Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Good Fats and Bad Fats

We hear a lot about bad fats, but little about good fats.  We hear about low fat diets, cholesterol and heart disease, and trans fats.  But did you know that low fat diets are not healthy and can lead to health problems.  And did you know that trans fats can lead to degeneration of mental function?


"What are good fats?" you might ask.  Good fats are the ones that your body needs to produce essential hormones, lubricate joints, and keep the nerves healthy.  In fact, since the introduction of low-fat diets the incidence of diseases that degenerate the nerves' insulation and cause nervous system disorders has steadily increased.  Low cholesterol diets do little to decrease the level of cholesterol in the bloodstream.  Low fat diets also lead to hormone imbalances and vitamin deficiencies.

New evidence reveals that diets high in trans fats actually cause poor memory in men under 45.  The way this happens is not clear.  A study at UC San Francisco involved 1,000 healthy men.  They first filled out a diet questionnaire and then were given a memory test.  Those who scored low on the memory test also scored high on trans fat consumption.

We are learning from all of this evidence, trans fats are the only unhealthy fats.  What are trans fats?  These are man-made fats.  They occur in shortening and margarine, which are found in most refrigerators and pantries.  Trans fats then are found in many processed foods, like doughnuts, pie crusts, french fries, potato chips, pancake and waffle mixes, non-diary coffee creamer and many others.  If you have those products, THROW THEM AWAY!

What should you use instead?  Lard, bacon grease, butter, coconut oil, whole milk, half and half, and homemade pie crusts and baking mixes.

Your body uses cholesterol to make hormones.  If you artificially lower your cholesterol, you run the risk of depleting your body's reserves and causing hormone imbalances.  Furthermore, there is no evidence that links high cholesterol levels with heart disease.  Having cholesterol floating in your blood has no effect on the cholesterol plaque on blood vessel walls.

Natural fats from animal and plant sources are healthy and necessary.  Keep your consumption of them reasonable, about 30% of calories, and you can

Live Healthy, Stay Active, and Fulfill Your Dreams!

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