Siwicki Fitness Merchandise has arrived, team! The Siwicki Fitness team is truly a family and community, and we are so thankful to our members. We have created tons of workout apparel and equipment, from quality t-shirts, hats, jackets, tanks - and a favorite, face masks, all which show the pride of the Siwicki Fitness community. Click here to visit the site.

Be sure to send pictures to Jacob repping your new gear!

Healthy Oils vs. Toxic Oils

Siwicki Fit Fam, this is a topic I am extremely passionate about. I was diagnosed as a Type 1 Diabetic at age 5. I am so grateful to have had parents that paid close attention to everything in my diet in order to help control my diabetes and keep me as healthy as possible. You would be shocked to see how often seed and vegetable oils are used in packaged products. I challenge you next time you purchase a packaged food item to check out the ingredients label to see if it contains one of the oils listed below; there is a pretty good chance one of those oils are in there. What you may not know is how they impact your health, attack your body and negatively impact your blood sugar levels. Amanda from Amanda Lauren Wellness created a list below of oils to avoid and suggests oils that are good for you. Remember, your body does everything all day long it possibly can to take care of you - let’s do our best to take care of it.

Why should you avoid these oils?

The polyunsaturated fat issue

Vegetable oils are bad because they contain very high levels of polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs). But did you know that the fat content of the human body is about 97% saturated and monounsaturated fat? Our body needs fat for rebuilding cells and hormone production. And it can only use what we give it.

Polyunsaturated fats are highly unstable. These types of fats oxidize easily. These oxidized fats cause inflammation and mutation in cells. That oxidation is linked to all sorts of issues from cancer, heart disease, endometriosis, PCOS, etc. PUFAs are bad news.

Omega 6 issue

There’s a lot of hype about Omega-3’s and how healthy they are. But what often gets neglected is the fact that it’s more about the ratio of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats that are critical to good health.

Vegetable oils contain a very high concentration of Omega 6 fatty acids. These fatty acids oxidize easily. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce inflammation and protect against cancer. Unbalanced levels of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats have been linked to many types of cancers and a host of other problems. And, as you’ve probably guessed, most Americans are high in Omega-6 fatty acids and low in Omega-3’s. But people keep buying into labels on vegetable oils that say “a good source of Omega-3s” without realizing that they are really just making the imbalance even worse.

So be wary of deceptive marketing like this, just because something is high in Omega-3s does not mean it doesn’t also contain harmful ingredients. Having a “big picture” of the ingredients in the foods you are eating is crucial for a healthy diet.

All the other bad “stuff”

Beyond the unnatural levels of polyunsaturated fats and Omega-6 fatty acids, there are all the additives, pesticides, and chemicals involved in processing. Many vegetable oils contain BHA and BHT (Butylated Hydroxyanisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene). These artificial antioxidants keep the food from spoiling too quickly, but they have also been shown to produce potential cancer compounds in the body. And they have been linked to things like immune system issues, infertility, behavioral problems, and liver and kidney damage.

What is your favorite recipe that includes olive oil, coconut oil or avocado oil? List it below!