The Skinny on Fats

OK. Saturated is bad, no? People are changing their minds on that. Does your cholesterol intake raise your blood Cholesterol? Canola, olive, safflower, corn are all equally good fats, Yes? And what are those omega 3 fats? Trans fats are bad? How do I find them?

You could go crazy trying to keep up with all the confusing stuff coming out about fat. Here are some useful, simple, facts:

1. Eating cholesterol does not raise blood cholesterol. Blood cholesterol is strongly related to how much Saturated Fat and refined carbs you eat. Cholesterol is made in our liver, and is essential for life (a component of many hormones). Eating eggs and shrimp, both high in cholesterol is fine, and even a good idea. Avoiding the removable fat on most meat is a good idea, as is limiting refined carbs, like sugar and white flour. Notice I said "limiting," not eliminating.

2 Trans Fats are bad actors. There are small amounts in natural products, but the biggest sources are man made. They are made from vegetable oils, to make them stable at room temperature. Our bodies are probably not designed to handle a lot of them. Older margarines, solid Crisco, and Cool Whip come to mind as having a lot of trans fats. But there is a lot hidden in prepared foods, labeled as "partially hydrogenated" soy or other vegetable fat. Read labels, you want to avoid these if you can.

3. Most fats that are liquid at room temperature are better for us, but the healthiest is actually extra virgin olive oil. It is made from the first pressing of the olives, and not chemically extracted. It is not suitable for baking because of its taste, next best is Canola oil, a tasteless oil with a high smoke point, so it's good for cooking and baking. For lower temperature sauteing you can use olive oil. Make your salad dressings with it. The bottled dressings may say "olive oil" but you don't know what kind.

4. Omega3 and omega6 fats are "essential" fatty acids. We need them but our body cannot make them from other fats. Fatty fish like Salmon have abundant amounts, as does Olive oil. Flax seed oil is another good source, so is Cod Liver Oil (both as supplements). If you use primarily extra virgin olive oil and eat some fish every week, you probably get enough. The latest buzz is about the ratio of omega 3 and omega 6. That's way too complicated for us. The ratio in olive oil makes it a superior fat to Canola, however.

Quick and dirty summary: avoid or limit fats that are solid at room temperature. Extra Virgin Olive Oil should be your #1 fat, Canola when you need to use higher temperature's. Eat some fish every week, especially Salmon if you like it. Read labels to try to stay away from anything "partially hydrogenated."