The Good Fat, Bad Fat Debate

Yes, the battle is raging, and it almost seems like every day a new food enemy rises to the forefront. From bacteria on our veggies to arsenic seeping into the soil of our rice. Trans fats, carbs, red meat... it gets a little confusing as to what exactly is healthy food. With all of the diet hype, and the crazy news stories, it gets pretty overwhelming as to what is real fact. Still, the bad fat good fat debate is one of the hottest debates and fueled by real facts.

First, the good news. Some of the best fats we can eat are olives, olive oil, fats from nuts and seeds, fats from fish, and fats from dark green leafy veggies. These fats are often referred to as Omega-3's and they are great for your body. Eating beneficial fats has great long term healthy effects.

Saturated fats are also beneficial in the form of stearic acid which is used to repair cell membranes. This fat is found in beef and (drum roll please...) dark chocolate. We can also find saturated fats in farm butter and eggs. If we choose natural, grass fed, and organic varieties of these they are good for lowering triglycerides (LDL), boosting good cholesterol (HDL) and aiding in calcium absorption. Definitely some good fat, and great alternatives for not using the "bad" stuff. Yeah!

And in the other corner... we have the trans fat family. These nefarious fats are the result of hydrogenated oils (where hydrogen is forced into oil to keep it from spoiling on the shelf). These fats include both partially hydrogenated and hydrogenated oils. Consumption of these fats in crease the risks of obesity, clogged arteries, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, cancer, immune system dysfunction, and birth defects. Trans fats also increase bad cholesterol (LDL) and decrease good cholesterol (HDL). Does that make you sit up and take notice? Really, eating trans fats is like ingesting a time bomb. Are you wondering how to defeat this heavy weight? Easy... cut out all commercially processed foods. From McDonald's to the grocery store... things like fast food, cookies, crackers, chips, cakes, pies, shortening, breads, and even margarine. Do this, and you will remove 75% of the average daily American intake of trans fats.

Just a side note - homemade baked goods are different! They are typically without hydrogenated oils. If you use real butter, and other healthy ingredients baked good are a healthy treat in moderation.

Jamie Gaddy, Ed.D. has been an educator for over 15 years educating both children and teachers. As an educational consultant and author she enjoys encouraging busy moms to live healthy. If you are interested in fitness for busy families visit her website at http://www.momfitnow.com/.

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