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To see this with your own eyes, take a handful of raw almonds and place them in a kitchen blender with a cup of water and blend on high for 1 minute. What you will get is good nourishing white nut milk. On the other hand, take a handful of roasted almonds and again place them in the blender with a cup of water and blend on high for 1 minute. What you will get then is dirty looking water. And if allowed to set for a while, oil will separate and rise to the top, creating a toxic drink that tastes horrible. This is the way the body recognizes the raw and roasted nuts too.

What kinds of oils are good for the body?

We need monounsaturated fats which are best found in olive oil and in most nuts. Monounsaturated fats help to lower the bad cholesterol in the body but protect the good cholesterol (HDL) from going down. These fats also help increase our resistance to cancer. Olive oil is one of the best oils to use and is good for the body both inside and out. (see former article, "The Sun and Our Skin").

We also need polyunsaturated fats which have our omega-3 and omega-6 oils. Omega-3 oils come from fatty fish such as salmon, trout and others, as well as from pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and flaxseeds. Omega-3 oils are vital for brain and spinal functions. Deficiencies may cause Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, and hyperactivity. Omega-3 oil is also beneficial for high cholesterol levels, stroke and heart attack, high blood pressure, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, cancer, psoriasis and eczema. The omega-6 oils come from corn, soybean, sunflower, and safflower oils. However, flaxseed oil is unique, being a great source for both the omega-3 and omega-6 oils. Good brands of flax oil are Barlean's (see barleans.com) and Health from the Sun.

The best kind of oils to consume are cold pressed, as opposed to heat extracted. Yes, they are more expensive, but are not cooked or rancid. These are the oils to especially use in making salad dressings and sandwich spreads.

Lecithin is a great fat to use, particularly, in breads in place of oil and as a binder in salad dressings. Lecithin is derived from soybeans and is found in liquid,granular forms and in capsules. Because lecithin breaks down the cholesterol in the body, it is often recommended to be taken for weight loss. In baking, use ¼ the amount you would of oil (2 Tbs. lecithin in place of ½ C. oil). A most popular brand is Fearn.

One of the best spreads on the market is Earth Balance, organic, whipped. It is available at many health markets but check out earthbalance.net. Smart Balance is also available at many grocery stores - though not as good, it is much better than using butter or margarine. Earth Balance definitely has the best flavor. If you can't find these in your supermarket, ask the manager to carry them.

Don't forget raw tahini (sesame butter) and raw almond butter which are even better for a spread on toast, breads, sandwiches and fruit slices.

What we don't need!

Fats and oils that we don't need are: cotton seed oil, shortenings, margarine, fried foods, and any heat extracted oils. Hydrogenated oils such as shortening and margarine are not good fats to consume. Let's look at the hydrogenating sequence. With the use of hydrogen, it breaks the double bonds in the fat, thus making it into a solid state. The sequence from a little to a lot of the hydrogenation process goes something like this: margarine, to shortening, to wax, to plastic. So if you eat margarine or shortening, it's just a few steps away from being wax or plastic. Imagine what it might be doing to you arteries! Most corn chips and potato chips, French fries, and other fried foods will be fried in hydrogenated oils because the shelf life is longer. Keep in mind also that even "organic chips" are fried! Look for "baked" organic chips for a better alternative, or better yet, choose rice cakes, whole grain crackers or vegetable sticks!

Saturated fats (those that are solid at room temperature) come mostly from animal sources. The highest sources of cholesterol come from high fat cuts of meat, poultry with skin, dairy products, butter and cheese. Cholesterol is only found in animal products. However, other saturated fats such as coconut and palm kernel oils can also raise the cholesterol levels in the body, but they do not contain cholesterol themselves. Avoiding the saturated fats, as much as possible, is best.

In conclusion

• Choose the best forms of fats as in raw foods - avocados, raw nuts and seeds, raw almond butter and tahini.
• Use mostly cold pressed oils, with olive oil being one of the best.
• Understand that if we want to know why we are fat then let's cut out the unhealthy fats, which are the ones that are most commonly used.
• Remember, today's processed foods, and especially fats, are not created with your health in mind. They are created to excite your taste buds and get you to buy and buy again. And many of us fall for their game and money gain. We end up paying for it and dieting because of it!
• Choose only the best and watch your body rejoice!

To Your Best Health,
Erleen Tilton

After I learned how to make "mayonnaise" out of almonds, I would often get in a bind and not have the time to blanch the almonds, so I decided to try cashews. It was wonderful! Then I decided to try raw macadamia nuts and pine nuts (pignolias). I found they all made good "mayonnaise"! This spread is much lower in fat compared to regular mayonnaise. I've decided that if I'm going to use any spread, why not make it good for me too! All of these are good for you and so tasty (you might be caught using them as a dip).

1 C. raw white nuts (blanched almonds, cashews, macadamias, or pine nuts)
1 C. water
1 tsp. brewers yeast flakes
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. miso, bouillon, or 2 tsp. Braggs liquid aminos
1 tsp. onion powder
2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
1/3 C. cold pressed oil

Place nuts and water in blender bowl and blend on high. Meanwhile, add other ingredients, in order given, into blender while in process. Blend approx. 3 minutes in all. Chill well to set. Makes under 2 cups.

Note: To blanch almonds, pour boiling water over them and allow to stand 5 minutes. Drain and slip off skins easily.

Erleen loves teaching people down-to-earth principles of nutrition as she sees the positive changes in others lives as they live the principles of good health and eating. She has a passion for wholesome foods and their life giving qualities. Her many personal experiences and years of study and research qualify her as an expert in health education, speaking, and consulting. Contact her now for your next conference, for health consultations, or for an upcoming event!

"The Ultimate Healthy Lifestyle!" is a TEN CD series with all the information you need to begin your journey towards a Healthier Lifestyle! Erleen serves as your guide, distilling over twenty-five years of health education and research into easy to listen to lessons on how to begin, where to begin and more! Check out this CD series today!

Sprouting is great indoor gardening. Learn to sprout easily with the Sprout Master, the best sprouter on the market. And it is a super simple process. Just soak the seeds overnight, drain and pour into the Sprout Master, now just rinse and drain 3 times daily (at every meal). It's that simple! If you want to start out right with some seeds, we also have alfalfa, lentil, mung bean, clover, radish and sunflower. These are all organic too! Check out The Sprout Master and seeds here!

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