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[ Editor's Note:  Fitness author Jon Benson shared this letter with me and gave me permission to share it with you. ]

Let’s get this one out in the open:

1. Fats do not make you gain bodyfat.

2. Fats do not put you on Heart Attack Row.

3. Fats are not the enemy.

We’ve been sold a bag of lies when it comes to fats.

Fats are essential for your body’s hormone production, skin health, absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, and even burning bodyfat. Yep… you need fats to burn fat.!

Studies have been conducted to attempt to elevate cholesterol levels using high-fat diets. Most all of them have failed miserably — in fact several "lowered" total cholesterol while raising the so-called "good" cholesterol (HDL).

That being said, you don’t need the following…

1. A lot of fats in your diet. Fats still contain over twice the calories per gram as carbs and protein.

2. Any kind of "fake fats" — margarine or processed oils of any kind are highly dangerous foods.

Here’s my simple dietary fats solution:

1. Eat fats as they occur in nature, but eat at least 80% as they "actually" occur in nature — meaning from grass-fed and free-range sources. The extra cost is worth it. It tastes better and your medical costs will well offset the few dollars more per pound you pay.

2. Cook with a combination of olive oil and coconut oil, but use both sparingly. If you are eating plenty of animal protein you do not need excessive fats… not because of ‘danger’ but because of needless calories. Not a good idea if you’re wanting to keep your abs. But a bit of raw butter or olive oil can make bland veggies taste wonderful, so feel freee.

Also, omega 3-rich fats like olive oil and fish (and especially fish oil) help lower inflammation. That’s the real culprit behind heart disease in most cases.

3. Avoid a lot of fats at night. The night-time meals should be high in lean protein (tuna, tofu, turkey breast) with very limited fats if you are wanting to really get lean. If you are just trying to shed bodyweight slowly, it’s okay to have some fats at night.

Just do me a favor: If you are on the "Fats make you gain bodyfat and have heart attacks" bandwagon, jump off. We have consumed fat for countless thousands of years. Just consume it the way we always HAVE (naturally, not stuffed with hormones and cooked up in a lab) and you’ll be fine.

If you want a diet-solution that actually uses dietary fats to help you take off the bodyfat, then use this one:

http://eodd.rxsportz.com  <— Eat Fats, Burn Bodyfat!

It’s a real-world plan that allows you to eat your favorite foods and still shed the bodyweight you want.

And yes — that includes fats.

Arthur M.
http://rxsportz.com

somewhere over the rainbow…

‘Moron’ the real yoga discussion: Are you a Yog-Gay? Are you ready to get into a heated bunched-panties discussion about the moral implications of Yoga and Homosexuality? Elephant Journal’s ringmaster Waylon Lewis takes on the debate with great form. So which are you, hedonistic heathen or forbidding puritan? Clearly it’s cut and dry. [elephantjournal] [Huffington Post]

Yoga: Drink it In: In further hedonistic fashion you might be one of those mat-toting martini-soaking yogi infidels (cheers!). If you enjoy an adult beverage every now and then, and perhaps the sweet indulgence of chocolate and good food, you can now delight yourself in the newest yoga fusion:  the Yoga Cocktail Party.
Talk about the fruits of your efforts, David Romanelli (yeahdave) teaches yoga classes in the sunshine state and caps them off with treats like wine + chocolate, olives + cheese (so cali of him!). If we didn’t know any better we’d say this might be a recipe for post-yoga debauchery, with all that vulnerable energy flying around. It actually sounds like a fab idea, and a real test in thought control during practice… just mind the drool while you’re in down dog. Oh and we’re not saying you’re a lush, but keep that kundalini in your pants. [LA Times Blogs]

Boy, these days there’s no scarcity of yoga blowhards lurking around very corner of the yogasphere. ahem. We love all our pedagogy yogi brethren.

However, it just makes it even harder to say goodbye to a longstanding publication that has upheld such high standards in the world of yoga journalism. This month marks the last in a ten year run for Canada’s ascent, “an independent, not-for-profit magazine of yoga and engaged spirituality.”

If you were a fan and would like to contribute your own eulogy of sorts, or perhaps donate to their $18,000 bill for publishing the final 10th anniversary issue go to www.ascentmagazine.com

Because what goes up must come down, spinning wheel…well you get it.

So much for patting myself on the back after getting an A+ from my doctor a couple of weeks ago.

Last week, I was feeling very sorry for myself because I’d come down with a cold. Nothing serious – just a common cold. But I hate colds. I hate feeling all stuffed up and I hate the pounding headaches that inevitably come with colds – my colds anyway.

Oh, I know – I’m such a baby. It’s funny because I can handle almost anything else. I’ve breezed through medical tests that would freak most people out and have had two surgeries in the last five years. And I haven’t whined once (okay, maybe once, possibly twice, but that’s it ~ I swear)!

But colds…hate ‘em!

Well, aren’t I a little bundle of joy?! It’s no wonder people stay away from me in droves when I’m grumpy with a cold. I’d stay away from myself if I could!

Failing that (have you ever noticed that it’s really very hard to avoid yourself…), I finally decided to do something constructive besides moan and complain. I mean, there’s a limit to how long you can indulge in self-pity before you bore yourself to tears, right? So I dragged myself over to the TV (I know – I’m such a drama queen!), popped in my yoga DVD and started practicing some yoga moves.

Well, that was an experience. My legs felt so wobbly that I couldn’t hold most of the poses, and I (puff) couldn’t (puff) breathe (puff) at (puff) all (puff), which totally frustrated me. Then all of a sudden I realized that maybe I was just pushing myself too hard. Maybe I just needed to calm down and “go with the flow.” So I made a conscious effort to calm down, relax, and focus on my breathing. Before I knew it, I’d fallen asleep on my mat!

Okay, perhaps that was just what my body needed and I was too busy groaning and moaning to listen to it. I sure felt better when I woke up. I was (almost) back to my normal self, to the relief of my husband and mother, who were probably on the verge of locking me in the bedroom until I could revert to being a civilized human being again.

So now I’m 98% better and am allowed to roam the house freely and spread my joy again. Between us, though, I sometimes think my husband prefers it when I’m buried under the blankets feeling sorry for myself as it gives him some precious peace and quiet!

Tags: colds, self-pity, yoga DVD, frustration, complain, joy, peace

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