Essential Fatty Acids Explained

Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are called ‘essential’ because your body cannot make them. You need to eat them every day.

Eating enough will have a positive effect on growth, vitality and your mental state. All are essential for prolonged good health.

  • Essential fats are concentrated in your brain. They’re needed to transmit nerve impulses. For normal brain functions.
  • Part of cell membranes in all tissues. These membranes control the micro-flow of nutrients and waste, in and out of each cell.

EFAs Naturally Reduce Inflammation and Pain!

Helps prevent chronic degenerative diseases.

EFA deficiency and inflammation can be disguised as:

  • Unexplained aches and pains, from mild to debilitating
  • Poor digestion (constipation, diarrhea, cramps, gas, bloating)
  • Slower brain function, anxiety, mood swings, extreme low moods
  • Issues with blood sugar, cholesterol and pressure
  • Obesity
  • Poor complexion and inflamed skin disorders
  • Menstrual discomforts
  • Fatigue, severe and chronic
  • Lower immunity
  • Tumors and tumor-like diseases.
  • Decreased memory and mental abilities
  • Tingling nerve sensations
  • Poor vision
  • Increased blood clots
  • Diminished immune function
  • Increased cholesterol
  • Slower growth in infants, children and pregnant women.

There’s more… 
Studies show that an insufficient supply of EFAs in children impairs their brain development, with results like:

  • Learning difficulties and lack of concentration
  • Attention deficit or hyperactivity
  • Aggressive behavior.

You might like to dive into this blog: “Scientific References: Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)

Caution about Too Much Fat!

You’ve probably heard that fat is bad for you. Too much of the wrong fat is definitely bad for you.

If your diet is already too high in fat, adding an EFA supplement will not help you. For EFAs to remain healthy, your overall fat intake must be suited for your individual body type.

When your body gets its required nutrients, it can clean, repair and maintain itself. Find your specific Metabolic Type to determine what foods contribute to your health. And which foods take away your well being.

Important to Know About Yourself…
If you’ve tried a low fat diet and felt miserable, your body type NEEDS more healthy fats for energy. Some people need MUCH MORE fats and proteins than others.

Not All Fats Make You Fat

You’ve heard that eating fat makes you fat, and that’s just not true. EFAs are NOT STORED AS FAT. They’re burned for energy! They activate your metabolism. Helps you burn fat and they:

  • Get right into your cells and are NOT deposited into your arteries as cholesterol
  • Are easily digested and don’t strain your pancreas, liver or digestive system
  • Stabilize your blood sugar
  • Slow the release of carbohydrates.

What does this mean to you?

  • A stronger immune system.
  • You’ll feel full and satisfied sooner after a meal, and this feeling lasts!

Bad fats are abundant in almost all processed foods. They promote your body’s harmful inflammatory response. This can cause so many disorders. From body pain and autoimmune disorders, to heart and blood sugar diseases.

If you’d like to learn more, take a look at “Essential Fats: Natural Sources“.

Tips for Eating Healthy Fats

To Reduce Pain and Increase Overall Good Health

  • Eliminate processed foods.
  • Increase your intake of EFA rich foods such as wild-caught, cold-water fish (salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies or sardines), avocados, nuts, seeds and healthy oils.
  • Read food labels and do not eat hydrogenated oils.

Remember… EFAs are essential to your well being.
Your body can’t make them, so you need to eat some of them, every day.

Low-fat diets can help you gain weight! Ironically, cutting fat out of your diet seems to make you gain weight, because instead of eating high fat foods, many people turn to carbohydrates that are easily turned into fat, or fat-free products that are high in calories and sugar (also easily turned into fat).

To lose weight, you need to cut calories… but not from Healthy Fats.

You NEED to eat Healthy Fats

The low-fat diet trend did not create a thinner, healthier society. Quite the opposite. North Americans are still getting bigger!

  • In the 1960s, Americans ate 45% of their calories from fat, and only 13% were obese.
  • Now, most of us get about 33% of our calories from fat, and 34% of us qualify as obese!

One thing is certain: you cannot go wrong with whole foods. When you feed your body natural whole foods, it knows exactly what to do with all parts of the whole food. It’s natural, and the result is good health.

When you eat processed foods, free radicals form and toxins build up. Sickness results. Processed foods act as poison in your body. All types of discomforts and disease can result from eating lots of processed foods. Which disease gets you first all depends on your own personal weak tendencies.

Author: Ann-Louise Evanoff with Martin Pytela