If you are not certain and you would like to know, then this article is devoted just for you. I will attempt to explain basic facts that you need to know so that you will not allow 'bad; fats to damage your health and you can use 'good' fats to enhance it.

You will often find that dietary fats are put into two simplistic categories. One being saturated fats and other being unsaturated fats. You are told that saturated fats are bad and unsaturated fats are good. But, is it as simple as that? No, its not! Before we look at these closer lets discuss real 'baddie' fat which is in a category of its own. This is because it is 'man made'. Maybe we should call this fat 'ugly' one because it does most damage.

I'm talking about Transfats or Hydrogenated fats... or, oils

OK, what are they, how are they made and where do I find them?

First of all you find them almost everywhere. In most processed foods including cookies, solid and semi solid margarines, commercial cooking oils and many domestic cooking oils. Look carefully at labels of any processed food that you buy. If you see hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated on label put it back on shelf.

Hydrogenated fats are produced by taking liquid oil and putting it through a process called hydrogenation. This is a process which combines heat and pressure to add several hydrogen atoms to oil. This process which takes place at around 400 degrees F for several hours in presence of a nickel or platinum catalyst converts liquid to a semi solid.

This helps prevent oil from becoming rancid even though it destroys its nutritional value. This process enables manufacturers to convert cheap low quality oils into butter substitutes... hence explosion of margarines on market.

These reprocessed oils and fats are completely foreign to body and it cannot assimilate them. There is therefore no nutritional value to them at all. Studies have shown that hydrogenated fats and oils are significant contributors to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, immunity and reproduction problems, as well as obesity.

Give them a wide berth!

What about saturated fats?

These are fats which are found in animal fats, red meat, poultry skin, and dairy products. Also some vegetable oils such as coconuts and palm oil are high in saturated fat.

These are fats that mainstream media warns you to stay away from. This is either through ignorance or influence from their advertisers, or both. There is no doubt that eating saturated fats in excess would not be good for you, but this principle applies to virtually all food.

The simple fact is that your body is designed to cope with saturated fats and has been since first human walked earth. Not only are our bodies designed to cope with ingestion of a certain amount of saturated fats, our bodies also need it. I accept that many people have too high an intake of dietary fat, but it is not usually through this source, but rather from trans or hydrogenated fats.

One 'side' believes good health is as a result of outside intervention... drugs, surgery etc. The other 'side' believes that good health results from living in harmony with natural law... correct nutrition... cleanliness etc.

The ancient Greeks had terms for these two groups of people. As was often case in those days each group came under umbrella of a 'god'. One was 'Asklepios'... god of medicine, whose proponents advocated 'intervention' approach. These people were known as 'Asklepians'. Those who believed that secret of good health resulted from living in harmony with nature looked up to 'Hygeia'... Goddess of health. These people were known as 'Hygeian'.

Asklepians versus Hygeian

Both sides tended to be critical of other... nothing much has changed over ages. Modern mainstream western medicine takes 'Asklepian' approach. However, in recent years Hygeian approach which has always been underlying principle behind Chinese traditional medicine has gained much ground. The increase in popularity of 'Hygeian' approach is no doubt due to a combination of several factors:

* Dissatisfaction of traditional mainstream medicine. * Increasing cases of medical 'misadventure'. (Hospitals are places to stay away from) * Awareness that good health is primarily a personal responsibility... not of overworked physicians. * An increasing awareness that medical industry is highly influenced by drug companies and that there are often better, safer and more economic natural alternatives to drugs.

In spite of this justified 'swing' away from mainstream medicine, mainstream medicine does have a place in everyone's health program ... apart from obvious ones in treating accident cases or chronic urgent illness. So, if you are already a 'Hygeian' don't over look benefits that mainstream medicine can offer to you in your overall quest for good health and longevity.

These benefits are primarily in early detection of a pending disease that you may not as yet be aware of!

An example

Let's assume that you are over 40 years of age... you are healthy, fit and not overweight. You eat well, you don't smoke, don't drink excessively and rarely get sick. You probably think that you will live forever... well at least into ripe old age! Right? Maybe... or maybe not.

Reflect on this for a moment. Have you ever known anyone around this age that has died suddenly to your amazement because you thought they were so healthy? That person may even have been a competitive athlete!

Let me tell you a true story.

About 15 years ago a friend of mine who was around 40, a former competitive body builder who was still in great shape and extremely fit was at a lake water-skiing. He was watching some young water-skiers doing some 'tricks'.

Being competitive person that he was he waited until they came in and went down to waters edge and said "Now, I'll show you how to really do it". Those were last words he ever uttered... a couple of minutes later he was lying on ground dead of a massive heart attack.

My friend died instantly. He could just as easily had a stroke which he may or may not have recovered from... which would also have been a major tragedy.

Tragedies can often be avoided

Tragedies like this happen every day and results are devastating not only to victims but also their families, friends and loved ones. Sadly, many of these tragedies could have been averted ... if more people were aware of their risk factors and could correct any abnormalities before it was too late!

Now back to point of this story. My friend died of a blockage in his artery. Only takes one! If 15 years ago technology for measuring ALL 'predictors' which indicate your risk of such an event were available AND my friend had understood what they meant he would probably still be showing those young fellows how to do water-skiing tricks!