Antioxidants
In the form of vitamin and mineral supplements, antioxidants help counteract the effects of free radicals on cells and repair cellular damage. Antioxidants protect cells by sacrificing electrons to prevent free radicals from stealing electrons from healthy cells.

Arachidonic Acid
An essential fatty acid that is the immediate precursor to "bad" eicosanoids found in fatty red meats, egg yokes, and organ meats.

Calorie
A unit for measuring energy. The more calories a food has, the more energy-producing value it has. If you eat more calories than your body will use as fuel, the excess calories will be stored as fat. Certain foods contain various calories per gram:

• Proteins: contain 4 calories per gram, or 112 calories per ounce
• Fats: contain 9 calories per gram, or 252 calories per ounce
• Carbohydrates: contain 4 calories per gram, or 112 calories per ounce

Calorie Restriction
The reduction of calories that maintains adequate levels of proteins and essential fats while supplying adequate amounts of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).

Carbohydrates
Various forms of sugar that, when converted into glucose, are the primary source fuel for the body. Simple carbohydrates are absorbed more quickly into the bloodstream than complex carbohydrates.

Cholesterol
Is a fatty, wax-like substance, necessary in small amounts for cell function, though harmful to the heart if too much is consumed or produced by the body.

• HDL (High-density lipoprotein) is considered "good cholesterol" because it scavenges "bad cholesterol" from the rest of the body and stores it in the liver.
• LDL (low-density lipoprotein) is considered "bad cholesterol" and builds up as plaque on arterial walls, thus it can place a person at risk for heart disease.

Diabetes
A condition in which blood glucose (sugar) is not well controlled.

• Type 1 Diabetics make no insulin. Without some hormonal escort to bring nutrients into cells, they can starve to death even if they consume any quantity of food. Type 1 diabetics require insulin supplementation, usually via injection.
• Type-2 Diabetics are characterized by an overproduction of insulin and the inability of the target cells to respond to insulin (insulin resistance). By controlling insulin release through dietary measures, type-2 diabetics can help bring balance back to their hormonal systems.

Eicosanoid
An autocrine hormone made by virtually every cell in the body. "Good" eicosanoids are anti-inflammatory, whereas "bad" eicosanoids cause inflammation.

EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid)
An omega-3 fatty acid found in cold-water fish and fish-oil; a precursor to "good" eicosanoids.

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)
These are fats the body cannot make and therefore must be part of the diet. Essential fatty acids are building blocks of eicosanoids and other necessary compounds. Two groups of EFAs, omega-3s and omega-6s, engender eicosanoids.

Fat
Compounds composed of hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen atoms that serve as stored fuel for the body. There are different kinds of fats, some of which are healthier than others:

• Saturated Fats: unhealthy fats found in most animal products and tropical oils. With a high proportion of hydrogen atoms, they are solid at room temperature and are converted to cholesterol in the body.
• Mono-Unsaturated Fat: the healthiest fats, are produced by plants. With a lower amount of hydrogen atoms, they tend to be liquid at room temperature.
• Poly-Unsaturated Fats: have the lowest amount of hydrogen atoms, come from plant sources, and are liquid at room temperature.
• Hydrogenated Fats: found in processed foods and commercially baked goods, have an extra hydrogen atom added to them to make them solid at room temperature and to increase the shelf life of foods they are in. They are considered to be the most unhealthy.

Free Radicals
Are highly reactive, imbalanced molecules that are the byproducts of normal metabolism and are associated with the degenerative aging process. Free radicals steal electrons from healthy cells to neutralize their own charge, causing cellular damage. Free radicals are also produced by exposure to cigarette smoke, smog and other environmental pollutants, harmful chemicals, toxins, and even sunlight. Antioxidant supplementation will help counter the effects of free radicals.

Glucagon
The hormone from the pancreas that causes the release of stored carbohydrate in the liver to restore blood glucose levels. Glucagon is a mobilization hormone.

Glucose
Is the simplest form of sugar and circulates in the bloodstream to be used by cells as fuel. Glucose is the primary fuel used by the brain and is stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen.

Glycemic Index
A measure of the rate at which a carbohydrate will enter the bloodstream as glucose. Some simple sugars, such as table sugar, will enter the bloodstream slower than many complex carbohydrates, such as bread, rice, and potatoes. The faster a carbohydrate enters the bloodstream, the higher its glycemic index. The higher the glycemic index of a carbohydrate, the greater the increase in insulin levels. Fruits and vegetables tend to have a low-glycemic index, whereas breads, pasta, grains, and starches tend to have a high-glycemic index.

Glycemic Load
Is a measure of the density and digestion speed of carbohydrates (the glycemic index of a food multiplied by the amount of carbohydrates per serving). The goal of Zone eating is to keep the glycemic load low. Carrots, for example, even though they have a high glycemic index, have a much lower glycemic load than pasta because they are less carbohydrate-dense.

High-glycemic
A food is considered to be high-glycemic if it is broken down rapidly and enters the bloodstream quickly as glucose.

Insulin
The hormone that drives incoming nutrients into cells for storage. Excess insulin is the cause of weight gain and many degenerative illnesses.

Insulin Resistance
A condition in which cells no longer respond well to insulin. As a result, the body secretes more insulin into the bloodstream in an effort to reduce blood glucose levels.

Low-glycemic
Low glycemic foods are broken down into glucose less quickly than high-glycemic foods and enter the bloodstream at a much slower rate.

Macronutrients
Foods that contain calories and can therefore generate hormonal responses. Proteins, fats, and carbohydrates are macronutrients.

Micronutrients
Vitamins and minerals that have no caloric value and little direct impact on hormonal response, but are a vital means of achieving optimal health.

Omega-3
Essential Fatty Acids found primarily in cold-water fish and purified fish oils, omega-3s are the building blocks for "good" eicosanoids.

Omega-6
An Essential Fatty Acid found in protein and most seed oils, Omega-6 can generate both "good" and "bad" eicosanoids.

Omega-9
An essential fatty acid that has neutral effects on hormone production, i.e. does not produce "good" or "bad" eicosanoids.

Vitamins
Various organic substances that are essential in minute quantities to the nutrition of most animals and plants. Though we produce some vitamins within our bodies, we need to obtain others via the foods we eat.

1. Keep a food diary. Write down everything you eat, what you were doing at the time, and how you felt. This lets you figure out your temptations and the emotional states that encourage you to snack. Many people who think they are eating less are surprised by just how much they are eating once they start keeping track of it.

2. If simply can't resist the urge to cheat, allow yourself a treat, but make sure it's a low carb treat. There are plenty of low carb snack on the market today - keep some handy but don't overindulge!

3. When you get a hunger pang, try to wait it out for at least 10 minutes to see if it passes.

4. A journey begins with a single step. Focus on short term goals. Focus on losing 5 pounds this month, not the 50 you want to lose overall.

5. Try to avoid sugar at all costs. Highly sweetened foods tend to make you crave more highly sweetened food.

6. Drink plenty of water water every day. When a hunger pang hits, try drinking a glass of water instead of eating. Water, taken before and during meals, can dull the appetite by helping you feel full.

7. Diet with a friend. Support is important, and caring people can help one another succeed.

8. Substitute activity for eating. When the cravings hit, do something instead of eating. Get up, walk around, tak ea break. This is especially helpful if you're someone who tends to eat when you're stressed.

9. Keep a glass of water by your bed to quiet the hunger pangs that wake you up.

10. Weigh yourself once a week at the same time. Weight fluctuates during the day. You can weigh more at night than in the morning.

11. Don't shop when you're hungry; you'll end up buying impulse food.

12. Avoid finger foods that are easy to eat in large amounts.

13. Avoid consuming large quantities of coffee & diet sodas, which are easy to overdo. Even though diet soda are calorie free, their sweetness can kick-start cravings for more sweets.

14. Keep crunchy foods like raw radishes, carrots, cauliflower & broccoli around. They're low in carbs and are satisfying and filling.

15. Lose weight for yourself, not to please your husband, your parents or your friends!

16. Make the kitchen off-limits at any time other than mealtime.

17. Always eat at the table, never in front of the TV set or with the radio on.

18. Never skip meals. This is perhaps the most important low carb diet tip at all. If you skip a meal, it signals to your body that it may need to store fat in case the meal does not come soon. You can actually lose more weight by eating each low carb meal in the day rather than skipping one.

19. If you're just beginning a low carb diet, limit your carb intake to the suggested rate of 20 grams a day or less over the first two weeks. After only a few days of this, your appetite will decrease dramatically.

You've been deceived into thinking that saturated fats are bad for you, but let's look at some facts, some of which are a slap in the face to politically correct nutrition in this day and age where fats are admonished by many doctors, health "experts", and the mass media.

Eating an adequate supply of healthy dietary fats is vital to your overall health. Fats are one of the main components in all of the cell membranes throughout your entire body. If you eat enough healthy natural fats, your cellular processes will proceed normally. If you eat man-made, heavily processed, chemically altered fats (damaged fats) that are found in most processed foods, your cellular function will be impaired. As these damaged fats become part of your cell membranes, the body will have to work harder to operate correctly and degenerative diseases can develop.

Healthy dietary fats are necessary for optimal hormone production and balance within the body and are therefore essential for the muscle building and fat burning processes. Other important functions that dietary fats play in a healthy body are aiding vitamin and mineral utilization, enzyme regulation, energy, etc.

We often hear "health experts" recommend restriction of dietary fat, claiming a low-fat diet is the key to good health, weight loss, and prevention of degenerative diseases. Restriction of any one macronutrient (protein, carbs, or fat) in your diet works against what your body needs and can only lead to problems. All three basic macronutrients serve important functions for a lean, healthy, and disease-free body. As Dr. Mary Enig, Ph.D, one of the leading fats researchers in the world, notes in several of her books and articles, there is very little true scientific evidence supporting the assertion that a high fat diet is bad for us.

If the health experts who admonish fat are correct, and a low-fat diet is the solution to good health, then why did traditional Pacific Islanders who typically obtained 2/3 to 3/4 of their total daily calories from fat (mostly from coconut fat), remain virtually free from heart disease, obesity, and other modern degenerative diseases until Western dietary influences invaded? Also, why did traditional Eskimo populations, consuming up to 75% of their total caloric intake from fat (mostly from whale blubber, seal fat, organ meats, and cold water fish), display superior health and longevity without heart disease or obesity?

Why did members of the Masai tribe in Africa remain free from degenerative diseases and maintain low body fat percentages on diets consisting of large quantities of raw whole milk, blood, and meat? What about the Samburu tribe of Africa, which eats an average of 5 times the quantity of dietary fat (mostly from raw whole milk and meat) as overweight, disease-ridden Americans, yet Samburu members are lean, healthy, and free of degenerative diseases? What about traditional Mediterranean diets, which are known to be very high in fat in some cases (sometimes up to 50-70% fat), and are also well known to be very healthy?

These examples of high fat diets and the associated excellent health of traditional populations around the world go on and on, yet it seems that many doctors, nutritionists, and media outlets still ignore these facts and continue to promote a diet that restricts fat intake.

The problem is that the good fats (the natural unprocessed health promoting fats) have gotten mistakenly lumped together in nutritional advice with the deadly processed fats and oils that make up a large percentage of almost all processed food that is sold at your local grocery store, restaurant, deli, fast food joint, etc. These deadly processed fats are literally everywhere and almost impossible to avoid unless you know what to look for and make smart choices in what you feed your body with.

I’m not recommending following a super high fat diet. Active individuals that exercise on a regular basis certainly also need adequate supplies of healthy carbohydrates for energy and muscle glycogen replenishment as well as good sources of protein for muscle repair. The above examples of the high fat diets of traditional populations and their corresponding excellent health were simply to prove the point that you don’t need to be afraid of dietary fats as long as you make healthy natural choices and stay within your daily caloric range to maintain or lose weight.

Following is a list of some of the healthiest fatty foods (some will surprise you) as well as some of the deadliest fatty foods to avoid at all costs:

The Healthy Fatty Food Choices:

• Coconut fat
  Coconut fat is approximately 92% saturated fat, yet surprisingly to most people, is considered a very healthy natural fat. The health benefits of coconut fat lie in its composition of approximately 65% medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). Specifically, about 50% of coconut fat is a MCT called lauric acid, which has very potent anti-microbial properties helping to enhance the immune system. Also, MCTs are more easily utilized for immediate energy instead of being stored as body fat. Coconut oil is also an excellent cooking oil for stir-frying, etc. since saturated fats are much more stable and do not oxidize like polyunsaturated oils when exposed to heat and light, which creates damaging free radicals. The best sources of healthy coconut fat are organic coconut milk, virgin coconut oil (available at http://coconut-info.com), or fresh coconut.
  
  
• Extra virgin olive oil
  Olive oil is approximately 71% monounsaturated, 16% saturated, and 13% polyunsaturated. Choose “extra virgin” olive oil, which comes from the first pressing of the olives and has higher quantities of antioxidants. Unlike most other oils on supermarket shelves, extra virgin olive oil is not extracted with the use of harmful industrial solvents and is one of your healthiest choices for liquid oils. Try making your own salad dressing by mixing a small amount of olive oil with vinegar. This is healthier than most store bought salad dressings, which are usually made with highly processed and refined (chemically damaged) soybean oil extracted with industrial solvents.
  
  
• Dark, bittersweet chocolate (>70% cocoa)
  The cocoa bean is a very concentrated source of antioxidants and responsible for part of the health benefit of dark chocolate. The fat portion of the cocoa bean (cocoa butter) is a healthy natural fat, composed of approximately 59% saturated fat (mostly healthy stearic acid), 38% monounsaturated fat, and 3% polyunsaturated fat. I’ll limit the description of healthy chocolate to ONLY dark bittersweet chocolate with >70% cocoa content. Most milk chocolates are only about 30% cocoa, and even most dark chocolates are only about 55% cocoa, leaving the remainder of those products composed of high amounts of sugar, milk fat, corn sweeteners, etc. Look for a quality dark chocolate that lists its cocoa content like Chocolove Extra Dark (77%) or Dagoba New Moon (74%), which contain mostly cocoa and very little sugar. Keep in mind that although dark chocolate can be a healthy treat, it is still calorie dense, so keeping it to just a square or two is a good idea.
  
  
• Avocados or guacamole
  The fat in avocados (depending on where they’re grown) is approximately 60% monounsaturated, 25% saturated, and 15% polyunsaturated. Avocados are a very healthy natural food that provides many nutrients, fiber, and healthful fats, while adding a rich flavor to any meal. Try sliced avocado on sandwiches or in salads or use guacamole in wraps, sandwiches, or quesadillas.
  
  
• High fat fish such as wild salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, trout, etc.
  Just about any fish or seafood are good sources of natural omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, but the higher fat fish listed above are the best sources of omega-3’s. Due to the radical switch to a higher proportion of omega-6 polyunsaturated fats like soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, etc. in our food supply during the middle of the 20th century, the average western diet is currently way too high in omega-6’s compared to omega-3’s, which wreaks havoc in your body. This is where good omega-3 sources like high fat fish, walnuts, and flax seeds can help bring you back to a better ratio of omega-6/omega-3.
  
  
• Nuts (any and all - walnuts, almonds, peanuts, cashews, macadamias, etc.)
  Nuts are great sources of healthy unprocessed fats as well as minerals and other trace nutrients. Macadamias, almonds, and cashews are great sources of monounsaturated fats, while walnuts are a good source of unprocessed polyunsaturated fats (including omega-3’s). Try to avoid nuts that are cooked in oil. Instead, choose raw or dry roasted nuts.
  
  
• Seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds)
  All of these seeds are great sources of natural unprocessed healthy fats. In particular, flax seeds have received a lot of attention lately due to their high omega-3 content. However, keep in mind that omega-3 polyunsaturated fats are highly reactive to heat and light, and prone to oxidation and free radical production. Therefore, freshly ground flax seed is the only way to go. Instead of using the store bought ground flax seed, you can buy whole flax seed and use one of those miniature coffee grinders to grind your own flax seed. Try grinding fresh flax seed into your yogurt, cereal, or even your salad. If you’re using a flax oil, make sure it’s a cold-pressed oil in a light-proof refrigerated container, and use it up within a few weeks to prevent it from going rancid. NEVER cook with flax oil!
  
  
• The fat in organically raised, free-range animals
  This is where most people have been misinformed by the mass media. Animal fat is inherently good for us, that is, if it came from a healthy animal. Human beings have thrived on animal fats for thousands of years. The problem is, most mass produced animal products today do not come from healthy animals. They come from animals given loads of antibiotics and fattened up with hormones and fed un-natural feed. The solution is to choose organically raised, free-range meats, eggs, and dairy. At this time, the price is still a little higher, but as demand grows, the prices will come down. I've found an incredible website that actually offers free-range grass-fed meats delivered right to your doorstep at very reasonable prices. Believe me, it's very hard to find grass fed meats at any grocery stores, so I was pleased to find this site.
  
  

The Deadly Fatty Foods:

• Hydrogenated oils (trans fats)
  These are industrially produced chemically altered oils subjected to extremely high pressure and temperature, with added industrial solvents such as hexane for extraction, and have a metal catalyst added to promote the artificial hydrogenation, followed by bleaching and deodorizing agents…..and somehow the FDA still allows this crap to pass as food. These oils aren’t even worthy of your lawnmower, much less your body! They’ve been linked to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and more. Even small quantities have been shown in studies to be dangerous. If you care about your health, check the ingredients of everything you buy, and if you see partially hydrogenated oils of any kind, margarine, or shortening, protect yourself and your family by choosing something else.
  
  
• Refined oils
  Even if the oils are not hydrogenated, most oils on your supermarket shelves are refined, even most of the so called “healthy” canola oils. Most refined oils still undergo the high temperature, high pressure, solvent extraction, bleaching, and deodorizing processes. Anything labeled vegetable oil, soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, and even many canola oils have been damaged by this refining process (unless they say "virgin" or "cold expeller pressed"). This damages the natural structure of the fats, destroys natural antioxidants, creates free radicals, and produces a generally unhealthy product. Take note that the explosion of heart disease in the middle of the 20th century coincides quite nicely with the rapid increase in the use of hydrogenated and refined oils in the food supply.
  
  
• Anything deep fried
  Including tortilla chips, potato chips, French fries, donuts, fried chicken, chicken nuggets, etc. All of this crap shouldn't even pass as real food in my opinion!
  
  
• Homogenized milk fat
  Milk fat is a very healthy fat in its natural raw state. Milk and beef from grass fed organically raised cows is known to have higher quantities of healthy fats like conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and omega-3 fatty acids compared with grain fed cows. Traditional populations around the world have thrived in perfect health while consuming huge quantities of raw, non-pasteurized, non-homogenized, full fat dairy products. Once again, food processing ruins a good thing by pasteurizing and homogenizing milk fat, rendering it potentially dangerous inside the human body. Unfortunately, you will find it almost impossible to find raw milk in the US unless you personally know a farmer. Check out http://www.realmilk.com for more info on the benefits of raw milk and to find out if it’s available near you. As an alternative, cultured dairy products like yogurt have at least had beneficial microorganisms added back to them making them better for you. Realistically, since you probably won’t find raw milk, sticking to skim milk is the best option to avoid the homogenized milk fat. If you use butter for cooking, your best option is grass-fed butter.

I hope this article has shed some light on the truth about dietary fats and made you realize their importance in a healthy diet.