Good Oils and Fats (Nuts, Seeds, and Vegetable Oils)

The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods
by Michael Murray, N.D., Joseph Pizzorno, Lara Pizzorno

(Page 3 of 3)

Four Servings Daily

Be sure to focus on raw nuts and seeds, avoiding nuts and seeds roasted in oils or coated with sugar. Nuts and seeds are great to add to salads and sauteed greens. Try to mix it up a bit by eating a variety such as almonds, Brazil nuts, flaxseeds, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds.

Use canola, flaxseed, macadamia, or olive oil to replace the butter, margarine, and shortening that you use for cooking, or try them in your homemade salad dressings. However, you never want to cook with flaxseed oil because it is very rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, which are easily damaged by heat. Coconut and macadamia nut oils are the best cooking oils because of their ability to remain stable at high temperatures, but olive oil is great for sauteed vegetables and canola oil is usually best for baked goods because it has the least "nutty" flavor. Avoid using safflower, sunflower, soy, and corn oil because they contain too much omega-6 fatty acid, which feeds into inflammatory pathways in the body.

We suggest that you have at least one serving of nuts or seeds (one serving equals ¼ cup) and 3 tablespoons of the healthy oils per day.

Whole Grains: Three to Five Servings Daily

It is very important to choose whole-grain products, such as whole-grain breads, whole-grain flour products, and brown rice, over their processed counterparts, including white bread, white flour products, and white rice. Whole grains provide substantially more nutrients and health-promoting properties. They are a major source of complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, magnesium and other minerals, and B vitamins. The protein content and quality of whole grains is also greater than that of refined grains. Diets rich in whole grains have been shown to be helpful in both the prevention and treatment of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

One serving of whole grains equals:

Bread:	Whole-wheat, rye, or 1 slice other whole grain
Cereals:	Whole-grain cereal 1/2 cup
Corn:	Cooked whole-kernel 1/2 cup corn Corn on cob 1 small
Flour and flour products:	Whole-wheat flour 21/2 tablespoons (unbaked) Whole-grain pasta 1/2 cup (cooked)
Whole-grains (cooked):	Amaranth, barley, 1/2 cup millet, oats, quinoa, rice, spelt, and wheat
Beans (Legumes):	Two to Three Servings Daily

Beans, a mainstay in most diets of the world, are second only to grains in supplying calories and protein to the world's population. Compared to grains, they supply about the same number of total calories but usually provide two to four times as much protein and are a richer source of the soluble fiber that lowers cholesterol and stabilizes blood sugar levels. While we do not recommend using canned vegetables or fruit, canned beans retain their fiber content and anticancer flavonoids. Plus, given the long preparation time for cooking beans, canned beans are extremely quick and convenient. A serving size for beans is 1/2 cup.

Fruits: Three to Four Servings Daily

Fruits are a rich source of many beneficial nutrients, and regular fruit consumption has been shown to offer significant protection against chronic degenerative diseases, including cancer, heart disease, cataracts, diabetes, and stroke. Fruits make excellent between-meals snacks and super desserts. We know it's easy to get into the habit of eating only a few varieties of fruit, so we encourage you to eat a "rainbow" assortment of fruits over the course of a week. Keep in mind that one serving equals one 1 medium fruit or 1/2 cup of small or cut-up fruit; 4 ounces of 100 percent juice; or 1/4 cup dried fruit.

High-Quality Protein:

Two to Three Servings Daily

The detrimental effects of diets high in saturated fat and cholesterol have been stressed for decades. Likewise, the importance of the omega-3 fatty acids in the battle against chronic disease is now well known. Fish consumption, in particular, has shown tremendous protection against heart disease and cancer because of the high content of omega-3 fatty acids in fish. Choosing smaller species of fatty fish, such as wild salmon, mackerel, herring, and sardines, is best because their smaller size and shorter life span translate into a smaller accumulation of mercury, PCBs, and other environmental toxins. Wild-caught fish have less accumulation than farmed fish. Because of concerns about exposure to mercury and other environmental toxins, we recommend that you consume wild fish at least three, but no more than six, times per week.

We suggest that you limit your intake of red meat (beef, veal, or lamb) to no more than two servings per month and choose the leanest cuts possible. Do not charbroil or cook the meat until well done, as this increases the formation of cancer-causing compounds. Also, consider some of the alternatives to beef, such as venison, buffalo, elk, rabbit, and ostrich. These emerging beef alternatives are lower in saturated fat and provide higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids.

Chicken and turkey can also provide excellent protein with very little fat, especially if you eat only the white meat (breast) and do not eat the skin. Eggs are also a very good source of high-quality protein and, if produced by free-range hens fed flaxseed meal, are rich in beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.

One serving is about the size of a deck of cards. That translates to roughly 3 to 4 ounces.

Dairy: One to Two Servings Daily (Optional)

Many people are allergic to milk or lack the enzymes necessary to digest dairy products. Even for people who do tolerate dairy foods, milk consumption should be limited to no more than one or two servings per day. Although dairy foods are rich in protein and calcium, they are also high in fat and calories, lacking the wide nutrient spectrum of foods in the categories previously discussed. Dairy foods can also contain accumulations of agricultural chemicals and hormones if not organically produced. Use organic, nonfat, or reduced-fat dairy products over whole-milk varieties whenever possible. Also, fermented dairy products such as yogurt, kefir, and acidophilus-fortified milk are preferred over milk due to their content of beneficial bacteria, which predigest the dairy proteins and sugars. If you haven't tried some of the soy milk alternatives to cow's milk, they are delicious, especially the flavored varieties, which include vanilla and chocolate.

One serving equals 1 cup of milk, yogurt, or cottage cheese or 1 ounce of cheese. If you do not consume dairy products, we recommend that you take a calcium supplement.

The Optimal Health Food Pyramid and the dietary guidelines given reflect the current scientific answer to the ideal diet for most people. They are based upon a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet. If you need to increase your caloric intake, we recommend getting the extra calories you need by increasing the number of servings of vegetables, nuts, and legumes, as these are the best foods for improving blood sugar control. Athletes or people engaged in heavy physical labor or exercise should add another serving of seafood, meat, or poultry to their daily intake or add a soy protein or whey protein smoothie to provide an additional 25 to 30 grams of protein.

The following chapters explain the recommendations of the Optimal Health Food Pyramid in depth and more clearly define the benefits, features, and importance of consuming healing foods.

Copyright © 2005 by Michael Murray, N.D., Joseph Pizzorno, N.D., and Lara Pizzorno

About the Author

Michael Murray, N.D., is an educator, lecturer, researcher, and consultant to the health food industry. He has written more than twenty books.

Dr. Joseph Pizzorno is cofounder of Bastyr University, the first accredited multidisciplinary university of natural medicine in the United States.

Lara Pizzorno, M.A., L.M.T., is a health writer and medical editor with more than twenty years of experience.