We Really Are Fat-Heads!
FunFact - our brains are composed of 60% fat (and 40% hot-air for some!). Our brain, from day one needs fat to maintain it's health, growth and optimality. The key factor to understand though, is that it requires a careful balance of particular fats - not just any fats. Perhaps you have heard of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids? These fats are required by your brain in order to run smoothly and continue to do so for the rest of your life. Not only will your brain run smoothly, but due to the sources of these fats, your body as a whole will age slower and function better as the years pass by.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
Our brain is composed of a 1:1 ratio of these fatty acids and require this balance to function. It doesn't take much to alter this ratio and when it does we often see the results physically. Our Western diet consists of high-levels of Omega-6 (from red-meats, dairy and vegetable oils and fast/junk-foods to name a few) and much lower amounts of Omega-3 (fish, nuts, fresh vegetables and whole-grains to name a few of these). The problem with our imbalance is that our body cannot make up for a deficiency in one or the other by making more - these fats are essential - meaning we need to supply them our body doesn't produce them. Omega-6 causes inflammation in the body and promotes blood-clots, quickens skin-aging and damages cells, while Omega-3 does the reverse. Now that we know the differences of the two let's see how they affect us physically.
Life in the Off-Balance
When I refer to the effects of healthy, balanced diets I often use the story of Appleton Central Alternative School in Wisconsin. This school has partnered with Natural Ovens Bakery in Manitowoc, Wisconsin to provide their school with homemade, fresh foods and veggies, containing limited sugar and are non chemically processed. The result of using fresh foods is that the school's student's moods have greatly improved. They are now receiving foods that supply the best fuel for the body and the best ratio of Omega-3 and 6 to the brain. The results - they are less violent, more attentive, caring and have a much higher learning capacity. This greatly contradicts the current trend of Western Civilization which is more violent and often considered to be at high-risk of ADD type symptoms and diagnoses. Not only does our 'normal' diet consist of an imbalance of essential nutrients, but the high sugar and trans-fats (Omega-6 suppliers) are greatly increasing the number of heart-attacks, coronary diseases, as well as mental reductions in reaction and reasoning time leading to things such as higher vehicle accident rates - especially in teenagers and young-adults - all highly preventable. The introduction and continuation of a well-balanced home-made diet starting from pre-school age could very well be the cheapest and most effective preventative medicine at our disposal.
Life in the Balance
It's fact and has been told to us time and time again that we need to be mindful of what we eat and how much we eat. Unfortunately we essentially disregard our instructions, highly disrupt our body's chemistry (often to the point of irreversibility) and are forced to seek medical assistance. The plain-Jane truth on our likelihood of living long disease-free lives will start as a young child and will most likely be adopted as a life-long habit. Those of us who grow up on home-made meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and continue that trend will be the ones who live long and remain mentally sharp. Those of us who make time to cook for ourselves and our family rather than blaming long hours of work and equally long hours of TV and couch-time for our inability to cook will create a near perfect balance of our body's functions. Instilling these morals into our children will create a healthier population of adults. Like I said, the best kids are made in the kitchen.
Remember - our future to sustainable and available healthcare lies in our ability to practice prevention! It's never to late to start!
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