Fat! What's That?

         Fat. Who just cringed? Relax. Fats are not our enemy! We look at those extra pounds and say, I need to lose the fat, so immediately we assume that means we need to cut fat out of our diet. This simply isn't true. As with most aspects of our diet, fats just need to monitored and regulated. Fats actually describes a wide group of compounds which differ from each other structurally in ways that in turn alter their functionality. The important thing to remember is that fat is essential for a healthy body.
  We all need fats. When we have a balanced and nutritious diet we include a healthy allowance of fats because we need them to help our bodies absorb nutrients and vitamins. Fat also helps nerve transmission as well as maintain the structural integrity of our cells. Stored fat can provide insulation for our bodies in extreme weather. The goal is to ensure that you are providing your body with the food that offers good fats and little or no bad fats.
      When you examine the nutritional label on your food you will find that not only does it offer a total for fat, it also has a breakdown of saturated fats and trans fats. The first clue that  these two are fundamentally different is the fact that they separate the two. A simple rule to follow,both fats should only consist of 30% of your diet.        Saturated fats can threaten your health in large doses because of the affect it has on your cholesterol. There are two types of cholesterol, Low Density(bad) and High Density(good). A diet high in saturated fats coincides with high levels of Low Density Cholesterol causing a buildup within arteries. The buildup causes strain on your body and is responsible for heart attacks and strokes, as well  poor circulation in your brain. Foods that are popular for high sat fat levels include meats, egg yolks, dairy products, and lard (cooking grease). Do not think it necessary to exclude saturated fats from your diet, moderate amounts do not pose a threat to your LD Cholesterol levels, and those food items have other nutrients which benefit your body. Saturated fats do offer more energy than unsaturated fats, so it may actually be beneficial for those who have a rigorous exercise routine.
 Trans fats are actually a "clever" invention of scientists who wanted to find a more durable fat that would increase the shelf life of produced foods. These trans fats are often the culprit of heart disease, and in exceedingly high numbers as the use of trans fats has become significant! Deep fried food is often cooked in grease, and fried food is one of the most commonly consumed foods in today's society as many families turn to the convenience, both in time and money, of fast food chains. Trans fats are also found in other solid oils, such as vegetable shortening and margarine. It is very important that every individual take the responsibility to limit their intake of such products and replace them with superior fats whenever possible. I suggest reading ingredient labels and choosing items that contain flax seed oil, olive oil, and safflower oil.
    Thankfully we have recently seen a change in many of the practices used in popular restaurants chains as Burger King, McDonald's, and WalMart Delis have all made strides to switch their fryers to trans-free oils. We can hope to see more businesses switching their practices as first lady Michelle Obama continues to apply pressure to the food industry to improve their nutritional content, and at the very least clearly mark their products as unhealthy so that the consumer isn't being manipulated by advertisements that falsely lead many to believe what they are consuming is healthier than it truly is. That is a subject I promise to touch on more later when I start my series "The Price We Pay" which addresses obesity and malnutrition in America.

                  Unsaturated fats are considered to be the Good Eats of fats. We can divide this category further into monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. In their purest form these fats are easy to identify by their liquid state. Basically, if you are going to use a fat to fry, you would use oils as opposed to lard. Olive oil is an example of a good fat, although it should still be monitored. For this reason, I recommend switching to oil for stove top cooking instead of butter, and finding a mayonnaise that is made with olive oil. Nuts, fruits, and vegetables offer healthy,natural fats which means peanut oil,canola, safflower, sesame, and other plant oils are great replacements to lard, and also great snack options as they also include other Good Calories, like protein and fiber. Fish is also a great food choice as it is high in unsaturated fats and Omega 3, and is considered to be brain food, now that's food for thought.