fat- friend or foe?

After the last few entries about our much loved caffeine i'm thinking your due for some good news :- Fat is it the enemy! Is it the cause of cardiovascular disease, obesity and non alcoholic fatty liver disease? This is potentially a massive and controversial subject but ill try to keep it short, relevant and to the point...

Ok some fats are deadly and some fats are absolutely vital to health and well-being. Hopefully this will give you some basic guidelines to start with. There are a few types of fat that I could discuss here but Im going to concentrate of the healthiest fat, saturated fat! Yes folks its not a typo, this is the good news i promised! Saturated fat is the most stable fat meaning its structure does not change when heated to high temperatures and is a vital part of the human diet. Some examples of saturated fats are coconut oil ideal for cooking with, butter, lard and ghee. Organic eggs, cheeses and milks are also a rich source of saturated fats. Why is it healthy and how is it used by the body? Some examples:

saturated fat and cholesterol give every cells within our body structure and integrity
the crude product required to produce steroid hormones:- testosterone, progesterone and adrenaline to name few
bile production, we cannot absorb vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin K and vitamin E without bile. Bile is made of fat so put simply you need to eat fat to absorb fat and loose fat!!. Bile is also made up of toxins, excreted by the liver for prompt removal from the body.
cholesterol is an important antioxidant
needed for neurotransmitter production such as serotonin
important factor in the healing of veins and arteries
saturated fat is recognizable and immediately usable by the body for the above mentioned and a slow release energy source that will keep you full for longer.
dangerous fats such as the trans fats found in many processed foods such as biscuits, chips and packaged foods are unrecognizable and usable by the body, it is a toxin and is therefore stored in areas around your organs.
essential to brain, eye and nerve health.

For more information on how our fear of fat was established and why its a dangerous misconception check out: The Oiling of America , Good fats bad fats & Put your Heart in your Mouth by Dr Natasha Campbell McBride.

Stay tuned for part 2,