People spend a substantial amount of time researching things like cars, houses and schools before deciding on one. Yet eating is something we do multiple times a day, and often we don’t know exactly what we’re eating or educate ourselves before we decide what to eat.

The fatty American diet has been the criticized culprit of numerous health epidemics like obesity, heart disease, diabetes and high cholesterol. Over the past two decades, we’ve inadvertently established a ‘low fat’ and ‘fat free’ revolution in response, yet over one-third of U.S. adults are overweight.  And obesity prevalence has doubled between 1980 and 2004 [Check out "The Fueling Plan by  Tim Michaels" at the new.totalvid.com for strategic info and planning on how foods affect metabolism and weightloss].

The Federal and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reports, “The role of dietary fats and oils in human nutrition is one of the most important areas of concern and investigation in the field of nutritional science.”

Coupled with the myriad of diet crazes and mounting pressure to eat right in order to stay thin, not knowing what you’re eating or where it comes from can lead to serious health ailments and an unflattering figure.

We are fat illiterate. The truth is, it’s not that all fats are dangerous; it’s the type of fat that‘s important along with how much of it you consume. Fat is one of three nutrients (along with protein and carbohydrates) that supplies the body with energy and is essential for proper functioning. In fact, when the body uses up the calories it has from carbohydrates, it begins to depend on calories from fat. We need to eat fat because the body cannot produce some fats, and they are crucial for controlling things like inflammation, blood clotting, brain development and the functioning of multiple organ systems.

Harvard’s School of Public Health Nutrition Source says, “What really matters is the type of fat in the diet. Bad fats, meaning trans and saturated fats, increase the
risk for certain diseases. Good fats, meaning monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, do just the opposite. They are good for the heart and most other parts of the body.”

Furthermore, “Fat provides a terrific source of energy as well as a great depot for storing it. It is an important part of cell membranes, helping govern what gets into cells and what comes out.”

Here’s what you need to remember. All fats are a mixture of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids and are called by the name of the fat there is most of. The key really is understanding which ones are threatening, which ones are healthy and where you find them.

Saturated and trans fats are one of the most prominent dietary threats. Both of these fats are the main cause of high bad cholesterol (LDL) and can clog arteries. Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature and are found in animal products like red and fatty meats and dairy products like whole milk, ice cream, cream and cheese. Exotic vegetable oils like palm, coconut and kernel oil are also made up of saturated fats.

Trans fats majorly increasing the risk of coronary heart disease. Trans fats are created when liquid vegetable oil is heated in the presence of hydrogen gas to harden and make the oil more stable. Primary sources of trans fats include vegetable shortenings, margarine, butter, chips, donuts, baked goods, pre-packaged manufactured foods, fried foods, and foods cooked at most fast food chains.

Most foods that contain these bad fats are addicting and a normal part of the American diet. Mitzi Dulan, RD, CSSD, nationally recognized nutrition and wellness expert, co-author of The All-Pro Diet: Lose Fat, Build Muscle, and Live Like a Champion and founder of nutritionexpert.com talks about the overeating addiction to additives in today’s foods in her blog.

She says, “Food today has three major additives that have been added to our food in major quantities compared with days of past: sugar, fat, and salt. These three components make manufactured food addicting, as proved by recent studies. […] Simply put, sugar, salt, and fat are rewarding. […] Continued exposure to overwhelming rewards from foods leads to conditioned overeating, a term used by Dr. Kessler. ‘Chronic exposure to highly palatable foods changes our brains, conditioning us to seek continued stimulation. Over time, a powerful drive for a combination of sugar, fat, and salt competes with our conscious capacity to say no’.”

We seem to have singled out trans fats as the most dangerous fat of all, the rage over zero trans fats pitting one evil above the other, confusing the main message. In an article for the Nutrition Action Healthletter, Meir Stampfer of the Harvard School of Public Health asserts, “the evidence against both fats is so strong that it’s foolish to play one against the other.”

In the same article, Dr. Alice Lichtenstein of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Jean Mayor Human Nutrition Research Center emphasizes, “The message needs to be loud, it needs to be clear, and it needs to be unequivocal: Limit your intake of both saturated and trans fats.”

Here’s the good. There are two types of unsaturated fats: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These fats help lower bad cholesterol if eaten in place of saturated fats. Monounsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and primarily come from plant oils like canola, olive, and peanut oil. Other good sources include avocados; nuts, like almonds and pecans; and seeds like pumpkin and sesame seeds. Diets high in monounsaturated fats reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Dulan writes for her blog, “Nuts are made up of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats (the best kind for you!) which have been proven to aid in weight loss and fight fat in your midsection! The combination of healthy fat and protein found in nuts can help keep you satisfied and your hunger at bay, while also providing fiber, magnesium, copper and other key minerals. The most nutritious tree nut is an almond.”

Polyunsaturated fats are liquid at room and cold temperatures. Primary sources of polyunsaturated fats include sunflower, corn, soybean, flaxseed oils and foods like walnuts, corn, safflower and fish. In fact, fish brings us to the super healthy fat type, the omega group.

If you’re still confused over different kind of fats, remember this: polyunsaturated fish oils always have a beneficial impact. Omegas are essential fatty acids because your body cannot produce them. Omega-3s have shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and prevent arrhythmias. Leading theory says this kind of fish fat stabilizes heart cells, regulating heartbeat. Omega-3s also prevent blood clotting in arteries, may be effective in preventing and treating liver cancer, reduce the symptoms of depression and may lower the likelihood of memory loss and dementia.

The Nutrition Source also states, “They are an integral part of cell membranes throughout the body and affect the function of the cell receptors in these membranes. They provide the starting point for making hormones that regulate blood clotting, contraction and relaxation of artery walls, and inflammation. They also bind to receptors in cells that regulate genetic function. Likely due to these effects, omega-3 fats have been shown to help prevent heart disease and stroke, may help control lupus, eczema, and rheumatoid arthritis, and may play protective roles in cancer and other conditions.”

There are three main types of omega-3 fatty acids. Coined marine omega-3s, Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) come mainly from fish. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is the most common omega-3 in Western diets and is generally used as energy. It is found in flax seed, leafy vegetables and some animal fat.
The best sources of omega fats are in fatty fish like salmon, herring, anchovies, mackerel, trout and tuna and in things like flax seed, flax seed oil, canola oil, walnuts, shrimp, safflower, corn and tofu.

The bottom line is fats are necessary, even healthy, but you must know what fats to go for and what fats to forego. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are healthy and should be eaten instead of unhealthy saturated fats. These vital fats have been shown to reduce the risk of and prevent a multitude of health conditions. Saturated and trans fats are threatening fats found in fried foods, pre-packaged baked goods, fast food, and foods made with solid oils. For information on tailoring your diet, read “Keeping Fats in Check: Knowing What Goes in Your Body” [http://blog.totalvid.com/?p=76].

Sources:

Helpguide.org:

• http://helpguide.org/life/healthy_diet_fats.htm

Nutrition Action Healthletter:

• http://www.cspinet.org/nah/07_02/fats.pdf

Healthline.com:

• http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/fat

Global Health and Fitness:

• http://www.globalhealthandfitness.com/fat.htm

The Federal and Agriculture Organization:

• http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/T4660T/t4660t02.htm

Nutrition Source: Harvard School of Public Health online:

• http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fats-full-story/index.html

• http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/questions/fats-questions/

Nutritionexpert.com:

• http://nutritionexpert.com/blog/2010/04/diet-quiz-part-2/

• http://nutritionexpert.com/blog/2010/02/the-end-of-overeating/