Not all fat is bad; here's how to get the good stuff into your diet

For many, fat is a nutritional four letter word. This macronutrient has taken a serious pounding in the media and from health experts over the years. However, fat isn't all bad. In fact, some fats are good for you and your athletic performance. And no we don't mean what's found in that goo in Twinkies. Here's a quick rundown on which kinds of fat you should be putting on your plate and which ones will have you sitting in the cardiologist's waiting room.

Monounsaturated Fat
Monounsaturated fats are considered one of the "good" fats, because studies show diets that contain more fat in this form help keep blood cholesterol and blood pressure levels from creeping upward. It's a big component of the Mediterranean diet that is getting a lot of press these days for its heart-protective properties. The most common monounsaturated fatty acids are palmitoleic acid and oleic acid. You can find this type of fat in nuts, nut butters, avocados and dietary oils. Olive and canola oil are oils with the highest monounsaturated fat levels.

Polyunsaturated Fat
Two polyunsaturated fats --- linoleic (omega-6) and linolenic (omega-3) --- are considered essential, because the human body is unable to produce them and, therefore, must be consumed in the diet. Of all the polyunsaturated fatty acids it's the omega-3's that have been showing the most promise at promoting a bevy of benefits for our health. In particular, eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) fats, which are found in fatty fish such as salmon and mackerel, are proving to be superheroes when it comes to our well-being. Flaxseed, walnuts, soybean oil and hempseeds are other great sources of polyunsaturated fat.

Saturated Fat

Saturated fatty acids derive mostly from animal sources such as meat and dairy. Exceptions to the rule are three vegetable oils: coconut, palm and palm kernel oil. This particular misunderstood fat has often been considered "the bad" fat in that studies have found that a diet high in saturated fat promotes heart disease. The problem with many of these studies is that they have not distinguished between the different forms of saturated fats and have not always taken into account that trans fat was also liberally consumed. It appears that palmitic acid (found in meat and dairy is the saturated fat that we should be particularly leery of, while the other saturated fatty acids like lauric acid (found in coconut oil) and stearic acid (found in chocolate) a pear to have a neutral effect on blood cholesterol levels. In other words, don't shy away from cooking with coconut oil or enjoying a piece of dark chocolate, but make sure to stick with low-fat dairy and lean meat choices.

Trans Fat

Trans fatty acids are largely manufactured fats formed when hydrogen atoms are added to vegetable oils, causing the liquid to form a solid. The fats are commonly included in commercially prepared foods (such as cookies, snack foods and baked goods) to improve flavor and increase the shelf life of the product. Trans fats are also found in vegetable shortening and some brands of margarine. Of all the dietary fats, trans fats are by far the worst. They have been implicated in everything from heart disease to cancer to poor eyesight. Thankfully, as of January 2006, food companies are required to list the amount of this "killer fat," as it has been dubbed, in their products.

HEALTHY FAT GUIDELINES
Now that you know a little about which fats are good and which are anything but, here are a few tips on getting the most out of your fat intake.

• Keep your total fat intake somewhere between 25 percent and 35 percent of total calories. If you are very physically active you should consume more grams of fat to help meet energy requirements.
• Monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and non-palmitic saturated fatty acids should make up a big chunk of this total fat intake.
• Keep trans fat intake as close to zero as possible. Be very careful of fast foods that play to host to this nutritional villain.
• Prepare more of your meals yourself so that you can better control the type of fat you are consuming.
• Consume lots of fish fat (EPA/DHA) from fish or supplements.
• Variety is the spice of life. Consume an array of healthy fat sources to ensure that you reap all the benefits of these foods.

Matthew Kadey is a Toronto-based dietitian and free-lance writer (www.mattkadey.com).