Healthy Fats, Dryness and The Midlife Woman
Gone are the days when we think low to no fat is the way to be. That damaging trend is behind us…mostly.
But I still see many women shy away from extra oil or fat-rich foods, even the ones we know are incredibly beneficial and essential to our health.
There is ample research that shows healthy non-trans fats are life-building and essential to well-being. They help support gut health and help us to absorb nutrients and support cell growth.
Healthy fats help lower cholesterol and help control blood sugar, which can help maintain a healthy weight in midlife women as we become more insulin resistant as we age. Fats also help us feel satiated so, if you’re a chronic snacker, always looking for that next sugar fix, ensuring you have lots of healthy fats in your diet can be really helpful. They help decrease inflammation and lower the risk of heart disease. Fats give your body energy and protect your vital organs.
We’d consider healthy fats YIN nourishing in Eastern Medicine.
Yin includes female hormones such as estrogen and progesterone, two of the first hormones to take a hit when we have a stressful life and have more energy going out than in.
A depletion in these hormones contributes to many of the common symptoms we associate with menopause, such as hot flashes, insomnia, dryness and feeling frazzled
And please remember that although these symptoms are common in our western world, they are nowhere close to inevitable, so reach out to me any time with questions on how to rebalance or avoid them all together!
Healthy fats are shown to stimulate the healthy production of hormones estrogen, testosterone and progesterone, which are essential to maintaining health as we age. Motivation, healthy sleep cycles, proper moisture levels in the body and stable moods all are influenced by these hormones.
The main type of fat we want is the unsaturated fat and there are 2 types of unsaturated:
Monounsaturated is found in things like avocado, nuts, and seeds (pumpkin, sesame, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, etc) and plant oils such as olive oil, or nut and seed oil (sesame, pumpkin seed, walnut, etc.). Note: Always be sure to get cold-pressed oils.
Polyunsaturated fats, found in omega-3 & omega-6 fatty acids found in walnuts, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, and fish (salmon, mackerel, herring, trout, etc.)
I have a healthy fat-packed snack called Glow Bars as they help moisten the skin and naturally build Yin (estrogen and progesterone) which gives us a dewy moist complexion and lubrication on the inside as well.
Yin Glow Bars – GET THE RECIPE HERE and say hello to dewy skin
Enjoy!
