Group Wellness Program

1. 60-DAY Group Wellness Program

2. get your FAT FACTS straight

3. Get your fat facts straight • Eating the wrong fats can kill you, while eating the right fats can give you good health. It’s as simple as that. • Fats are a crucial part of the BluePrint for Life. We need to avoid the wrong ones and make sure we get the right ones if we want to enjoy great health. • Most North Americans get too many of the wrong ones and not enough of the right ones. This is one important reason why there is an epidemic of chronic disease.

4. Get your fat facts straight • People in the Hot Spots eat the right fats. This is one reason why they have soft skin and glossy hair, even in old age, and why they have such good health. • What you see on the outside reflects what is going on inside. Well-nourished skin, hair and nails means that organs, tissues and blood vessels are also getting what they need. • The right fats also help keep us slim!

5. Do you have any of these symptoms? • Dry skin • Dry hair • Hormone imbalances/ irregular menstruation • Mood swings/depression • Food cravings • Poor immunity • Allergies • Stiff or painful joints • Low energy levels • Constipation • Digestive problems • Tingling in arms and legs • Insulin resistance • Decreased lung function • Excess weight

6. Do you have any of these symptoms? • All of these symptoms and many more can be caused by a deficiency of the right fats. • Getting the right fats can reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease as well as improve general health in a wide range of ways. • Cell membranes need to be built out of the right fats so as to function in the right way.

7. Get your fat facts straight

8. Get your fat facts straight

9. Get your fat facts straight

10. Get your fat facts straight

11. Get your fat facts straight

12. Get your fat facts straight

13. Essential fats – for good health • Essential fats are also known as omega 3 and omega 6 fats. • The best sources are oil from fish and from seeds. • Around 95-99 percent of populations in the developed world are thought to be deficient in these fats. • Essential fats keep skin and hair youthful and soft, and they are required for cell membranes to be flexible and let nutrients in and toxins out. They aid immune function, hormone function, mental function, and gut health, they are anti-inflammatory, they improve metabolism, they reduce blood coagulation, and they can even kill cancer cells. • One recent study of over 3,000 women showed that those consuming omega 3 essential fats had a 25 percent reduced risk of breast cancer and reduced risk of all-cause mortality.

14. Essential fats – for good health • Essential fats can help us to lose weight effectively. They do this by suppressing appetite, normalizing blood sugar, boosting metabolism, decreasing water retention, and causing the body to burn fat. Omega 3 fats also lift mood, thus reducing the likelihood of ‘comfort eating’. • Around one third of our total fat intake should consist of essential fats. • We need omega 6 and omega 3 fats with about double the amount of omega 6 to omega 3. Most North Americans are deficient in both, but with the additional disadvantage of having too much omega 6 relative to omega 3, which causes illness related to omega 3 deficiency.

15. Where do I get my essential fats? try to get some of the following foods IN YOUR DAILY DIET….

16. Oily fish • Oily fish such as sardines, anchovies, mackerel, herring, salmon and tuna are good sources of omega 3 fats. Experts recommend we eat these type of fish 2-3 times weekly, from unpolluted sources (tuna no more than once weekly). Fish is eaten regularly in most of the Hot Spots. • You can also get Omega 3 fats from fish oil supplements, although the omega 3 fats are not as well absorbed. Krill oil, from Antarctic krill, is better-absorbed than fish oil.

17. Hemp seeds and their oil • Hemp seeds and their cold-pressed oil provide omega 6 and omega 3 fats in a ratio of 3:1, so these are a good way to get both types of fat. • Hemp seeds are eaten in Bama daily as part of a dish known as ‘Longevity Soup’.

18. Flax seeds and their oil • Flax seed, also known as linseed, contains omega 6 and omega 3 fats in a ratio of 1:4 and so provides an excellent source of essential fats especially for those who don’t get enough omega 3 compared with omega 6. • Flax is used in Hunza. • Cold-pressed flax oil and capsules as well as ground flax are available in health food shops and are perfect for adding to smoothies and porridge.

19. Chia seeds • The word ‘chia’ comes from the Nahuatl word chian, meaning ‘oily’, and chia seeds are indeed a rich source of omega 3 fats. • Chia seeds are in Akea Essentials.

20. Walnuts • Walnuts, grown in Hunza and in the Mediterranean Hot Spots, are the best nut source of omega 3 fats. Eat them fresh out of the shell for best essential fat quality. • The Hunzakuts like to grind them up and spread them on chapattis with apricot kernel oil.

21. Apricot kernels • The oil found in apricot kernels is high in omega 6 fats. • In Hunza, apricot kernels, similar to almonds with a marzipan-like taste, are eaten as they are or ground up and spread on chapattis. • The oil, with its delicious hint of marzipan, is made by cold-pressing the kernels in traditional presses and is drunk, added to food, or put on hair and skin as a moisturizer.

22. Seeds • Raw, uncooked seeds such as sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds contain omega 6 fats. • If you eat a handful a day, you should be getting enough omega 6 fats.

23. Free range eggs • Eggs contain both omega 3 and omega 6 fats, but eggs from battery-farmed chickens have overly high levels of omega 6 fats while being deficient in omega 3 fats, which adds to the imbalance usually found in the North American diet. • The best eggs to eat are free range organic eggs from hens fed an omega 3-rich diet – look out for varieties marked as such on the box.

24. Grass-fed livestock, poultry, game • Plant foods such as grass and leafy greens contain omega 3 and omega 6 fats, so when animals or birds eat them, the essential fats end up in their flesh and their milk or eggs. • Modern battery-farmed livestock, on the other hand, are fattened up with foods which cause their flesh, milk, and eggs to be higher in saturated fats and lower in omega 3 fats.

25. Leafy greens • Leafy greens such as spinach and dark green cabbage contain both fats – cook minimally to keep the fats fresh.

26. Soy • Soy and its products such as tofu and soybean oil provides both omega 6 and omega 3 fats in a ratio of 7:1. • In Okinawa and Bama, soy is eaten regularly in the form of tofu, miso and soy sauce. • Avoid processed GM soy products and other processed forms of soy as these are problematic – only traditional forms (tofu, miso, soy sauce) are beneficial.

27. Chlorella and spirulina • This blue-green algae contains both fats, with more of omega 6. • Chlorella and spirulina are contained in Akea Essentials.

28. Essential fats as part of a nutrient-rich diet • In order to metabolize our essential fats into their end-products which do so much good in our bodies we need B vitamins, magnesium, calcium, and zinc. • This means that we need to eat foods containing omega 3 and omega 6 fats as part of a nutrient-rich diet.

29. How to make sure you get enough omega 3 and omega 6 fats in the correct ratio • You will have to make your own calculations about how much of each of these essential fatty acids you are getting. • As a rough guide, eating a small handful of seeds daily or a tablespoonful of their cold-pressed oils, plus oily fish three times weekly is a basic minimum. • You can also take a supplement of both omega 3 and omega 6 essential fats, fish or krill oil, or use flax or hemp oil (as these contain both). These are the richest sources.

30. How to make sure you get enough omega 3 and omega 6 fats in the correct ratio • Remember, you want a ratio of around twice as much omega 6 as omega 3. Most people have too much omega 6 in relation to omega 3 at the same time as having too little of both, since omega 6 fats are usually more prevalent in the diet. Therefore, aim to increase levels of both, but make sure that you get enough omega 3 fats.

31. Polyunsaturated fats – keep cool

32. Polyunsaturated fats – keep cool • Omega 3 and omega 6 essential fats are also known as ‘polyunsaturated fats’. • The problem with polyunsaturated omega 3 and omega 6 fats is that if they are exposed to heat or light they can easily go rancid and produce free radicals which are linked with heart disease, cancer, and accelerated aging. • These fats can become hazardous to health. • Supermarket oils such as sunflower seed oil, safflower oil, corn oil, grape seed oil, soy oil and canola oil have a high content of polyunsaturated fats. They have also been treated, even before you cook with them, in a way that damages these fats, including being heated to high temperatures, refining, deodorizing, and bleaching.

33. Polyunsaturated fats – keep cool • Supermarket oils contain toxic by-products and are mutagenic. When you cook with them, you damage them even more. These oils are very harmful to health and should be avoided. • Some fat and oil experts believe that because these oils are mutagenic, the increasing incidence of genetic disease in children may be connected to the introduction of these fats into our diet in the last few decades. • You can buy unrefined, cold-pressed versions of some of these oils in health food stores, and that is fine, but do not heat them because this will generate free radicals. • The smoke point of oils is the point at which oils start to break down and degrade. Cooks avoid heating oils past the smoke point as this spoils the flavor.

34. Polyunsaturated fats – keep cool • It is commonly thought that it is safe to cook with oils up to the smoke point. However, polyunsaturated oils may become damaged due to exposure to heat and light long before they reach the smoke point. • Polyunsaturated fat-rich oils are very beneficial, but only use oils that are cold-pressed and unrefined. Also be sure to kept oils in a tightly-closed bottle in the refrigerator. These are the ones we talked about when we talked about essential fats, which are unspoiled polyunsaturated fats. • The best way to avoid damaged fats is to shop in health food stores!

35. Monounsaturated fats – good fats

36. Monounsaturated fats – good fats • Monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) are ‘good’ fats which can be very beneficial for health, although not as crucial as essential fats. Like essential fats, monounsaturated fats are the fat you can eat without feeling guilty or worrying about weight gain. • MUFAs: • Lower ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol while raising ‘good’ HDL cholesterol levels • Can help balance blood sugar and insulin levels (aids weight loss and slows aging) • Reduce the risk of heart disease

37. Monounsaturated fats – good fats • Transport fat soluble vitamins A and E, required for immunity and to prevent cancer, to cells where they are needed. • The best source of MUFAs is extra-virgin olive oil, used in large amounts in Mediterranean Hot Spots Symi, Sardinia and Campodimele. Olive oil is also high in vitamin E which is good for heart health and it promotes the secretion of bile which helps us process fats. • Avocados and peanuts are also good sources of monounsaturated fats.

38. Monounsaturated fats – can you cook with them? • Olive oil contains some polyunsaturated fats. Olive oil also has a low smoke point, meaning that it becomes damaged at a fairly low heat. • Therefore, keep temperatures as low as possible when cooking with olive oil. • Try ‘sweating’ foods in a small amount of butter and olive oil in a heavy-based dish with the lid on with a gentle heat. • Avocados, macadamia nuts, and peanuts are also good sources of monounsaturated fats, although they also contain some polyunsaturated fats.

39. Monounsaturated fats – can you cook with them? • Avocado oil, macadamia nut oil and peanut oil, (also known as groundnut oil) may therefore be treated similarly to olive oil – use for cooking instead of other cooking oils, but keep temperatures low. • Sesame oil contains equal levels of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats as well as a compound called sesamin which is thought to make it relatively stable. • Mary Enig, PhD., expert on fats and oils, suggests that oils containing mainly monounsaturated fats, as well as cold-pressed sesame oil, are relatively safe to cook with, in small quantities on a low heat.

40. Saturated fats – the problem fats

41. Saturated fats – the problem fats • Saturated fats are found in meat, dairy products, and lard, especially from battery-farmed, over-fattened animals. • Saturated fats are natural fats and a small amount of them is ok. • However, it is easy to eat too many of them because of the modern foods available today which were never available to our ancient ancestors, whose biochemistry we have.

42. Eating too much saturated fats • Causes inflammation which is linked with chronic disease • Causes insulin resistance which is linked with obesity • Causes cell membranes to be too ‘hard’ – they should be made with more flexible essential fats in order to function well • Raises levels of estrogen which is linked with breast cancer • Raises levels of LDL cholesterol • Many studies show that high saturated fat intake is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and cancer.

43. Eating too much saturated fats • A good way to avoid an excessive intake of saturated fats is to eat meat, dairy products and lard in the way that they do in the Hot Spots: in small amounts and from lean, free-range organic animals which themselves do not have a lot of fat on them. • Fats expert Mary Enig advises that saturated fats from free-range, grass-fed animals are the safest fats to cook with. These saturated fats are better in quality than those from battery farmed animals. • In the Hot Spots Okinawa, Nicoya and Sardinia, lard (pork fat) is traditionally used for cooking, in small amounts.

44. The safest fats to cook with… • Coconut oil, palm oil, lard (pork fat), ghee and butter contain mainly saturated fats and are suggested by Mary Enig for use. These may be safer for cooking than monounsaturated fats such as olive oil or groundnut oil. • Coconut oil contains saturated fats, but these are different from those found in animal fats, and they behave differently in the human body. Coconut oil has many beneficial properties, including a good vitamin E content, and has been found in some studies to reduce LDL cholesterol. Buy pure, raw varieties only.

45. Hydrogenated and trans fats – The fats you should avoid

46. Hydrogenated and trans fats – The fats you should avoid • A few decades ago, food chemists had the bright idea of adding hydrogen atoms to cooking oils in order to give them a spreadable texture and to stop them from going rancid. They may be hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats, also referred to as ‘trans fats’. • Margarines, chewy cookies, peanut butter, and all kinds of processed foods contain these useful fats. At least, they are useful to the food industry. • The problem with changing the structure of these molecules is that our bodies cannot use these fats. • They are now decisively linked with cancer and heart disease and some US states are starting to ban them from foods.

47. Hydrogenated and trans fats • Generate harmful free radicals which cause accelerated aging, heart disease and cancer • Sabotage our cell membrane structure • Raise levels of LDL cholesterol • Promote inflammation • The average American eats around 6 grams of trans- and hydrogenated fats daily, and one study published in 2006 in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that eliminating these fats from the North American diet could prevent 200,000 deaths each year!

48. Hydrogenated and trans fats • Always check labels carefully for hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated fats and avoid products containing them. But remember also that processed foods containing ‘vegetable oil’ are likely to contain poor-quality oils. • Palm oil and coconut oil are more stable than others, so if those are specified, they may be better quality. If in doubt, call the manufacturer.

49. The main fat facts in summary • Try to eat omega 6 and omega 3 essential fats every day in a ratio of around 2:1 from nuts, seeds and oily fish or supplements if necessary. • Monounsaturated fats are beneficial and can be included as part of a balanced diet, raw or gently heated in small quantities. • Saturated fats from free-range, pasture-fed animals may be included in limited quantities as part of a balanced diet; they are thought to be the safest fats for cooking. • Avoid cheap supermarket oils advertised as being high in polyunsaturated fats and do not cook with them. • Avoid trans- fats and hydrogenated fats from processed foods – check labels carefully.

50. Eating the right fats will help draw together all your other great new dietary habits! • Fruit daily (2-3 pieces) • Vegetables at lunch and supper (fill half the plate) • Whole grains instead of refined grains • The right proteins and enough of them • The right fats