The word "fat" has a negative connotation in society. It’s not a good word at all. Which is probably why a lot of people avoid it in their diets like the plague. Avoiding some fats like trans fats and saturated fats is a good thing. Those fats can cause a lot of different problems like pre-mature aging, heart disease, stroke, obesity, diabetes, and the always hideous subcutaneous body fat. Avoiding good healthy fats is not a good thing.

Here’s why—Eating healthy fats in your diet on a regular, everyday basis, is critical to your overall health. Some of the functions of fat in the body are for aiding in vitamin and mineral utilization, enzyme regulation, energy (9 calories per gram), healthy hair and nails, and helping your burn body fat throughout the day. And I’m not talking about essential fatty acids, even though that’s just as important if not more so to get into your diet. I’m talking healthy fats mono- and polyunsaturated.

A lot of health professionals, dieticians, and doctors say that in order to get and stay lean you need to be on a low-fat diet. This is wrong. This is the old way of thinking, a lot like do "cardio" everyday for an hour to lose weight. It’s the unnatural, processed fat that you want to avoid. Anytime you cut back on 1 of the 3 macronutrients (protein, carbs, fats) severely, then something in the body needs to react and perform double duty. Meaning your body is not performing at an optimal level.

Fat intake should be at about 20-30% of your daily calories, with less than 10% coming from saturated fats, and less than 2% from trans fats. These are the "experts" recommendations. However, nothing ever good will come from you eating trans fats. It should literally be 0%. And not all saturated fats are bad for you. Eggs, coconut, and avocado are all great sources of saturated fat, but contain much more healthy benefits that you should not avoid. You want the majority coming from healthy fats. And let’s try and avoid trans fats all together; nothing good will ever come from digesting it.

So what are healthy fats? Some good healthy fat choices are olive oil (if I cook it on the stove, I always add it), nuts (any kind), avocados, guacamole, seeds, fish, coconut oil, palm oil, canola oil, nut butters (peanut, cashew, almond, etc…), and whole eggs (best saturated fat you can eat).

Jason Yun, CSCS, CISSN is a Columbus Body Transformation Expert who runs Yun Fitness Boot Camps in Hilliard and Dublin, and teaches the Metabolism Makeover Weight Management Program in Columbus. For a FREE 2-week trial of his boot camps visit http://www.Yunbootcamps.com/specialoffer.html or call 614-432-9703. Visit http://www.YunNutrition.com to learn more about the Metabolism Makeover Program.

It should come as no surprise that women have different nutritional needs than men. Women’s bodies handle stress differently than men’s bodies, and their complicated systems require a variety of nutrients to perform at optimum levels. Because a woman’s health changes with the cyclical nature of her body, it is important that she keep up with this cycle and supplement her nutritional intake accordingly. Let’s look at how a woman can best do this to maintain peak health all year long.

Many people can benefit from supplementing with Essential Fatty Acids, or EFAs, but they are of utmost import for women. Not only are they essential for optimum brain functioning, these supplements play an important role in heart health for women. They are quite beneficial for the hair, skin and nails, all of which concerns are on the top of a woman’s list.

Women will do a lot for the sake of beauty, and it may even include eating fish when they don’t like the taste of it. Salmon is probably the best natural source of EFAs, but if you would prefer to take your fish oil quickly and easily you can do so with a tablet or capsule. So long as you are diligent with your supplement regimen, you can reap the same benefits as you would by eating a lot of fish.

Another very important supplement for women is folic acid. The body does not easily manufacture folic acid, so it is important to supplement the diet with this B-vitamin derivative. It is especially critical for women to get folic acid, especially women of child-bearing years. Every prenatal vitamin contains folic acid and most practitioners will suggest an additional folic acid supplement even while a pregnant woman is taking a prenatal vitamin.

This is true even after childbirth, and while a woman is still breastfeeding. Folic acid deficiencies have been known to cause birth defects. If you are within the range of child-bearing years and you think you may become pregnant, it is a good idea to start supplementing with folic acid even if you do not anticipate pregnancy for many months. The best plan for a safe and healthy pregnancy is to build up folic acid in your system prior to the time when a developing fetus may need to rely on it.

Calcium is a mineral that is especially important for women to have in plentiful amounts. Women are much more prone to osteoporosis, and the chance of developing this debilitating condition can be greatly reduced by taking in sufficient amounts of calcium before you significantly age. Along with calcium, women should take magnesium in a ratio of 2:1. Magnesium helps calm anxiety, and more important for women it reduces premenstrual cramps and hormonal fluctuations that cause emotional upset during this time of a woman’s cycle.

During a woman’s cycle, certain herbs have been touted as being quite helpful although they remain somewhat controversial as to efficacy and safety. One herb that is very popular for women is dong quai, which is said to lessen mood swings and cramping and have a direct effect on estrogen and progesterone levels.

Another herb that is known for this is wild yam. Some women use a cream made from wild yam that you can rub directly into the skin of your hands or elsewhere, and they indicate that it evens your levels of estrogen and progesterone because the herb itself has plant hormone levels similar to those a woman has during her menstrual cycle.

As indicated above, the efficacy and safety levels of these herbs are often the subject of much debate among health professionals. Last in this list of herbs is black cohosh, which again is used by many to help ease premenstrual symptoms. It can be taken in tea or tincture form, and also comes in a capsule or tablet if that is preferable.

It is imperative that women supplement their diet with crucial vitamins, minerals and herbs for a number of reasons. Not only is it important during times of added stress such as menstruation, but a women’s body tends to have additional stress for a number of reasons all year long.

Childbirth, preparation for childbirth, the after-effects of childbirth as well as menstruation and pre-menstruation all require additional nutrient intake. For older women, the issue of menopause and peri-menopause arises and this too is taxing on the delicate balance of hormones.

Add to all of these stage-of-life issues the daily stress of child-rearing and other issues and it is no wonder women need serious supplementation. Even if you are a woman who eats right and gets proper exercise, chances are you could benefit from additional supplementation. It is never too late to make sure you get the right nutrients for the healthiest life possible.

Megan Hazel is a freelance writer who writes about health, fitness and nutrition, often discussing specific products such as supplements.

There really is a lot of confusion out there when it comes to eggs. Mainly the difference between egg whites and the yolk. Most people believe, and have been told time and time again that egg yolks are bad for you. They’re loaded with cholesterol, and increase your risk for heart disease, stroke, and other bad things.

Well, I’m here to tell you differently. Eggs are one of my favorite foods. They are probably the world’s most perfect food. As a natural food item they pack the best protein source in the world. And without a shadow of a doubt are extremely healthy for you. And the yolk is actually the healthiest part of the egg.

If you throw out the yolk, you’re pretty much throwing out the nutrition. The egg white is almost completely devoid of any vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. You get calcium, iron, riboflavin, B12, selenium (huge cancer fighter), phosphorous, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate, all the fat soluble vitamins, and a whole lot more super powerful nutrients.

But what about the cholesterol? Before I get into that, let’s talk about an essential nutrient that eggs are a superstar provider of—Choline. It’s an essential nutrient because you must obtain it from the diet, much like essential fatty acids. It is essential for brain, cell membranes, and cardiovascular function. It’s part of a phospholipid that I can’t pronounce and you need not worry about knowing the name of. But without adequate amounts of it, both cholesterol and fat will accumulate in the liver. So the choline in eggs actually stops the accumulation of fat and cholesterol in the liver!

Many studies have come out saying that dietary cholesterol doesn’t raise cholesterol levels significantly. It is much more affected by saturated and trans fats. You should be getting less than 10% of your total calories from saturated fats, and 0% from trans fats—Yes, they are that evil!

Many people don’t know this but the body actually makes cholesterol in the body. If you don’t eat enough cholesterol in your diet, the body produces more. If you do eat foods high in cholesterol, like whole eggs, then the body lessens the amount it will produce. Cholesterol plays a hand in many important functions in the body. You actually can’t live without it.

So don’t be afraid of the yolk. It’s good for you. Each large egg contains 70 calories and 6.3 grams of protein. So add some vegetables, or fruit, and it makes a great snack. You should be getting protein with each of your meals throughout the day anyway, and there is no natural food item protein better than whole eggs.

Another great thing about eggs is the variety you can use them with. There are so many different ways to prepare eggs. I must confess I do eat my eggs raw some time. Rocky! Rocky! The question of salmonella comes up then. Actually a study done by the USDA found that of 69 billion eggs produced annually only .3 percent are contaminated at all. Salmonella appears only when the eggs come from sick birds. If you’re buying your eggs from a reputable company the chances are super slim of getting bad eggs.

Back to egg whites. These are fine if you are trying to watch your fat intake or calorie intake. But unless you’re a professional body builder preparing for a show, you don’t need 100% egg whites. You’re missing out on super important brain, eye, and overall health food nutrition. Plus it tastes a whole lot better.

Jason Yun, a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Sports Nutritionist, is a Columbus fitness bootcamp and weight management teacher. To book him to speak at your local Columbus organization please contact him by email at jyun@yunbootcamps.com or by phone at 614-432-9703. For a free 2-week trial to his Bootcamps go to: http://www.yunbootcamps.com/specialoffer.html or http://www.yunnutrition.com

The importance of post workout nutrition cannot be undermined. In order to recover properly from your workouts your body needs essential nutrients to rebuild and re-energize. You’ve worked hard in the gym, or just completed your run, or just finished an intense game and don’t want your sweat and effort to go unrewarded right? Well, the following information is essential in assuring you get the most from your training as well as helping your body recover as best it can.

It is important to realize that making poor food choices following exercise can not only reduce the benefits of exercise but it can also weaken your immune system, increase the likelihood of injury, cause hypoglycemia (drop in blood sugar) and reduce your energy and performance during subsequent exercise sessions.

Carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats all have an important role in the post exercise nutrition. While working out or exercising, your body mainly uses muscle glycogen and blood glucose as its main fuel sources. These glycogen and blood sugar levels can be severely depleted upon completion of an intense workout and must subsequently be replenished to ensure proper recovery.

Exercise, and specifically weight lifting, causes microtears in the muscle fibers (protein degradation). This is what causes muscle soreness but also what stimulates their recovery to a stronger state than before. Since muscles are made up of protein, post-workout protein consumption is important to foster quick and full regeneration.

I also highly recommend adding essential fatty acids for the role they play in reducing inflammation, supporting the immune system, and building healthy cell membranes.

Another component I recommend adding to a post-exercise smoothie is Maca. Maca is an ancient Peruvian root vegetable that has tremendous adrenal supporting benefits. Considering that intense exercise places significant stress on the adrenal glands, maca can play a noteworthy role in helping your body come back to balance and reduce its stress load. Maca powder is the easiest form to use.

After your exercise session, fuel replenishment (glycogen stores), muscle regeneration, and rehydration (discussed later) are your three main goals. As such, food choices that stimulate the release of insulin (ie. sugars) will cause the most effective uptake of carbohydrates into the muscles. This increase in insulin levels due to consuming carbohydrates after exercise also increases muscle repair because insulin stimulates muscle protein synthesis. High quality protein and essential fatty acids will foster proper recovery of muscle tissue and other cellular damage, respectively.

The quicker you can get the proper nutrients into your body after your workout, the more effective your recovery will be. And just to reiterate, by ensuring that nutrients come from plant-based whole foods, you will greatly assist your recovery. One study out of Denmark showed that a vegetarian group of athletes recovered in 1/5 of the time it took the "meat-eating" athletes. Something to consider the next time you reach for that steak!

The ideal is to consume a quickly absorbable (high glycemic index) form of carbohydrates within 15 minutes of your workout’s end. This can take the form of a sport drink, fruit juice, fruit, or the sport gels and puddings. After this initial glucose-rich drink/snack, you can have a more substantial smoothie that balances carbohydrate-rich foods with high quality alkalizing proteins (hemp or whey) and essential fatty acids.

Whey protein has been found to stimulate the release of insulin. Therefore, it would be an effective protein to consume after an exercise bout as the extra boost of insulin will help drive nutrients into the muscle cells. Whey protein is also a very high-quality protein that would help muscles recover more quickly. You can throw in some Maca if you like as well.

After your smoothie, it is preferable to have a more balanced and substantial meal no later than 2 hours post workout. As with your smoothie, this meal should contain good sources of carbohydrates, proteins, and essential fatty acids. Remember that you want to choose whole living plant-based foods for they have tremendous life force, contain huge amounts of enzymes, and are mostly alkaline forming in the body.

Yuri Elkaim is the owner and founder of Total Wellness Consulting, a leading health, fitness, and wellness company offering health-conscious individuals the most innovative information, programs, and technologies to help reach their goals of physical and mental well being. He is a Certified Kinesiologist, Registered Holistic Nutritionist, former Professional Soccer Player, Head Strength & Conditioning Coach for the University of Toronto men’s soccer program, and regarded by many as Canada’s leading fitness expert.

For more information on Yuri and his nutrition expertise, please visit us at http://www.eatingforenergy.ca

Yuri Elkaim is the author of Eating for Energy,a guide to healthy eating that has awaken the world to the power of natural living foods. It includes 120 recipes, a 12-week meal plan, and more great nutritional tools for living the best life ever! For more information, visit http://www.eatingforenergy.ca