Fats continue to receive negative notoriety by the media and many of us continue to remain confused on the subject of dietary fat.  Not all fats are created equal and we do need dietary fat for energy storage, absorption of fat soluble vitamins, healthy cell membranes, insulation and the protection of our nervous system.

Let’s examine the healthy dietary fats first. 

Unsaturated Fats

A healthy diet will include unsaturated fats.  Unsaturated fats are obtained from vegetable oils.  Proper extraction and storage of vegetable oils is integral to preventing the oils from becoming rancid and suffering molecular damage thereby making them unhealthy.  Unsaturated fats may be mono or polyunsaturated.  These fats are best not heated or heated only slightly.

• Monounsaturated Fats:  Although these fats are found in most foods you will find them mainly in nut and vegetable oils such as olive, peanut, canola and almond. 
• Polyunsaturated Fats: You should never heat these fats.  The two types of polyunsaturated fats that are essential for your health are known as omega 3 and omega 6.  These fats are referred to as  “essential” because the body needs them but cannot manufacture them by itself.   You will find Omega 3s abundant in flaxseed and some fish oils.  You will find omega 6 fatty acids in vegetable oils.
• Essential Fatty Acids – also known as EFAs:  Omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (alpha-linolenic acid) and omega 6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (linoleic acid) are the two main fats that are  classified as essential.  Our body makes hormone-like prostaglandins (also called “super hormones”) from EFAs.  The EFAs are extremely important for your good health.  It is important to your body to balance the omega 6 and the omega 3 as too much of one will cause a deficiency in the other.  In general you can consider good food sources of the essential fats to be flaxseeds, hempseeds, almonds, walnuts, avocados, pumpkin seeds, green leafy vegetables, tofu, soybeans, eggs and cold water fish.  

Let’s examine dietary fats that are best limited to eating in moderation.

Saturated Fats

Aminal sources such as meat (red meat, pork), eggs, dairy products (dairy fat, butter, cheese) and plant sources such as tropical oils (coconut, palm, palm kernel and cocoa butter) provide us with saturated fat.   It is better if we eat these in moderation. Optimal health does not necessarily mean including saturated fats in your diet.

Now let’s examine the dietary fats that we must avoid.

Hydrogenated fats and Trans Fatty Acids

During the process of hydrogenation, liquid vegetable oils turn into solid fats.  This process is extremely damaging to oils and thereby poses the most dangerous health risk to your body.  A structural change in the fat results when an oil is hydrogenated.  A trans fatty acid is created when the naturally occurring “cis” structure of the fat is converted to a “trans” structure.  It has recently been proven that heart disease, cancer and pre-mature aging are some of the major health risks associated with trans fatty acids.

Examples of hydrogenated fats are vegetable margarine and shortening.  Typically, you will find hydrogenated fats in commercially prepared baked goods, candies, ice cream, peanut butter, snack foods, boxed cereals and chocolate.

Read labels to avoid hydrogenated fats and avoid fried and processed foods.

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Your friend is successful, wealthy and happy.  Did your friend experience “luck” or did he Labor Under Correct Knowledge?  It’s likely your friend, and others like him, are Optimists.  Optimists will not give up easily and, as a result, will more likely achieve success compared to pessimists.  Optimists believe in themselves, and their abilities, which means they expect good things to happen.

Many articles published on the internet state that research has been conducted on Optimism.  As stated in many of these articles, the researchers have concluded that an optimistic outlook is good for your health.  You will find statements such as the following:

• People who live life with optimism experience lower blood pressures;
• Optimists have stronger immune systems so they are less susceptible to illness;
• Optimists have less stress so they experience less stress-related health problems;
• Optimists generally feel more confidence than pessimists.  This confidence can give you a feeling of control in your life;
• Optimism can prevent feelings of helplessness which can be beneficial in warding off depression;
• Optimism allows you to experience good things in your life for a greater amount of time.  This may help empower you to deal with bad things in a positive way.

Do you need to practice more optimism in your life? Try cutting, pasting and printing the following Optimist Creed and put it up somewhere where you can read it often or have it printed and framed for a friend or loved one who could use more optimism in their life:

THE OPTIMIST CREED

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a
      smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize
      others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear and too happy to permit
      the presence of trouble.

Have you experienced true optimism in your life? Share your story with us.

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