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Good Fats vs. Bad Fats
Eating for Better Health

open letter to monsanto, dupont, sygenta > Schwab bad fats > lowering cholesterol > cayenne for the heart

Ask A Healer Healthy Heart Articles

Trans Fats, Saturated Fats, Oxidized Fats - Are Fats just bad news?

Bad fats, good fats controversy - Identifying Good Fats from Bad Fats

by Ask a Healer

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If you have been advised by your doctor to lower your cholesterol by reducing fats, or making other dietary changes, you may find yourself confused by what are called good fats vs what are deemed bad fats. Until you start to educate yourself on fats and their function in the body, you may not realize how many types of fat exist. Also, the way foods are cooked can change fat properties and make some types of fat, called oxidized fats, that are even more harmful to you. So what are the good fats? And how bad are the bad fats?

Question on alternative health care / spiritual healing:

I've been seeing on the news that some restaurants are bringing out products without trans fats. Are trans fats really bad....what fats are good?

Healing facilitation response:
I remember sitting in an aromatherapy seminar, 10 or 15 years ago, and hearing that hydrogenated oils were very, very unhealthy and that partially hydrogenated oils were even worse. I heard that real butter, eaten in moderation of course, was actually better for the body than margarine. This was certainly not the stand western medicine was taking back then but it made sense to me.

I never liked margarine anyway. It always felt uncomfortable to my system, on an energetic level. It felt fake and, as I learned at that seminar, there was a good reason it felt that way: the partially hydrogenated oils are fake to the body. They actually are like internal plastic where the body is designed to be flexible, fluid and un-plastic-like. As the speaker explained, hydrogenated oils make cell receptors rigid, unflexible, and unable to function properly. Partially hydrogenated oils were the worst and that was typically what was on every processed food label I read at the time, not just on margarine labels. Of course, hydrogenated oils are not the only form of vegetable oil that could affect your health. Read about brominated vegetable oil if you drink any type of citrus-flavored soft drink.

What I think about trans fats:
I believe trans fats are poison to the body and should be avoided. Having said that, I also believe the human body is a miraculous machine, capable of handling a certain amount of poison and still functioning properly. If you are otherwise healthy, you can probably eat trans fats moderately without any immediate health challenge. However, I do not believe anyone can consistently consume trans fats without risking health problems developing at some point in time.

It has been rather satisfying, in one way, to see all the recent reports on trans fats and to hear medical doctors saying that butter really is better. This after years of pushing margarine as the healthier option. I am relieved at this turn the medical profession is making because when I tell someone to stay away from trans fats now, they are more apt to listen than they would have been 15 years ago. Yes, in one way, that feels good. In another way, I feel angry that medical professionals didn't recognize the danger of trans fats much sooner.

You may have come to this article because you have heard or read something saying that we need to eliminate trans fats but the whole idea of figuring out which fats are healthy is overwhelming to you. Join the club. We've got saturated fats, poly-saturated fats, non-saturated fats, trans fats, oxidized fats, omega 3 fats, omega 6 fats, hydrogenated oils, partially hydrogenated oils, canola oil, soybean oil, flaxseed oil, sesame oil, safflower oil, corn oil, olive oil, virgin olive oil, extra virgin olive oil, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil....geeze, how does one know what to eat? I decided to write this article, just as a very basic starting place to learn the difference between the fats and oils we take into our bodies.

Part two: ===>>> Fat is not bad

Part three: Choosing Fats to Feel Good

Why I avoid Kentucky Fried Chicken like the plaque: Trans fats abound in the greasy pieces of chicken, served up by the Colonel's staff across the world. However, partially hydrogenated oils are not the only problem I have with KFC food ... almost everything on the KFC menu is loaded with MSG and this particular fast food giant is well-known for serving GM chickens. I would assume their corn on the cob is also GMO

Health Care Disclaimer: If you have been diagnosed with heart disease, high cholesterol or other health challenge that prompted you to search for this information, you are dealing with a serious medical condition that may be life-threatening. The educational information contained in this heart health article not presented as substitution for your needed medical attentions. Any action taken based on this article on the role of trans fats in hearth health is at the sole discretion of the reader. Please consult with your chosen heart care professional regarding other steps you may take to lower your cholesterol, reduce arterial plaque and heal your heart.