Advise from Andrew Weil, PhD

Eat Fat, Get Nutrients, Be Happy
www.drweil.com

A wise person once pointed out that you are not what you eat, you are what you absorb. True enough; the world’s healthiest diet is of no use if the nutrients are not assimilated. So how can we maximize absorption?

As it turns out, some of the healthiest compounds in fruits and vegetables are fat soluble, which suggest some fat must be present in the meal for the nutrients to be absorbed. An Ohio State University researcher put that idea to the test. Eleven test subjects first ate a salad with romaine lettuce, baby spinach, shredded carrots and no-fat dressing. When the same salad was consumed with avocado, the subjects absorbed seven times more lutein and nearly 18 times more beta carotene, both vital nutrients that have anti-cancer and cardiovascular benefits.
In my view, one of the great revelations of the last 20 years of nutrition science is the vital importance of “good fats,” to which I would include omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish, walnuts and flax seeds. Read more on the benefits of good fats - including intriguing research on how they can provide safe, natural relief from depression.