Now We’re Talking

* “If you are what you eat and you don’t know what you’re eating, do you know who you are?”  Claude Fischler, sociologist with the French National Center for Scientific Research

It’s great to be healthy and all, but have you ever wondered why you want to go to all the trouble to live a long time? Knowing why you want to be healthy is a fantastic motivator to make the effort. You need a purpose for being here and for being here well.

MOTIVATION FOR HEALTH
You were designed in your mother’s womb with a unique skill set which gives you desires and abilities in a unique combination shared by exactly no one else.  Just as the chair you are sitting in was designed to function as it is, you were designed to function in a certain way.  Keep following your inclinations and listen to your natural bent.  I’m not giving license for unrestrained behavior!  I’m saying take the time to listen to your heart, because your purpose is in there.  What do you love to do?  What do you want to do?  What are you good at? 

NATURAL BENT
You might be one of those marvelous organizer types, (I love having them as friends when its time to pay the bill),  or maybe you have a really soft spot in your heart for children.  You might be a brainiac and love to solve complicated problems, or you might be the best listener a friend could ever have.  So when talking about what kind of fat you eat, care about it so that you can keep making your contribution to the world around you for a long time to come!

POOR COMMUNICATION KILLS
Last week I mentioned that our cell membranes are composed of the fat we eat.  An over abundance of saturated fat creates stiff cells and difficult inter- cellular communication.  Just as John and Susan were frustrated with each other because of poor communication,  this cellular breakdown can contribute to memory loss and many other problems.  For example, diabetes occurs when cells do not respond to the messenger (insulin) telling them to open up and let glucose in.  Multiple Sclerosis is caused by damaged cells which are unable to transmit their messages in the brain and spinal cord.  Cancer occurs when cells divide out of control even without a signal, and then do not respond to signals sent ordering destruction. (1)

POLY OMEGA-3 NEEDED
Just as relationships between friends and lovers limp along and then “die” without communication, so too does our body suffer greatly when cell communication is hampered. The good news is that poly and momounsaturated fat provide excellent texture for cell membranes.  Of the “polys”, omega-3 is the fatty acid we are all most deficient in.  I’ll leave you with a list of the best food sources, and next week I’ll try to make sense of the many different ways to supplement.  Dr. Panda in the “Corner” gets that discussion started with some information on Cod Liver Oil, a great supplier of omega-3. 

FOR MORE DISCUSSION GO TO http://otlane.blogspot.com/

Molly

IMAGE-  a brain cell communicating

Polyunsaturated Fat Sources:  Salmon, halibut, fish oil, walnuts, flax oil
Monounsaturated Fat Sources:  olive oil, avocado, peanuts, almonds,  canola oil

(1) http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/cells/badcom/

http://www.kronosinstitute.org/research/completed/omega3.cfm