FAT BASTARD, OR THE “BAD” FATS

Dietary cholesterol Of course, high cholesterol in the blood is bad, but foods rich in cholesterol are not inherently bad. The amount of cholesterol in the bloodstream is what is important. But by and large the fats we eat influence bloodstream cholesterol.

Saturated. Since our bodies make all the saturated fats we need, anything else is really more than our bodies need, which is why it is just good sense to limit saturated fats or remove them from your diet completely. Saturated fats raise blood cholesterol, both the “good”high-density cholesterol (HDL) and the “bad” low-density cholesterol (LDL). Saturated fats include high fat dairy products, fatty and processed meats and their skin, lard, palm and coconut oil. Keep these fats low or try to eliminate altogether.

Since saturated fats in our diets come mainly from cows – beef and dairy – try eating lean meats and low-fat or fat-free dairy products.

Trans fatty acids. This is the Beelzebub of fats. It is evil. It is poisonous. It will kill you. It is like eating cigarettes and running with scissors with a Q-Tip in your ear while swimming right after you’ve eaten… cigarettes. But oh how good it tastes.

Trans fats are most popular in restaurants, particularly fast food restaurants because of their usefulness as a kitchen product. You can fry onion rings and French fries all day long with trans fats. And when the health inspector isn’t looking, use it again the next day and the next. Mmmmmmmm.

Trans fats also make celebrity appearances in processed snacks, margarines, shortening, and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

This fat is so dangerous because it raises the bad LDL cholesterol while loweringthe good HDL cholesterol, causing arteries to clog, strokes to occur and hearts to attack. Because it so prevalent in the American diet, it is hard to escape and therefore the dietary equivalent to an infectious disease.

The best advice is to avoid trans fats at all costs. So, put down your bacon fat-fried Twinkie and step away from the trough.