There is probably no diet topic in the world that causes more confusion than fats, and it’s abundantly clear that people are still terrified of them.

I see it all the time—people buying margarine or egg substitutes in the store and ordering fat-free dressing on their salad in a restaurant—and it makes me want to tear my hair out.

So once and for all, let me blow away the three most common misconceptions about fats for you:

Misconception #1: Fats are bad for you

Please get that idea out of your head.  NOW.

Your body absolutely MUST have fats, especially your brain and nervous system!  Poor memory, learning difficulties, confusion, and dementia are all linked to having too few fats for your brain’s needs.

You also need fats to transport nutrients all over your body, to protect your internal organs, to keep your cell walls healthy, to make hormones and to create energy.

Misconception #2: Fats make you fat

Although there are many factors that create excess weight or obesity, far and away the predominant one from a food perspective is not fat—it’s SUGAR—especially in the form of high fructose corn syrup (which is in practically every processed food and soda on the planet).

On the other hand, although fats are calorie-dense and it’s important not to overdo it, (typically they contain about 100 calories per tablespoon, and should represent no more than 30 percent of your daily calorie intake), fats add flavor to your foods, they help fill you up and keep you satisfied longer, so you’re less likely to overeat or snack.

That sounds like a recipe for weight LOSS to me.

Try this little experiment for yourself: One day for breakfast, have 2 scrambled eggs cooked in real butter, then the next day have cereal.  See which breakfast keeps you fuller longer.

Misconception #3: Saturated fats cause heart disease

That depends on what kind of saturated fat you’re talking about.

If you’re talking about trans-fats and margarine, you’re absolutely right.  Make your appointment with a cardiologist now and have your affairs in order if you eat a lot of these.

But saturated fats from Nature (such as red meat and real butter, preferably organic) are crucial to health. 

They have been wrongly demonized and implicated as being a primary cause of heart disease over the last several decades, but that’s simply not true and our disease statistics prove it. 

Although the death rate from cardiovascular disease has decreased from about 1 million deaths in 1970 to about 800,000 in 2010, the actual number of people developing heart disease rose from 3.4 million in 1970 to 5.8 million in 2010.  (Statistics courtesy of the American Heart Association.)

The US population increased by 50 percent from 1970 to 2010, but heart disease cases increased by 70 percent during that same time!

So our low-fat, high-carb, high-sugar way of eating has blown up in our faces, and the only reason more of us haven’t keeled over from heart disease is because of fancier drugs and surgeries.

Repeat this to yourself over and over: Sugar, refined carbohydrates, and grains, processed vegetable oils and margarine are all abrasive foods that stir up inflammation in your blood vessels and invite cardiovascular disease to come knocking (as well as pack the pounds on your butt).

What fats you should use and when

Here are wise fat choices to make sure your body is getting a good representation of the saturated fats, monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats it needs:

Good for cooking:  Real butter (both salted and unsalted), lard, tallow, coconut oil, peanut oil, palm oil and olive oil.  These are nice stable fats that won’t oxidize when heated.

Good for salads and cold dishes: Olive oil, organic nut oils. 

Tasty food sources of fats: Red meat, eggs, butter, avocado, nuts, olives, cheese and wild-caught fish.

Consider supplementing: Omega-3 essential fatty acids (like VitalMega-3 fish oil formula)—because our food supply does not contain the levels of these natural anti-inflammatories that it used to.

Avoid at ALL COST:  Trans-fats (commonly referred to as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils), highly processed vegetable oils, margarine and anything labeled low-fat or fat-free.

Additional heart health support

If it’s heart disease you’re worried about, make sure you’re also getting enough vitamin B12 to control your blood level of homocysteine—another risk factor for heart disease.  Hydroxaden 2.5 oral B12 spray is a simple, convenient way to make sure your body has health-supportive levels of this crucial nutrient.

And probiotics like Super Shield can be a tremendous help because they help assist your body in eliminating old cholesterol, which is crucial to controlling your blood cholesterol level!

Congratulations!  You’re now a graduate of the Sherry Brescia School of Fats, and are on your way to making healthier choices for your cardiovascular system and overall health!

To your health,