Fat

Simply put, fat is the way our bodies store excess energy.

Your body loves fat -- it is biologically built that way. Our bodies are hard wired to store excess energy for times when food is scare. The problems is obvious -- food is never scarce in the average American diet. Fortunately, with exercise and good nutrition your body will send signals to release that stored fat and reshape your body.

Everyone has fat cells -- it just how empty or full those fat cells are! Think of fat cells like a balloon. Eat too much and don't get enough exercise and the fat cells will inflate. Exercise and good nutrition will cause the fat cells to deflate.

Fat cells are like balloons except they are full of fat instead of air. You cannot get rid of fat cells, but you can "deflate" them.

The fat found in food is called dietary fat. Consuming dietary fat does not necessarily make you fat! Some fat in your diet is actually good for you. That's just one more thing they got wrong in the 80's -- no fat diets!

There are three types of dietary fat: saturated, polyunsaturated, and mono saturated.

Bad Fats -- Saturated & Trans Fat

Saturated fats: These are nutritional bad guys and should be eaten sparingly. They usually exist in solid form at room temperature, and they're derived primarily from animal sources. Saturated fats are often hidden in baked and fried goods, chocolate candies, and other junk foods. Diets high in saturated fats contribute to obesity, high cholesterol, and heart disease.

   Foods high in saturated fat include:

• red meat (especially hamburgers)
• french fries
• snack foods
• whole milk
• butter
• most ice creams (eat sorbets or yogurt based ice creams instead!)
• cream
• sour cream
• whole-milk cheeses
• lard
• palm and palm kernel oil
• coconut oil (often used to make popcorn at movie theatres!)
• cocoa butter

Notice that french fries and hamburgers are both on the list. This is unfortunate as these foods are staples of the American diet. See, Why is America Fat?

Trans Fat (worse than saturated fat!)
After saturated fat was declared "bad," food manufacturers tried to find a way to make products without having to print "saturated fat." They failed terribly, and created a new monster called "trans" fat. Trans fats are even more artery clogging than saturated fat!

Foods rich in trans fat include:

• donuts (BAD BAD BAD)
• margarine
• cookies
• crackers
• cakes
• french fries (most restaurants will freely substitute a salad or some other healthier side-item.)

Good Fats -- Polyunsaturated and Unsaturated Fat

Polyunsaturated fats: These are the dietary good guys. They usually exist in a liquid state at room temperature. These friendly fats are also found in cold-water fish, including tuna, halibut, sardines, and salmon. Polyunsaturated oils contain health promoting essential fatty acids (EFAs). EFAs have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, skin disorders, arthritis, and certain types of cancer.

Monounsaturated fats: These are also friendly fats, and are found in olive oil, peanuts, avocados, canola oil, and some varieties of nuts. Monounsaturated fats have been shown to lower cholesterol levels. Olive oil has also been shown to help grow and repair muscles. I personally use olive oil for cooking oil and as a salad dressing.