Saturated fats

Fat. The very word, nowadays, makes most people shudder. Emphasis is placed on having skinny, fat-free bodies, in some cases skeletal bodies. These ideals are unrealistic and unhealthy. Some fats are good for you, and necessary for a highly functioning brain and a disease-free, healthy body. The key is to know which fats are good fats and which fats are bad fats, and to choose the former (in moderation) and reject the latter (as much as is possible).
Looks aside, it is important to know about bad fats versus good fats because bad fats can lead high cholesterol levels in the blood. High cholesterol levels in the blood, in turn, can lead to heart attack, stroke, even death. Bad fats slow the body down, slow the blood down, leave you feeling heavy and wasted and tired. Good fats, on the other hand, fight high cholesterol levels and leave you feeling younger and more energetic.
Saturated fats and trans fats are the bad

- Fatty meats, especially beef and pork
- Tropical oils
- Whole-milk dairy products (cheese, yogurt, etc.)
- Egg yolks
- Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils
This last category, unfortunately, cuts out a lot of our favorite snacks and treats:
- Cookies
- Crackers
- Other commercial baked goods that are high in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, including white bread
Last but not least, foods that are high in trans fat include:
- French fries
- Doughnuts
- Pastries
- Other fried foods
Etc. etc. etc. The list goes on an on. Saturated fats and trans fats include, in short, most of what we love to snack on, most of what is easy, most of what can be handed to us through a window or put in a box or wrapped in a wrapper.
Saturated fats and trans fats are fats that harden when you leave them out or when you put them in the fridge. Cook bacon sometime, and leave the pan on the stove afterward. That thick, pasty, white gunk that forms in the bottom of the pan is the bad kind of fat, the kind that you don't want hardening in your veins and arteries until your blood can no longer flow through it. Saturated fats lead to weight gain; saturated fats lead to high cholesterol; saturated fats lead to a loss of confidence, enthusiasm, and, in all too many cases lately, death. For a healthy lifestyle, you'll want to cut back on as many saturated and trans fats as you can.
Unsaturated fats, on the other hand, stay in liquid form when left out or when refrigerated. Be sure not to leave them out! - they can go bad. Unsaturated fats include many kinds of oils, including sesame, soy, corn, nut, and seed oils. These are healthy to cook with. Try cooking, for example, with olive oil instead of butter - your heart will thank you. When you're tempted to eat saturated fats, tempted to swing by a fast food place or just pick up a doughnut at the grocery store, try to think of that pan on your stove - of that thick, white glistening paste that is coating everything and that you wouldn't eat with a spoon on a dare.
The gruesome fact is, you are eating it, every day, if you continue to choose fried foods and animal products over natural foods, such as fruit and beans and vegetables, that grow fresh from the earth. Try drinking low-fat milk, eating low-fat yogurt and cheese, and eating only the white of the egg. Replace meat sometimes with kidney or lima beans. There are many ways to avoid saturated fats while still eating full, delicious meals.