“Fat” gets treated like a dirty word. We avoid it like the plague, searching for “fat-free” labels on food and depriving ourselves of a spoonful of ranch dressing on our salads. But the truth is, fat is an essential part of a healthy diet. Fat helps

maintain our body temperature, protects our organs and body tissue, and is absolutely essential for carrying fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. In addition, some fats play a large role in brain development, proper wound healing, vitamin absorption, regulating metabolism, controlling inflammation, and skin and hair growth.

So why does fat get such a bad rap? Because over-consumption can cause serious problems. Obesity is an excessive accumulation of body fat. Excess body fat clogs blood vessels and makes it more difficult for the heart to pump blood through our bodies. Obesity can cause stroke, cardiovascular disease, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, gall bladder disease, osteoarthritis, Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and some cancers. Furthermore, excess body weight can lead to depression and anxiety. The key to healthy fat consumption is to discriminate between the “good” and “bad” fats, and remember to enjoy fats only in moderation.

There are two types of “bad” or unhealthy fats: saturated and trans fats. Saturated fats are found in animal products, like pork, beef, poultry (with the skin on), and dairy. They can also be found in some vegetable oils, like palm, kernel and coconut oil. The other “bad” fat is trans fat. Trans fats are made through a process called hydrogenation, where manufacturers add hydrogen to unsaturated fatty acids. This increases the shelf life and improves the flavour of foods that contain hydrogenated oil. Trans fats are found in a wide variety of foods, including potato chips, frozen foods, fast food, cake mixes, margarine and many other packaged and processed foods. Both saturated and trans fats raise the levels of total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in our bodies, reduce our levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good” cholesterol, and increase the risk of coronary heart disease.

Then there are the “good” fats. These are unsaturated fats, specifically polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. These fats are usually plant-based, though they are occasionally found in certain meats, and they are usually liquid at room temperature. Unsaturated fats actually reduce blood and LDL cholesterol, and raise HDL, or “good” cholesterol. Thus, this type of fat is considered beneficial because it cleans excess cholesterol out of our bodies and transports it to the liver for processing. Unsaturated fats are most commonly found in vegetable oils and nuts.

Now that we’ve distinguished the good fats from the bad, it’s time to look at the amount of fat we consume in a day. Health Canada recommends no more than 30 per cent of your daily caloric intake be made up of fat, and only 10 per cent of that should be saturated fat. Trans fats are non-essential, and should be left out of a healthy diet. In fact, The Trans Fat Task Force, a partnership between Health Canada and The Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation, has been pushing the Canadian government to regulate the amount of trans fat found in foods to two per cent of the total fat content in spreadable margarine, and five per cent in all other foods.

Fats come with benefits, but it’s important to remember to be careful about your fat consumption. Calories from fats are easily stored in the body, and contain more energy than both carbohydrates and protein. This means that if you’re smart about your intake, you will stay fuller longer, and it may cause you to eat less. On the other hand, fat is not burned in our bodies as quickly as carbohydrates or protein, which means if you eat an unbalanced diet high in fat content, you are at risk for over-consumption, leading to excess weight, obesity and all that comes with it.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer. For further information call 604-420-7800 or go to www.karpfitness.com.