Healthy fats play an important role in good nutrition and weight loss. There is a lot of talk in the media about how omega 3-fatty acids, found in cold water fish oils increase your immune function and provide health benefits to the heart, skin and brain. But it helps with losing weight, too – along with other kinds of healthy fats.

Perhaps the most important reason you need healthy fats in your diet it you are trying to lose weight is that they help to turn off the feeling of hunger and trigger the feeling of having eaten enough. That feeling of being full and being able to say no to a second (or third) helping is exactly what you need to stop yourself from overeating. The lack of feeling full is one of the major reasons people often continue to overeat and have trouble losing weight on fat-free diets.

So what are some other sources of healthy fats? Avocadoes are a great natural source of fat soluble vitamins A and E because they high in monounsaturated (healthy) fat. Even people who have a hard time digesting fats can usually eat avocados. They are also linked to lowering cholesterol levels and blood pressure, among other health benefits.

Coconut meat is rich with MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides), which are easier to digest than long chain-triglycerides contained in other saturated fats. Scientists advised against eating coconut oil for a while because of its fat content. But it turns out they were wrong.

There is now some research showing that coconut oil can actually help increase your metabolism and burn fat faster, although other researchers say the effect is negligible. In any event, the flavor of coconut oil can also help you stay on a diet by keeping flavors interesting and delicious.

Nuts are another good source of natural and healthy fats. Almond oil and walnut oil are delicious to use on salads or ground up into butters to spread on fruits and veggies. Just make sure you use the raw versions to stay true to your raw food diet.

Before you jump to conclusions that all eggs are bad for your health, you should know that the nutritional value of eggs is directly tied to what the chickens are fed. Many egg companies are now feeding their hens a specialized diet to increase the amount of omega-3 oils in their eggs. Ingredients like marine algae and flax seed are now found in chicken feed. Interestingly, a study out of the Harvard School of Public Health found no link between the consumption of eggs and heart disease. Some studies even show eggs improves your protection against stroke and heart attacks.

People with a risk factor for heart disease often remove eggs from their diet, but cholesterol is necessary for life, and it is not a toxic substance. Cholesterol is divided into two types. Good cholesterol is High-density Lipoproteins (HDL), and bad cholesterol is Low-density Lipoproteins (LDL). Eating eggs enriched with omega-3 might actually help to lower LDL levels.

While eggs are a great source of protein, they also provide other health benefits. Because egg yolks contain the antioxidant lutein, you get a built-in safeguard against damage to your retina. Lutein in eggs stops any inflammation of the macular pigment, which is what protects your retina from harmful light rays.

If you want to boost your cognitive functions, choline is an important supplement. Choline is part of the Vitamin B complex, and since a single egg yolk delivers 300 mcg of choline, eating an egg helps your neurons accept, process, and store information quickly and efficiently.

Eggs are the perfect food for dietiers. The protein factor makes you feel full after eating them. As a matter of fact, eating just two eggs in the morning has been known to reduce caloric intake by up to 400 calories according to the Rochester Center for Obesity in Michigan.

If you’ve ever suffered with a urinary tract infections (UTIs), you’ll be glad to know that the whites of eggs contain peptides which binds to the infectious E. coli bacteria and doesn’t let them latch on to the walls of the urinary tract.

Many reports about eggs contradict each other, but saturated fat is what contributes to excessive cholesterol, and eggs only contain 1.5 grams of saturated fat and 5 grams of the right kind of fat you want to ingest. For healthy hair and nails, eggs provide sulpher, vitamins, and minerals. There’s no doubt that eggs are a dietary staple if you want to be healthy. If you’ve cut them from your diet, try revisiting these little powerhouses of nutrition.

Resources: Healthy Meal Planning | Eggs by Michel Roux | A Chicken in Every Cul de Sac

There’s a definite connection between depression and overeating. Food equals comfort for many people who suffer from depression, and eating lifts them out of their misery for awhile. The problem is that it never lasts for long and usually stacks on unwanted pounds that may even deepen the depression.

Withdrawal from friends and family is also a symptom of depression, and in a depressed person’s aloneness, she sometimes turns to food and gives in to cravings to forget her problems. When a person suffers from depression, binge eating is often seen as a solution and the eating becomes uncontrollable – permeating every corner of her life.

Emotional triggers that sometimes begin an overeating binge can be exacerbated by depression. Smells and looks of food may be overwhelmingly tempting to a person who is depressed and frequent episodes of bingeing can take place, causing the person to lose self-confidence and withdraw from life even further.

While depression is a definite feel bad emotion, those who suffer from depression may associate food with feeling good and ultimately turn to it for comfort. Chronic stress can also cause depression and lead to food binges. If you find yourself stressed out from work or other issues and overeating because of it, there are several ways to combat the issues.

One way to relieve stress is through aerobic exercise. Along with the exercise, you’ll also get the added benefit of burning calories you ingested while overeating. Exercise will improve feelings of depression by manufacturing endorphins, which scientists have proven increase a sense of well-being.

There is both good news and bad about medical treatments for depression – the medication will probably lessen or completely get rid of feelings of depression, but the same medication can cause weight gain. If you’re thinking of taking an anti-depressant, first talk it over with your doctor and research the side effects of the recommended medication. Sometimes an anti-depressant can be used for a short period of time during an especially difficult situation to alleviate depressed feelings.

Notice certain actions that you may exhibit when you’re overeating such as cramming huge amounts of food in your mouth as fast as you can, planning ahead for alone time when you can engage in bingeing and if you feel sad and drained of energy when the bingeing is over.

These are signs that depression may be the cause of your eating disorder. Take a close look at your life and try to see where you can reduce stress and gain control of your eating habits. Sometimes, you can easily figure out the path you need to take – but if you can’t, see your physician who may refer you to a specialist who deals with all types of eating disorders on a daily basis.

What we eat has a great effect on how we feel. During winter it’s especially apparent as many people find their mood often becomes depressed. Of course there are medicines available, but if you would like to try a more natural route to dealing with moodiness and feeling down, why not address your diet first?

1. Tea. Who doesn’t like a good cup of tea? Researchers have found that the amino acid L-theanine contained in tea can cross the blood-brain barrier. This means it can directly affect the brain; In fact, L-theanine has been shown to reduce mental and physical stress, increase alpha brain waves, and generate a state of relaxation when taken in combination with caffeine which is also found naturally in tea.

2. Chocolate. Like tea, chocolate naturally contains caffeine which can help elevate your mood. Chocolate also contains obromine — a mild mood and energy-boosting stimulant. Dark chocolate contains the largest percentage of pure cocoa, and causes serotonin levels rise along with the happy feelings. The calories obtained from dark chocolate don’t outweigh the benefits of eating it.

3. Salmon. Vitamin D increases the serotonin levels in our brains. It is synthesized by skin cells after exposure to the sun, but during the winter months when the sun doesn’t shine as much, we have to obtain it from other sources. Salmon contains vitamin D as well as omega-3 fatty acids. The canned variety of salmon, fortified milk, and some vegetables provides vitamin D to our bodies.

4. Hemp. Many studies have linked lower rates of depression to Omega 3 fatty acids. Hemp actually has more fatty acids than flax and does not have the fish taste associated with Salmon. Hemp seed oil makes a great vinaigrette or you can add hemp seed powder to a smoothie.

5. Lentils. Lentils are part of the legume and bean family, and provide folate and vitamin B. Many studies have linked deficiencies of these nutrients to depression. We cannot store B vitamins so our bodies depend on our daily intake. Alcohol, refined sugars, nicotine, and caffeine destroy B vitamins so it is no surprise that many people may be deficient in these.

Regardless of how you choose to treat problems with depression, a nutritious diet helps you fight off illness. Adding these foods to your diet may help you get through the winter without going through the blues.

Resources: Healthy Meal Planning

Video – Nutritional Benefits of Hemp and Hemp Seed Oil

Is there a more popular dinner food than chicken? Fried, baked, fricasseed, or boiled, chicken is routinely eaten at evening meals the world over. We each have our favorite ways of preparing it.

The average supermarket chicken is raised in a small crowded pen with not enough room to stretch its wings. It’s fed a diet of antibiotics, hormones, and/or animal by-products. The antibiotics are to prevent the spread of salmonellosis which is present on most raw poultry.

Of course you’re not limited just to what’s available locally–

Organic chickens have not been treated with antibiotics and have been raised on crops grown in fields free of pesticides or chemical fertilizers for at least three years.

Free-range chickens are allowed to wander in enclosed outdoor pens, rather than being cooped up in indoor pens that encourage the spread of disease.

Natural chickens are minimally processed and carry no preservatives or artificial ingredients. Although antibiotics are allowed, their use is halted far enough in advance of slaughter to ensure their absence in the processed bird.

Learn to slice a whole chicken. Slicing one properly makes it easier to remove all of the meat from the bone. The skeleton can be used to create broth. Boil it in some water until the rest of the meat falls off.

What tastes the best when you have a cold and are feeling under the weather? Why, chicken noodle soup of course. Don’t settle for canned soup with small noodles. Make your own soup with juicy chicken pieces and wide egg noodles. That broth you jarred up will serve as a nice base and best of all it is already seasoned.

Add wide egg noodles and sliced vegetables like carrots, celery, and onions to your soup. When the noodles are tender, add the chicken. Since it is already cooked it just needs to warn up. Ladle up a bowl for the sick and the healthy as a light weekend lunch.

Do your kids carry their lunches to school? Instead of buying lunch meat, slice leftover chicken breast for sandwiches. It will be a nice change from the usual lunch fare.

On the weekends, instead of ordering a pizza or going to McDonald’s, use that chicken. Cube a few pieces to toss on top of a salad with some cheese and croutons. Combine with peppers and onions in a skillet to make filling for fajitas or soft tacos.

Does your family like chicken pot pie? Add some of that chicken, along with vegetables (canned or frozen) and a can of creamed soup to a pie crust and you’ve got an instant dinner that takes less than an hour to prepare. It is a quick meal idea perfect for busy families. A salad on the side will make a complete and healthy dinner.

Chicken-based casseroles can be made and frozen for future meals. The family may be all chickened out for the week, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make the most of the chicken you have left for future weeks.

Do you still have more chicken? Well let’s keep going with more ideas. Hey, our grandmothers learned to stretch a chicken in many ways and so can we. What are you doing with your chicken after dinner tonight? Try some of these ideas to make that chicken do double and triple duty to save on your family’s grocery bill. The best part is that the new meals are just as tasty as the original dish.

Crispy Chicken from the Freezer

What You Need:

2 1/2 lbs fryer chicken, cut up
3/4 C sour cream
1 T lemon juice
1 t Worcestershire sauce
1 t celery salt
1 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1/2 t paprika
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 C dry bread crumbs
Aluminum foil

How to Make It:

Combine sour cream and lemon juice in a small bowl.
Stir in Worcestershire sauce until completely blended.
Add the celery salt, salt, pepper, paprika and garlic and mix well.
Place bread crumbs in a shallow bowl or on a plate.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a large baking pan with a non stick cooking spray.
Dip chicken pieces into the sour cream mixture.
Roll in the bread crumbs.
Place in a single layer in the baking pan.
Bake 50 minutes or until chicken is tender and brown.
Let chicken cool before removing from pan.
Once the chicken has cooled wrap each piece in aluminum foil.
Freeze for up to 2 months.
Reheat by preheating oven to 450 degrees.
Place each piece of chicken still in the aluminum foil on a cookie sheet.
Bake 35 minutes.
Unwrap from aluminum foil and place back in the oven.
Continue baking 10 minutes or until crisp.

Resource: Healthy Salad Recipes