The Good, the Bad and the Ugly:

Over the past 40 years, the “public enemy number one” of food has been fat. We spend billions of dollars per year on low-fat foods, fake-fat chips, pills that block the absorption of fat into the digestive system, and all types of specials diets and cookbooks. And in the past 30 years, we have reduced the amount of fat in our diet by 34%, on average. The problem is, we aren’t any thinner or healthier for all this effort. One of the reasons for this is that some fats are actually good for you, but we are not including them in our diet.

Let’s take a look at which fats need to remain minimal in your diet and which should be consumed more frequently. There are four main categories of fatty acids: saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and trans fatty acids. Fats play an important role with regard to nutrition, and perform critical functions in the body, including insulation, cell structure, nerve transmission, vitamin absorption and hormone production.

Saturated Fats  These are the fats that harden at room temperature. Approximately 2 dozen saturated fats exist in nature. They are found in large proportions in meat and animal fat, dairy products and palm and coconut oil. These are the fats that affect your cholesterol and lead to atherosclerosis – the process of clogging of the arteries. Butter and dairy products are the worse of the bunch, followed by animal fats, and then by chocolate and cocoa butter.

Trans Fats  These fats were created by man by solidifying a polyunsaturated fat through heating and hydrogen. They help manufacturers increase the shelf life of foods. Trans fats are found in margarine and Crisco, and in the hydrogenated vegetable oil found in food products. BEWARE! These fats are hazardous to your health and even if a product claims to be free of trans fats, it may still contain some. Check the ingredients for hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. If you find that word, then it contains trans fats, no matter what the label says.

Monounsaturated Fats  These fats are liquid at room temperature and are essential in your diet. Olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, as well at avocados and nuts are excellent sources of this fat.

Polyunsaturated Fats  These fats are also liquid at room temperature and come in two varieties: N-6 and N-3. Also important in your diet, these fats are obtained from plant oils such as corn and soybean, or seeds, whole grains, and fatty fish such as salmon and tuna. The balance between the N-6 and N-3 is very important. N-6 is more common, so look for omega-3 in order to keep things balanced.

The benefits of consuming both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats include lowering your LDL (bad cholesterol) and raising your HDL (good cholesterol). They also prevent an increase in triglycerides that can occur in a high carbohydrate diet, reduce the development of irregular heart beats, and reduce the incidents of blood clots. Trans fats, found almost everywhere, need to be avoided at almost all costs. They have been found to be very aggressive in starting or sustaining the process that leads to clogged arteries. Saturated fats need to be limited to no more than 10%-12% of your dietary intake.

So get to know your fats and learn to make healthy choices. It’s definitely a great way to “…add hours to your day, days to your year and years to your life.”

Alan Freishtat is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a LIFESTYLE FITNESS COACH with over 14 years of professional experience. He is the co-director of the Jerusalem-based weight loss and stress reduction center Lose It! along with Linda Holtz M.Sc. and is available for private consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs. Alan also lectures and gives seminars and workshops. He can be reached at 02-651-8502 or 050-555-7175, or by email at [email protected] 

Check out the Lose It! website at www.loseit.co.il

(Alan Freishtat – YWN)