Omega - 6 Fatty Acids
Like the omega-3 fatty acids mentioned above, omega-6 fatty acids are essential nutrients that we can obtain only through the foods we eat. Without omega-6 fats, we are susceptible to various inflammatory and degenerative disease such as arthritis, diabetes, and asthma. However, unlike omega-3s, overt deficiency in these fatty acids is rare. Rich sources of omega-6s include corn, sunflower, and soybean oils.
Since these oils are commonly added to many processed foods and are often found in foods that contain monounsaturated fats and omega-3s, most people get more than enough omega-6s in their diets, making it unnecessary to seek out additional sources. You should avoid cooking with oils high in omega-6 fatty acids, as they can degenerate into toxic fats when heated—another good reason to stick to oils high in omega-3s.
Unhealthy Fats
The fats that have the most potential to derail your hormonal balance are saturated fats and trans-fatty acids. These type of fats add excess calories to your diet; are closely linked to an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other degenerative disease; and can actually speed up the aging process, saturated fats are found in most meats and dairy products: beef, pork, butter, and cheese are some of the most common sources. Trans-fatty acids are not natural fats but are artificially manufactured and processed. You will find them in most margarines and in the oils of packaged snack foods. Unlike omega-3 fatty acids, unhealthy fats will make the surface of your cells more rigid. As a result, your cells will need more fat-storing insulin to deliver carbohydrates to them.
Many people substitute processed margarine for natural butter, but studies have shown that the synthetic trans-fatty acids founds in most margarines are much worse for your health than the saturated fats in natural butter. When buying snack foods such as potato chips and packaged baked goods and donuts, check the ingredients list for “partially hydrogenated” oils, which indicates that the natural oils in the food have been altered and that the food contains trans-fatty acid. While it is extremely important to avoid saturated fats in your diet by substituting monounsaturated fats whenever possible, it is even more imperative to cut trans-fatty acids from your diet completely.
Protein
Eating adequate amounts of protein is one of the most important component of the hormone revolution eating plan. A diet deficient in protein can actually lead to infection, loss of immune function, starvation, and loss of muscle mass. However, a diet rich in protein has numerous muscle-building and weight-loss benefits.
Protein satisfies and suppresses your appetite much more than fats or carbohydrates by slowing down the emptying of your stomach. The structure of protein keeps your stomach full longer so that you feel satisfied for an extended period of time. If you don’t believe me, try eating a slice of white bread and on another occasion half a chicken breast. Then tell me which food makes you feel more full.
Protein also speeds up your metabolism through its strong “thermic” effect, through which your body temperature rises and burns more calories. Protein speeds up your metabolism much more than fats or carbohydrates. Almost no thermic effect result from eating fat, and only a very small effect is generated by carbohydrates.
Your body also has a much more difficult time storing protein as fat than it does fats or carbohydrates, especially since fat can be stored directly without involving any chemical reactions. Protein, on the other hand, must be broken down first into sugar, which is then converted to fat, before it can be stored in this form. Each of these steps requires your body to burn calories. Thus, Only a relatively small fraction of calories from protein ever gets stored as fat.
Protein is also hugely important because it is the basic building block of muscle. If you exercise and reduce your calories without getting enough protein, you will just end up losing a lot of muscle. Without adequate protein, it is impossible to build or preserve muscle.
Unfortunately, many sources of protein, especially red animal meats and dairy product, are also high in saturated fats. However, there are numerous lean sources of protein that are ideal for the hormone revolution program. Table 3.3 below list some good sources of high-quality protein that are also low in saturated fats.
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