7 DIY Body Scrub Recipes

Get Glowing Skin with Natural, At-Home Body Scrubs

To maintain beautiful, glowing skin it’s absolutely necessary to exfoliate all those icky dead cells blocking the baby soft layer of skin underneath. But boy can the body exfoliators and scrubs in the beauty aisle really put a dent in your shopping budget. Instead, try out a few of our favorite easy and effective DIY body scrub recipes. For a thoughtful and wallet-friendly gift, you can also make an extra mason jar full of your favorite scrub below for your mom or BFF.


Coffee Body Scrub

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Coffee is good for more than just your morning wakeup. This scrub performs double duty by exfoliating while the caffeine in the coffee grounds may even help reduce the appearance of cellulite by plumping up your skin. If you check the labels, caffeine is actually in many of those crazy expensive cellulite creams. This, however, is a much cheaper way to discover if caffeine works as a treatment for you. No promises, but try it out.

Equal parts ground coffee and raw sugar
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp sea salt

Mix the ground coffee with raw sugar and sea salt. Add the olive oil and coconut oil. And voila, coffee body scrub.

(Recipe & photo source: deliciouslyorganized.blogspot.com/2012/07/diy-mornin-coffee-scrub.html)


Rosemary Lavender Salt Scrub

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For a relaxing end to your day, draw yourself a nice warm bath and unwind with this soothing scrub. It'll get you to your happy place in no time.

2 cups salt, kosher
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp lavender, culinary grade
3 tbsp rosemary leaves, finely chopped

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy. This scrub can also be applied to the more delicate neck and facial area (other scrubs, in general, though, are too harsh to use on your face or neck).

(Adapted recipe & photo source:  bettycrocker.com/recipes/diy-rosemary-lavender-salt-scrub/ab242ee3-c896-44a2-9a93-2ee4654f8959)


Daniela Ferri’s Go-To Body Scrub

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Licensed Esthetician and acne specialist Daniela Ferri recommend using her easily customizable recipe to reveal your naturally lovely skin.

3/4 cup sugar in the raw
1/4 cup honey
1/8 cup vegetable glycerin (check the vitamin section for this)
1/8 cup olive oil
1/4 liquid castile soap (or 1/4 cup shampoo)
25 drops of your favorite essential oil (or 1/4 tsp pumpkin spice)

In a bowl, mix ingredients together well. After showering with your usual body wash, apply generously to your body especially concentrating on rough areas like knees and elbows. Rinse off and apply your favorite moisturizing body lotion post-shower.


Sunless Tanner Correcting Scrub

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Have you applied sunless tanner without exfoliating first? Holy oompa loompa! To correct those dreaded dark orange patches, try this sunless-tanner fixer. Two go-to remedies for removing those pesky tangerine streaks are lemon and a great scrub. Lemons contain citric acid, a natural exfoliator, and also contain elements that cause bleaching (sunless tanner included). This recipe combines both sugar scrub and lemons.

5 cups white granulated sugar
2 cups olive oil
2 lemons
3 tbsp honey

Using a wooden spoon, mix the sugar with the olive oil. Slice lemons in half and squeeze the juice into the sugar olive oil mix. Add honey and mix just until combined. After a long soak in a warm bath, apply the scrub to trouble spots. Be careful not to scrub too hard and damage your skin, though! Rinse off. Follow up with a nice moisturizing body lotion.

P.S. Kudos to you for using a safer tanning alternative! We'll take streaks over sun damage any day.

(Recipe source:  neverlandnook.com/honey-lemon-sugar-scrub)


Peppermint Sugar Scrub

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Peppermint is not just for the holidays. Scrubbing down with this recipe will make you feel refreshed and invigorated--not to mention it's delightfully pink.

2 cups white granulated sugar
1/4 cup almond oil or coconut oil
Peppermint essential oil
Raspberry/pomegranate juice or red food coloring

Slowly mix almond or coconut oil into the granulated sugar. If you feel like there doesn't seem to be enough oil, you can add more, but don’t overdo it and let the mixture get too oily. Add a few drops of peppermint oil until it reaches your desired scent. To get the pink color, add a few drops of red food coloring, or for a natural take, you can add drops of raspberry or pomegranate juice. Mix together until color is uniform throughout (don’t worry, it won’t be enough to dye your skin!).

(Recipe & photo source: theidearoom.net/2012/11/peppermint-candy-cane-sugar-scrub)


Vanilla Sugar Scrub

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If you’re sensitive to strongly scented products, this natural, simple sugar scrub is the way to go. The delicate scent of the vanilla extract and almond oil will hardly trigger any sensitive noses or smell-induced migraines.

2 1/2 cups sugar in the raw
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
4-5 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup almond oil

In a bowl, mix together the sugar in the raw and the white granulated sugar. Add in the vanilla extract and almond oil and mix well.

(Recipe & photo source: heygorg.com/2012/04/diy-body-scrub-favor.html)


Create Your Body Scrub
Don’t be afraid to play around with the recipes and create your own signature scrub. Stick to two core ingredients (granulated sugar and olive oil) and add a few drops of your favourite essential oil and you’ve got a scrub as unique as your lovely self.
http://www.chickrx.com/articles/7-diy-body-scrub-recipes

Coconut Oil Is Now Called a “Miracle” Dental Bacteria Killer

Searching for the right substitute for toothpastes which is also loaded with fluoride, sulfates, and other such bacteria killers? If yes, then scientific research has some great news for you: A natural ingredient can do wonders to your oral health. This natural ingredient is the coconut oil, better known as magical oil that is full of “miracle” powers. What makes it unique is that it is not only useful to fight tooth decay, but is known as a killer that crushes the yeast, candida albicans from your mouth. This yeast is said to be dangerous, and can cause deadly infections.

Though natural health professionals have been suggesting coconut oil since decades, there is enough of research that proves this natural tooth remedy well.

Treatment for Candida Albicans

Conducted in the Athlone Institute of Technology, some researchers from Ireland examined the after-effects of digested and natural coconut oil on some common bacteria strains existing in the mouth. They came up with some amazing findings: The coconut oil could effectively reduce the majority of bacteria strains, and was also proven to be a good source to eliminate candida albicans from the mouth. Since this harmful yeast, candida albicans comes into existence because of the intake of excessive sugar and processed foods, it is crucial to get a solid solution to get rid of this yeast. And yes, the coconut oil is proven to be the right solution to this.

A Remedy for the “Candy Disease”

Also known as the Candida overgrowth, this candy disease or the Candida infection can be related with various symptoms such as chronic tiredness, digestive issues, and frequent yeast infections. Though patients suffering from the candy disease may know about its treatment already, they can also look forward to using coconut oil for the same. Keeping this in consideration, researchers have been highlighting the usefulness of coconut oil as the alternative for medicines related to dental treatments.

In the report, scientists have reported that this natural oil can be one of the best alternatives to chemical dental products that include added fluoride and different sulfate chemicals.

What to Consider When Buying the Best Coconut Oil

Now that you know about the potential contribution of using coconut oil as natural cure to various dental diseases, it is essential to ensure that you have purchased the right coconut oil. You have two choices, i.e. to buy high-quality, 100% organic coconut oil online, or from a reputable local store. Though the choice is yours, you need to make sure that you buy the right one.

Here are some useful tips to get the most from the purchase of coconut oil:

1. Check the labeling of the coconut oil brand. Is it USDA certified? If yes, then this indicates that it is a reliable brand.

2. It should be cold-pressed, unrefined, and 100% organic.

Many people are still not aware of the use of coconut oil as a dental treatment. However, there is still a lot to research on this interesting finding.

http://naturalcuresnotmedicine.com/coconut-oil-is-now-called-a-miracle-dental-bacteria-killer/

5 Common Mistakes That Can Ruin The Health Benefits Of Salad

by Jeff Roberts

Salad, the go-to staple for everyone’s healthy food choice and the sure-fired way to get our raw-food intake for the day. But as refreshing and nutritious as a salad can be, sometimes they are merely a clever disguise for a bowl of belly-fat.

Most people looking to maintain a slim figure know to avoid creamy dressings such as ranch or caesar, but what many may not realize is that exactly how you are building your salad could also be directly sabotaging your fitness goals.

In her article, The Five Biggest Salad Mistakes You Are Making, nutrition editor Cynthia Sass reveals that even the simplest thing, such as an insufficient variety of greens, can be keeping your salad from being the nutrition powerhouse that it should be.

When I talk to my clients about how they build salads, I often find that they’re doubling up in some areas, and missing out in others; and those imbalances can either prevent a salad from being slimming, or lead to missing out on key nutrients.

The following is an overview of the common mistakes made when building our own salads.

Too Little Or Too Much Protein

Protein is an essential salad component for several reasons—it boosts satiety (fullness), revs metabolism and provides the raw materials for maintaining or building lean tissue, including both muscle as well as hormones, healthy hair, skin and immune cells. But excess protein, beyond what your body needs, can prevent weight loss or lead to weight gain.

Dr. Mercola elaborates on protein:

The rationale behind limiting your protein is this– when you consume protein in levels higher than recommended, you tend to activate the mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) pathway, which can help you get large muscles but may also increase your risk of cancer. There is research suggesting that the “mTOR gene” is a significant regulator of the aging process, and suppressing this gene may be linked to longer life. Generally speaking, as far as eating for optimal health goes, most people are simply consuming a combination of too much low-quality protein and carbohydrates, and not enough healthy fat.

For people who eat meat, Sass recommends using a half-cup of plant based protein (i.e., beans, lentils) and about 3 oz of lean, organic meat. For vegans and vegetarians, try combining a legume with a whole grain such as rice for a complete amino acid profile.

Insufficient Variety Of Greens

Keeping the variety of veggies in your salad limited may actually be holding you back from reaping the full benefits of a salad. A Colorado State University study found that people who ate a wider array of the same amount of veggies were subject to less oxidation, a leading factor to aging.

Another study which looked at over 450,000 people’s diets found that people who regularly consumed a higher variety of vegetables regardless of quantity showed a decreased risk in lung cancer. This could be due to the presence of varying nutrients and antioxidants in the wider spectrum of vegetables, which would otherwise be less in the diets of people who consume a smaller variety of vegetables.

So instead of just using romaine, try a mixture of mesclun greens, baby kale, spinach, or sprouts.

Not Using The Right Type Of Fat, Or Using Too Much Of It

Like protein, fat is an essential building block for our body. It’s a major structural component for our cell membranes, skin, brain and much more. Furthermore, healthy fats are also known to reduce inflammation, the leading cause of many serious conditions. But most importantly, healthy fats increase the absorption of fat soluble vitamins and antioxidants.

An Iowa State University study found that people who consumed fat-free or low-fat salad dressings showed significantly lower levels of nutrients in the blood stream compared with people who consumed full-fat dressings. Also important to note is that fat-free dressings usually are compensated by adding high-fructose corn syrup or other sweeteners to keep the flavour.

Making your own dressing from organic ingredients is a great way to ensure you are eating healthy fats. Also, try cutting down your olive oil and increase fats from nuts, seeds, or avocado.

No Starches Or Grains In The Mix

Grains or starches in your salad help to increase satiety (fullness), which will keep you from having more carb-cravings later in the day. Furthermore, without starches or grains, the body will immediately burn the protein in the salad without keeping it for proper maintenance and repair of tissues.

Try adding brown rice, quinoa, baked yam, or organic corn to keep you satisfied and fuller longer.

Not Enough Seasoning

A common complaint with healthy salads is that they are boring and flavourless. However, this may be due to the absence of proper seasoning. To increase the flavour of your salad, try seasoning the vegetables with a delicious pesto sauce, roasted garlic, thyme, or other herbs. Try throwing some spices into the dressing such as turmeric, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, himalayan salt or fresh cracked pepper. Lemon and lime can also add the perfect ‘zing.’

Another secret ingredient that I’ve come to love is nutritional yeast, often used as a cheese substitute in plant-based diets. It adds a richness and zestyness similar to cheese, but without the consequences. It’s also a great source of B vitamins and protein. Try adding it to your dressing or simply sprinkling it on your salad as a topper.

http://www.collective-evolution.com/2015/01/03/5-common-mistakes-that-can-ruin-the-health-benefits-of-salad/

10 Aloe Vera Face Packs For Different Skin Types

By RIDDHI JHOLAPARA

Beauty treatments and skin care routine have been associated with women since ages. One such ingredient which is common yet magical for healthy and glowing skin is Aloe Vera.

Aloe Vera is a commonly used ingredient in herbal concoctions, medicines and cosmetics. It dates back to history BC where an Egyptian document reports the use of aloe Vera gel with other agents to cure various skin and other internal disorders.

The secret of Aloe Vera lies in its long, succulent leaves – it is the gel that makes aloe vera a magical plant. It contains beneficial compounds like polysaccharides, lectins and mannans etc. The main constituent is water but it also packs inside a bulk of minerals, vitamins and many active compounds. The beauty of the plant lies in the fact that this ingredient can be used in almost any form – cream or gel based which makes it ideal to be marketed as a product in cosmetic and medical fields.

Benefits of Aloe Vera Face Pack:

• It is an excellent moisturizer for skin. Aloe Vera gel rejuvenates the skin, hydrates it and keeps your skin looking fresh all the times.
• Aloe Vera gel has anti-microbial properties making it ideal to treat acne and pimples.
• It is a great naturally occurring anti-oxidant.
• It is known to retain your skin’s firmness – making it a good anti-aging cream.
• Aloe Vera is known to reduce pain and inflammation – both internally and externally. It is medicinally also used to treat sun burns, insect bites, eczema, cuts and wounds.

Below are some of the best Aloe vera face mask recipes that can be done at home at one comfort.If your making the Aloe vera gel at home and want to use it regularly, then store the extracted gel in a air tight container in the fridge.This way the gel will be in a good condition to use it later.

How to extract Aloe Vera gel at home:

• Choose the leaves of the plant carefully, the leaves in the middle of the plant contains most of the gel as they leaf are juicer, soft and widest there.
• Cut the leaves at an angle from the base of the plant.
• Now, stand the leaves upright for 15 minutes to allow the sap to drain out. The sap is a yellow colored fluid which will ooze out the moment you cut the leaf. Allow it to drain out completely.
• Later on wash the leaves to remove the remaining sap from the leaves.
• Lay the leaves flat on cutting board and carefully cut the sides of the leaves which will contain thorns from both the sides of the leaves. Once that is done, you need to peel off the green layer of the leaf and dice the transparent gel into cubes.
• Alternatively, you can also slice the leaves into two halves lengthwise from top of bottom and scrape off the transparent gel with the help of the spoon.

How To Make Aloe Vera Face Pack At Home:

1. Aloe Vera Face Pack for Glowing skin:

Ingredients: Aloe vera,Turmeric, Honey, Milk, Rose water.

Method:

• Make a paste with a pinch of turmeric,1 teaspoon of Honey, 1 teaspoon of milk and few drops of rose water.
• Add the aloe vera gel to the paste and mix it well.If you have cut the gel into cubes, you will need to blend the whole mixture to form the paste.
• Apply the paste on to the face and neck evenly for about 20 minutes.
• Then wash if off with Luke warm or cold water and pat dry with a clean towel to get glowing skin.

2. Aloe Vera Face Mask for Tan removal:

Ingredients: Aloe vera, Lemon Juice.

Skin tanning is a common problem in India and it is also very difficult to get rid of the tan easily.Try this simple and effective pack for tan removal.

Method:

• Apply a paste of aloe vera gel and lemon juice on the affected area.Leave it on for 10 mins and wash it off.
• Alternatively, you can also make a mixture of the same and apply the mix with help of a cotton ball on the affected areas to treat them.

3. Aloe Vera Face Pack to treat Pigmentation marks:

Ingredients: Aloe vera, Rose water.

Method:

Age spots, pimple marks, pigmentation marks, burn or injury marks can be treated using aloe vera gel.

• Just make a paste of aloe vera extract and rose water and apply it on face for 20 minutes. Rinse off using cold water.
• This pack acts as a fairness pack also. The paste must be massaged for 2-3 mins onto the face before rinsing it off to cleanse the pores of the face.

4. Aloe Vera Detox – Pack:

Ingredients: Aloe vera, Mango fruit, Lime juice.

Method:

• Blend the aloe gel extract along with cut pieces of mango fruit.
• Add lime juice to the paste and apply it on your face for 20 mins before rinsing it with cold water.

This pack will detoxify your skin and freshens it.

5. Aloe Vera Face Mask for oily skin and Acne Prone Skin:

Ingredients: Aloe vera leaf, Honey.

Method:

• Boil aloe vera leaf in water and grind it to form a paste.
• Add honey to the paste and apply it on the face or o for 20 minutes and rinse off with cold water.

Follow this every week to treat oily,acne prone skin and get a  clear skin.

6. Aloe Vera Face Mask for Sensitive skin:honey

Ingredients: Aloe vera, Cucumber juice, Yogurt, Rose oil.

Method:

• Make a smooth paste of aloe vera gel, cucumber juice and yogurt. Add few drops of rose or any other essential oil.
• Apply and let it sit for 15 minutes before rinsing it with cold water.

This paste will get rid of oil, dirt and impurities from your skin leaving you feeling clean and refreshed.

7. Aloe Vera Face Pack for Dry Skin:

Ingredients: Aloe vera, Cottage cheese, Dates, Cucumber, Lemon juice.

Method:

• Blend two tablespoon each of cottage cheese Aloe Vera gel. Add few seedless dates, cucumber slices and a bit of lemon juice and blend again.
• You can make this paste in bulk and store it in the fridge for a long time also.
• Apply the paste on your face and neck and let it sit for 30 minutes. Rinse off with cold water followed by lukewarm water and lastly again with cold water.

8. Aloe Vera Face Scrub for Dead skin:

Ingredients: Aloe vera, Cucumber, Oatmeal.

Method:

• Blend cucumber dices and aloe vera gel to form a paste. Add oatmeal to this mixture and mix properly.
• Spread the paste gently on your face and massage in circular motion.
• Let it sit for 10 minutes or so before rinsing it off.

9. Aloe Vera Face Pack for Mature and Dry skin:

Ingredients: Aloe vera, Almonds.

Method:

• Add crushed almonds to the aloe vera gel and mix properly to form a paste.
• Apply on face and neck and let it sit for 15 minutes before you wash it off.

10. Aloe Vera Face Pack for Dry and Combination skin:

Ingredients: Aloe vera, olive oil, Shea butter.

Method:

• Mash aloe vera gel, olive oil and shea butter to form a paste and apply on face and neck.
• Leave it on for 15 minutes before rinsing it with cold water. This will seal in the moisture into your skin and leave it fresh and clean.

Try these 10 effective and easy aloe vera face packs regularly for a flawless glowing skin.

Also check out this video on how to make simple aloe vera face masks at home:

http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/glowing-skin-secrets-homemade-face-packs-with-aloe-vera/?ref=hotpickssidebar

The Worst Nutrition Advice in History? Here's the Top 5 Contenders

Kris Gunnars

Nutrition history is riddled with nonsense.

People have been advised to do all sorts of strange things that challenge common sense.

Some of these things are not only useless, but potentially harmful.

The worst part… a lot of this misguided advice is still being pushed.

Here are the top 5 contenders for the worst diet advice in history.

1. Throw Away The Egg Yolks, The Most Nutritious Part of The Egg

Eggs are among the most nutritious foods on the planet.

Just think about it… the nutrients in a whole egg contain all the building blocks needed to turn a single fertilized cell into an entire baby chicken.

There’s only one problem… the yolks also happen to be high in cholesterol.

Because egg yolks are high in cholesterol, people believed that they would raise cholesterol in the blood. For this reason, mainstream nutrition professionals often recommend that we limit our egg consumption to 2-6 whole eggs per week.

However, most of them say we can eat more eggs than that… as long as we make sure to throw away the yolks.

This is pretty much the worst thing you could do, because the yolks contain almost all the nutrients. The whites are mostly just protein.

Many studies have looked at whole egg consumption and blood cholesterol… in 70% of people, eggs have no effect on cholesterol levels (1).

In the other 30% (termed hyper-responders), egg yolks raise HDL (the good) cholesterol and turn the LDL particles into the large, fluffy kind… which is not harmful (2, 3, 4).

In fact, many studies, some of which included hundreds of thousands of people, have looked at whole egg consumption and the risk of heart disease in healthy people and found no association between the two (5, 6, 7).

Additionally, let’s not forget that eggs have many amazing benefits.

• They’re loaded with high quality protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants… almost every nutrient your body needs (8).
• They’re very high in choline, a brain nutrient that 90% of people don’t get enough of (9).
• They contain Lutein and Zeaxanthin, powerful antioxidants that are highly protective for the eyes, lowering the risk of various eye diseases (10, 11, 12).

Eggs are also among the most weight loss friendly foods you can eat. Replacing a grain-based breakfast with eggs can increase fullness and make you eat less, helping you lose weight (13, 14).

To top it all off, eggs are cheap, easily prepared and taste amazing.

Really… whole eggs are pretty much nature’s perfect food. Throwing away the yolk is the absolute worst thing you could do.

Bottom Line: Egg yolks are among the most nutritious foods on the planet. The cholesterol in them doesn’t raise the bad cholesterol in the blood, or increase the risk of heart disease.

2. Everyone Should Eat a Low-Fat, High-Carb Diet… Even Diabetics

The universal advice to eat a low-fat diet was never based on good science.

It was originally based on a few poorly conducted observational studies, animal experiments and misguided political decisions.

Even though there was no evidence that saturated fat caused heart disease at the time (and still isn’t), some scientists were convinced that it was harmful and that a low-fat diet would prevent heart disease.

This has been the official position of the governments and mainstream health organizations around the world for decades. At the same time, rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes have skyrocketed.

Since then… many massive studies have been conducted on the low-fat diet.

The biggest and most expensive diet study in history, The Women’s Health Initiative, randomized 48,835 women into groups… one ate a low-fat diet, the other group continued eating the standard Western diet.

After 7.5-8 years, there was only a 0.4 kg (1 pound!) difference in weight and there was no reduction in heart disease or cancer (15, 16, 17, 18).

Many other studies have led to the same conclusion… the diet that is still being recommended by the mainstream simply does not work (19, 20).

The truth is, the low-fat diet is a miserable failure. Almost every time it is pitted against another type of diet in a study, it loses (21, 22).

Even diabetics have been advised to follow this type of diet… the “carb up and shoot up” strategy that benefits no one but the drug companies.

It is a simple biochemical fact that carbs raise blood sugar. This keeps the diabetic patients dependant on blood sugar lowering drugs (23).

Although low-fat diets may be okay for healthy people, they are a complete disaster for people with obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

In fact, several studies show that low-fat diets can adversely affect some of the key risk factors for metabolic syndrome and heart disease. They can raise triglycerides, lower HDL and increase small, dense LDL particles (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29).

It is time for the mainstream to retire the ridiculous low-fat fad and apologize for all the terrible damage it has done over the decades.

Bottom Line: The low-fat diet is a miserable failure. It has failed in every major study, yet is still being recommended by governments and nutrition organizations all over the world.

3. A Calorie is a Calorie… Food Quality is Less Important

The excessive focus on calories is one of the biggest mistakes in the history of nutrition.

It is the myth that it is the caloric value of foods that matters most, not the foods that the calories are coming from.

The truth is… calories are important, but that doesn’t mean we need to count them or even be consciously aware of them. Humans were the healthiest and leanest way before they knew that calories existed.

It’s important to realize that different foods have different effects on the hormones and brain centers that control what, when and how much we eat… as well as the number of calories we burn (30, 31).

Here are two examples of why a calorie is NOT a calorie:

• Protein: Eating a high protein diet can boost metabolism by 80-100 calories per day and significantly reduce appetite and cravings. Protein calories have a different effect than carb or fat calories (32, 33, 34).
• Satiety: Many studies show that different foods have varying effects on feelings of fullness. You need much fewer calories to feel full from eggs or boiled potatoes, compared to donuts or ice cream (35).

There are many more examples of foods and macronutrients having vastly different effects on hunger and hormones.

The myth that calories are all that matters for weight (and health) is completely wrong.

Bottom Line: The idea that calories are more important than food quality is a huge mistake. Different foods directly affect the hormones and brain centers that control our eating habits.

4. Use Polyunsaturated Vegetable Oils For Cooking

We are commonly advised to consume seed- and vegetable oils that are high in polyunsaturated fats.

These oils, including soybean, corn, canola and cottonseed oils, have been shown in some studies to lower cholesterol levels.

However… if something lowers cholesterol, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it will prevent heart disease itself.

Cholesterol is a risk factor, but it’s the hard end points (like heart attacks and death) that really matter.

There are actually a number of studies showing that despite lowering cholesterol, these oils can increase the risk of heart disease (36, 37).

Additionally, these oils are harmful for a number of other reasons.

They’re loaded with polyunsaturated fats… but most of them are Omega-6s.

Humans need to eat Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids in a certain balance, which is currently way off because people are eating so much of these oils (38).

Eating a diet high Omega-6s and low in Omega-3s can contribute to inflammation in the body, but inflammation is one of the key drivers of almost every chronic, Western disease (39, 40).

These fatty acids also get incorporated into cell membranes, but polyunsaturated fats can react with oxygen and start free radical chain reactions in the cell membranes, which can damage important molecules like proteins or DNA (41, 42).

Additionally… what most people don’t realize is that due to the way these oils are processed (which involves high heat and the toxic solvent hexane), they are loaded with trans fats.

In fact, a study on canola and soybean oils sold in the U.S. found that 0.56 to 4.2% of the fatty acids in them were trans fats (43)!

Many so-called “experts” are actually telling people to cook with these oils… which is a terrible idea because polyunsaturated fats are sensitive to heat and damage very easily (44).

Bottom Line: People have been advised to consume oils that are loaded with Omega-6 fatty acids and trans fats. These oils are very harmful, yet still being recommended by many mainstream nutrition professionals.

5. Replace Natural Butter With Processed, Trans Fat Laden Margarine

Mainstream nutrition has gotten many things wrong.

However… the horrible advice to replace natural butter with processed margarine may be the worst.

Seriously… just look at the ingredients list for margarine.

This stuff isn’t food, it’s a combination of chemicals that looks and tastes like food.

Margarine, not surprisingly, increases heart disease risk compared to butter (45).

The same can be said about vegetable oils… multiple studies show that they contribute to heart disease and kill people (46, 47).

The studies say that these processed fats and oils increase heart disease risk, so it makes sense that we should avoid them if we don’t want to get heart disease.

It’s a no-brainer, right?

Well, apparently not… the mainstream nutrition organizations are still telling us to eat them, even though these studies have been out for many years.

They just don’t get it. When we replace traditional foods like butter and meat with processed pseudo-foods, we become fat and sick.

How many doctors, nutritionists, PhDs and decades of work does it take to figure that out?

http://eatlocalgrown.com/article/12863-the-worst-nutrition-advice-in-history-here-s-top-5-contenders.html?c=cure