Detoxify Your Life - Healthy Fats

Day 3 of the Detoxify Your Life Challenge from 360YourLife.com is here!  Today is all about FAT!  Sometime in the last 20 years, everyone began to associate being overweight with consuming fats.  The food market began pumping out all kinds of foods labeled "Fat Free" or "Low Fat".... yet the obesity epidemic has continued to skyrocket!  All these chemicals added to food in order to make them "low fat", or "fat free" have since been proven to be more harmful for our health, and actually a cause of unhealthy weight gain.  Check out the labels of foods that claim to be "fat free" or "low fat", the natural fats have been stripped away, but often replaced with starch or sugar and sugar substitutes to replace the flavor of the natural fat content.  It's probably better if you avoid any product labeled "fat free" or "low fat" and instead, focus on getting natural foods that are already low in fat.  Also, there is such a thing as "Good" fat, and certain fats are necessary to help us have a balanced diet and a properly functioning body!  Just cutting out fats alone will not make you lose weight, as our society is quickly learning!  Especially when these fats are simply being replaced by unnecessary sugars, chemically altered sugar substitutes, and addictive nutrient free starch!

Healthy fats can actually lower your risk for diabetes, heart disease, and high cholesterol.  They also improve brain function, improve your mood, provide energy, and help the health of your skin, hair, and fingernails.  Monounsaturated fatty acids are one example of healthy fats and can be found in Avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil, and poultry.  Polyunsaturated fats are also beneficial to your health and are most commonly found in fish such as salmon and mackerel.  There are a few sources of saturated fats which are also considered to be good for you (although most sources of Saturated fat are not good for you, if you get them through the right sources they are proven not to increase cholesterol levels) and these are the fats from coconut oil, organic grass-fed beef, and butter that is organic and made from grass-fed cows.  The fats to avoid are called "Trans fats" and these are typically found in fried foods, and any food with oils added.  Another name for Trans fat is "partially hydrogenated oil" and this should be avoided.

Today's challenge is to find a recipe using a "healthy fat" from this list of foods which naturally contain the best kinds of healthy fat.

Avocados
Coconut Oil
Olive Oil
Nuts
Seeds
Beef (Clean / Organic / Grass Fed)
Salmon (wild caught)
Poultry (Clean /Organic / Free Range / Vegetarian Fed)
Raw, Organic Butter (from grass fed cows)

Find ways to incorporate these healthy fats into your cooking, snacking, and general diet.  Avoid the things with Trans Fats and Partially hydrogenated oil, as well as staying away from things labeled "Fat Free" or "Low Fat".

My Favorite easy Salmon recipe!

Honey-Mustard Broiled Salmon

ingredients;
Wild-Caught Salmon Fillet
2 tablespoons Honey
2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tablespoon whole Mustard Seed
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper

Directions; 
In a bowl, mix together everything except the salmon.
Place thawed salmon on baking tray, skin side down.  You may want to line the tray with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Use a spoon to place the honey mustard mixture on top of the salmon in a thick layer.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let some of the flavor soak in to the salmon.
Turn broiler on high to pre-heat.
Place the salmon under the broiler, 6 to 8 inches below heat source.  Broil for 7 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness of the salmon.  Cook until it begins to flake easily with a fork, but be careful not to overcook or it will be too dry!
Enjoy!