SEPARATING THE GOOD FATS, THE BAD FATS, THE NOT SO BAD FATS

Today we know that all fats are not bad. In fact, to meet the body's daily energy and nutritional needs adults should get 35 percent of their daily caloric intake from fat.

But all fats are not equal. There are good fats, bad fats, not so bad fats, and very bad fats. We want to eat the right kind and avoid the wrong ones.

The Good Fats: Unsaturated Fats

These fats fight heart disease. Unsaturated fats are divided into monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

Monounsaturated fats help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol while boosting HDL (good) cholesterol. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids reduce blood cholesterol levels as well and thus lower the risk of heart disease when they replace saturated fats in the diet.

Monounsaturated fats are found in olive, canola and peanut oils and in most nuts. It is also found in olives and avocados.

Polyunsatuated fats are found in safflower, sesame, corn, cottonseed and soybean oils.

Omega-3 Fats

Omega-3 fats are critical for our health but cannot be manufactured by our bodies. Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids include cold-water fish, flax seed, soy and walnuts. These are thought to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, boost our immune systems, fight inflammation, and protect the brain and nervous system.

The Bad Fats: Saturated Fats

These fats are the artery cloggers. They also raise total and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Avoid them whenever possible.

Saturated fats are derived from animal products such as meat, dairy and eggs. They are also found in some plant-based sources such as coconut, palm and palm kernel oils. Coconut and palm oils are in anything from non-dairy whipped toppings and coffee creamers to cookies and cakes.

Cooking oils contain saturated fat in varying degrees. Enova-brand oil is a blend of soybean and canola oil. It contains the least amount of saturated fat at 0.5 grams per tablespoon, which is 3.5 percent of its make-up. The bulk of its fatty-acid make-up is polyunsaturated at 59 percent, with monounsaturated fat comprising 37 percent.

The balance of good fats to bad is clearly in favor of Enova, canola and olive oil.

Butter's saturated fat content is close to 70 percent of total fat, and lard's is 43 percent.

The Worst: Trans Fats

Trans fats or hydrogenated fats are thought to be worse for us than saturated fats because they not only raise total and LDL (bad) cholesterol, they also lower HDL (good) cholesterol. They also increase triglyceride levels in the blood, adding to the risk of cardiovascular disease. And they clog the arteries.

Trans fats lurk in all kinds of processed foods. Thanks to new food-label laws, which came into effect in January 2006, trans fats—once described as hidden fats—are now listed on all packaged foods.

The fats can be found in vegetable shortenings, margarines, crackers, candies, cookies, snack foods, fried foods, baked goods and other processed foods made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. They are also found in food preparation at restaurants.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California just passed a state law requiring restaurants to stop cooking with all but small amounts of the trans fats by July 1, 2009.

New York City has a similar ban passed a similar ban in 2006 which began July 1, 2008. As of July 2008, New York City's Health Department requires restaurants with standard menu items to make calorie information publicly available at the point of purchase.

Finally, a healthy rule of thumb: Keep your intake of fat limited to 30 percent of calories, with no more than 7-10 percent of total calories coming from saturated fat.