Fat is good or bad?

Over the years we have heard the rants concerning saturated fats from many health professionals, as well as many other medical study think tanks,  that saturated fats is what’s causing the overweight epidemic among the people in our western culture …. Are they right?
As a health nut and avid well read individual, my health concerns are more intense now than they were when I was younger, now that I’m in my baby boomer years versus before when I was wildly spontaneous  as well as being a relentless ambitious college student,  I ate just about everything that was put in front of me.  I also exercised almost every day for many years.

As a husband, father and enlightened individual with a more sedimentary lifestyle, what this basically means, not so much physical activity but still do my fair share of exercise.  It’s my mission to bring about all that is good about a healthy lifestyle.

Many of us are so preoccupied with making money, paying bills, etc. that stress levels among our population are at an all time high. No one can really blame them it’s just part of what we have come to expect as normal. So be it.

However, getting back to the healthy eating habits and concerns about the daily intake of saturated fats is a topic which has somewhat confused me since I still eat what many would consider saturated fats. But I have to say, it has done me no harm. Gracefully I am aging with more strength, a better healthy body, and to this moment feel no after affects from  all those saturated fats I have consumed over the span of 59 years plus.

Saturated fats can be found in meats, eggs, coconut oil, butter, dark chocolate, salmon, cashews,

All of these mentioned foods are no doubt considered healthy whole foods to eat.

Unsaturated fats can be found in avocados, nuts, vegetable oils and olive oil, these foods also are considered healthy and nutritious.

Research indicates that unsaturated fats are healthier for us, however, we should be aware of the moderation factor and we should only consume a small percentage as our daily intake.

Each fat category is comprised of various acids and each acid plays an important role in what constitutes good health nutrition. Most all foods contain saturated and unsaturated fats, however, food companies only describe and admit to one of these types of fats, depends on the marketing of the product.

So it’s best to calculate and monitor your fat intake with moderation, variety and overall good sense.

So with that being said, is saturated fat good or bad? Remember that neither is totally bad for you unless you over stuff yourself with bad choices. The one thing to remember is to stay away from Trans fats; these are overly refined oils like margarine, most processed foods like junk foods, etc. These types of bad fat sources cause inflammation of the arteries, something you won’t notice until it’s too late.