For many of us it is not yet quite clear why we should prefer free range or organic products instead of conventional ones. The truth is that you can find reliable and responsible information over this subject in relatively few places. The thing with free range animals is that they live a natural life. They eat what they would eat if they were on their own out in the wild. Since they are not confined in a minimal space but have a whole field to move around and live, these animals are not obese but are lean and have healthy levels of fats stored in their tissues.

Also, CLA is a type of fat which recent research has proved to turn on fat burning genes, greatly assisting to weight loss regimes. CLA is also found in unprocessed raw milk, which is milk which has not been homogenized or pasteurized. Pasteurization and homogenization are the procedures used to supposedly make milk safe for mass consumption. These very same procedures destroy most of its magnificent nutrients and vitamins, transforming it to an unhealthy product. It is important to understand that grass fed animals are raised in natural conditions, as opposed to factory raised ones. The introduction of mass production and the advent of these huge unhealthy farms, where animals are restricted to a cage, being fed grains, hormones, antibiotics and meat products, imposed the introduction of procedures such as pasteurization so that the products from these dirty and unhealthy farms are safe for the public. The fact that in this way the nutritional value of the produce is minimized is certainly of lower importance in comparison to the profits being made. Obviously this is not the case when the animals are allowed to eat grass in the fields and are raised in proper farms. It is necessary to distinguish between what is best for our health versus to what is better for big companies. In grass fed animals, the quantity and quality of fats along with the rest of the nutrients which co-exist make up a nutritious and healthy combo. Obviously, wild game is an excellent option when available and affordable. These animals have been 100% naturally raised, fed and lived, so you can only get high quality protein along with small percentages of healthy fat.

The same goes for fish of course. Wild fish are a lot healthier than farm raised ones. The former exhibit a balanced ratio of omega 3 / omega 6 fats, which is beneficial to human metabolism, in contrast to the latter, which have a greater amount of omega 6 fats. Eating the right fats helps your metabolism and health. Consuming healthy fats will help you lose weight and lower the GI of your meal (see next section).Omega 3 fats interact directly with the DNA, turn on the fat burning genes and turn off genes responsible for inflammation and disease. Fats are also necessary for proper brain function and hormonal balance. Eliminating them from your diet can have detrimental effects and compromise your efforts for weight loss, proper cognitive function and athletic performance. They are absolutely necessary in order for humans to maintain a balanced healthy body, mind and spirit. The only point to be careful with fats is that they are very calorie dense, they carry double the calories per gram, in comparison to protein and carbs (9 cal per gram for fats versus 4 cal per gram for protein and carbs). That means that, yes, we must eat the right fats, but in small quantities. Only 20-40% of your total caloric intake per day should come from fats.