are a recipe for health problems. They lack nutrients and are filled with man-made ingredients that the human body cannot properly metabolize. Additionally, it contains soy, which is particularly harmful to health when consumed in excess. 

It's always best to choose a product that has a minimal ingredients list that both you and your body can understand (on the left). 

So yes, I CAN believe it's not butter.

Butter is Better

Real BUTTER contains life, so it will attract life.

Butter does not have fake chemicals, like engineered margarine, that would make it resemble the properties of plastic.  If you place real butter next to margarine, you'll notice that living insects avoid the margarine, but try to feed off of the nutritious butter. 

This is because butter contains the following vitamins and other beneficial properties:

1) Lauric acid- helps fight fungal infections and candida

2) Conjugated linoleic acid- a potent anti-cancer agent, immunity booster, and muscle builder

3) Anti-stiffness factor- prevents hardening of the arteries, cataracts, and calcification of the pineal gland (which helps with levels of motivation, creativity, and sleep)

4) Butter helps promote fertility and contains strong anti-tumor and anti-cancer properties

5) Butter is a quick source of energy, so it's not stored as fat tissue on the body

6) Butter protects against gastrointestinal infections in the young and elderly 

7) Butter is rich in the most easily-absorbent form of Vitamin A necessary for thyroid and adrenal health.

8) Lecithin- essential for cholesterol metabolism

9) Anti-oxidants- protects against free radical damage and weakening of the arteries

10) Selenium, Vitamins E, K, and D- all help with vital metabolic functions, like absorbing calcium and much more
 

It takes life to give life, so do yourself a favor and dump the plastic margarine in the trash...the flies won't come near it.

(Note: If you're concerned about butter raising cholesterol, know that 80% of your cholesterol comes from your liver, not your diet. Cholesterol is an anti-stressor in the body, so if you have high cholesterol, it is a sign of having too much stress in your life: metabolic stress, emotional stress, physical stress, spiritual stress, social stress, financial and work stress, and so forth. It's more effective to address those issues, rather than blaming it on butter and other healthy saturated fats.)

Cause of Life: Coconut Oil

The next time someone says, "Coconut oil is bad for you; it causes heart disease", please reply with, "That must be why the Pacific Islanders died off hundreds of years ago...."

Pacific Islanders' diets were studied by Dr. Ian A. Prior since that population is known for their beautiful, glowing skin, lack of disease, and optimal body compositions.  What was found was that 60 percent of their energy derived from food came from saturated fat, largely from coconuts.  But how could this be if saturated fat supposedly causes heart disease?

Let's look into some factors regarding saturated versus unsaturated fat:

In the 1950s and 1960s, researchers began to search for adverse effects of saturated fat, so they looked for a correlation between saturated fat and cancer.  What they found was actually a protective effect against cancer, rather than a causative one. 

Furthermore, processed non-hydrogenated polyunsaturated oils (such as vegetable oil) were identified as promoting cancer, and the more unsaturated, the higher the risk.  Other health problems that were caused by unsaturated fats were asthma, allergies, memory loss, senility, and a weakened immune system.  Interesting, but is the proof in the pudding?

Well, the Pacific Islanders of Dr. Prior's study had no signs of kidney disease, sluggish thyroid glands, or high cholesterol.  Digestive problems were also rare, and they were generally unfamiliar with heart disease, colitis, cancer, atherosclerosis, colon cancer, hemorrhoids, ulcers, diverticulosis, and appendicitis...and, again, 60% of their diets contain saturated fat (mostly from coconut oil). 

Most Americans get 32-38 percent of their calories come from fat, but most of which are unsaturated vegetable oils...and we all know how many diseases Americans are suffering from--especially heart disease, high cholesterol, and cancer.

So if we've cut out the saturated fats and are still getting these diseases, then what is the real culprit?  Food for thought....
[For more information on coconut oil, check out The Coconut Oil Miracle by Dr. Bruce Fife.]

I Love Cholesterol...Said No One Ever, But Maybe You Should

The increased production of cholesterol is your body's anti-stress system kicking into gear. Cholesterol is actually a large anti-oxidant to help fight stress and inflammation in the body.

So why may your cholesterol levels be high?
It could be a number of reasons.  One reason could be not eating enough fat.  Yes, it is a myth that the fat you eat is directly responsible for the amount of cholesterol in your body. 

As much as 80% of cholesterol comes from your liver, NOT the food you eat.  So when you are given the suggestion to go on a "low fat" diet because you have high cholesterol, expect your cholesterol levels to increase, as the body sees this deprivation of fat as a famine or crisis.  During that time, insulin activates an enzyme in your liver to overproduce cholesterol from the carbohydrates that you eat.  So not eating enough of the right fats can increase your cholesterol!

The truth is, your nutrition and lifestyle are not adequate enough to keep up with the demands you place on your body throughout the day and over time. 

Eat well, sleep well, hydrate well, move well, and love well.  This is what your high cholesterol is really trying to tell you.