Fats, or lipids, are essential to good health. Fats serve as a concentrated source of energy. Each gram of fat
supplies 9 calories, whereas protein and carbohydrate supplies 4 calories each per gram. Fatty tissue in the body
helps to hold the organs and nerves in place and protects them against traumatic injury. The layer of fat just below
the skin insulates the body and maintains a steady temperature. Fats allow for the absorption of the fat-soluble
vitamins (A, D, E and K). In the stomach, fats depress enzymatic activity thus slowing the emptying of the stomach
after a meal and providing the felling of fullness (satiety) after eating. Fats are also terrific carriers of flavor, so add to
the good taste of foods. Having said all that, Americans tend to consume way more fat calories than is necessary for
optimal health. Most of the increase in fat consumption in America over the past 25 years represents an increase in
the consumption of salad dressing and fried foods. The average American diet consists of 40% fat, 30% protein and 30%
carbohydrate. A better ratio for good health would be 10-15% fat, 20-30% protein and 55-70% carbohydrate.
The principal foods contributing fat to the diet are butter, margarine, lard, vegetable oil, salad dressing, the visible fat
of meat, the skin of chicken and the invisible fat found in cream, milk, milk products, egg yolk, meat, fish, poultry, nuts,
seeds, olives, avocados and whole grain cereals. In general "soft" fats, which stay liquid at room temperature, are
more readily digestible and useful for the body. This includes most vegetable oils and fish fat. Fat which is solid at room
temperature, such as lard, margarine, butter, cheese, and the "marbling" in meats, is considered "saturated," is less
useful for the body, and tends to become accumulated under the skin or in the abdominal cavity around the organs.
"Saturated" means that the carbon backbone of the fatty acid chain is fully loaded with hydrogen molecules.
In "polyunsaturated" fats, many of the carbon molecules are double bonded, which means there are fewer places
available for hydrogen to hook in. Double bonds provide energy when broken apart in the digestive system, therefore
the body can use polyunsaturated fats more readily as a source of energy than the hydrogen-laden saturated fats.
In plain English this means avoid fats that are solid at room temperature, and go easy on the rest.
In general, the best way to avoid excess fat is to avoid red meat and dairy products (except nonfat items), peel the
skin off your chicken (please eat organic chicken only -- toxins preferentially accumulate in fat because there is so little
blood flow there) and read labels if you must eat processed food. Any food item with more than 4 grams of fat per
serving is NOT low fat. The best and easiest way to cut down on fat calories is to QUIT EATING CHEESE and ICE CREAM.
Anybody who has not yet been convinced about how disgusting dairy products really are should watch John Robbins'
video or read the book "Diet for a New America" which describes the dairy industry in gruesome detail. Also, go easy
on nuts and seeds; use them as condiments, not snacks. Experiment with flavored vinegars for spicing up your salads
and steamed greens. Drink more water (at least 8 glasses daily) but never drink liquids with a meal; this will slow the
digestion down by diluting enzymes and give the excess food more chance to linger in the gut where it will be
absorbed for storage rather than burned for immediate energy needs. The most important trick is not to eat late;
you should fast for 12 hours every day.