Designing a resitance programme for fat loss

        When it comes to constructing the ultimate weight training program
to build muscle and burn fat, exercise selection is a very important component.
You build muscle fastest with compound weight training exercises.
Any weight training program that focuses on machines and
isolation weight training exercises is a complete waste of time.

Below are the worst weight training exercises on the planet and
should be avoided at all costs if you want to build muscle fast.

1) Smith Machine Squats- Squats are the best weight training
exercise you can do in order to build muscle fast. Doing them on a
Smith machine however, is a huge mistake. Squatting in a Smith
machine is very hard on the knees and causes the lifter to develop
what is known as a pattern overload syndrome. The smith machine
isolates the legs while taking the trunk out of the movement.
In a normal free weight squat your lower back and abs must stabilize
the weight and every muscle group must work in unison. This is
how the body functions, as a unit, never in isolation. This can lead
to severe imbalances and injuries.

2) Leg Extensions- Compound weight training exercises are the
best muscle building exercises there are. Leg extensions are an
isolation movement which do very little to build muscle. This
movement also creates shearing forces on the knee and should
be avoided at all costs.

3) Hack Squats- While squats are the superior muscle building exercise,
this movement falls into the exact same category as the smith machine
squat and should be avoided for all the same reasons.

4) Abduction/ Adduction machines- This is the one where you sit with
your legs spread and strapped into the machine. You perform this weight
training exercise by opening up or spreading your legs and then closing
them. This is another isolation movement which will do nothing to build
muscle.

5) Abdominal Crunch Machines- The abs never work in isolation in the
real world. In fact, the abs do not ever contract consciously. They
contract unconsciously as a way to protect the spine. The abdominal
muscles never work without the use of the hip flexors yet these isolation
crunch machines are specifically designed to take the hip flexors out of
the movement. For these reasons, this is a very ineffective weight training
exercise for building muscle.

6) Ab Roller Devices- This apparatus is a version of the aforementioned
crunch machines and is another useless piece of equipment. This device
takes the neck completely out of the movement which is exactly what
you don't want to do. Contracting and or flexing the muscles of the neck
during an abdominal crunch is exactly what you want to be doing and is
physiologically correct. Another waste of time in the quest to build muscle
fast.

7) Smith Machine Bench Press- The bench press is a great muscle building
exercise but doing it in the Smith machine is not a good idea. Much like
the Smith Machine Squat, this exercise will cause you to develop a pattern
overload and will lead to injury. Pressing on the Smith Machine isolates the
pressing muscles and completely eliminates the use of the stabilizer muscles,
such as the rotator cuff. This will lead to imbalances that can transfer to
serious shoulder injuries. You can't build muscle when you are injured.

8) Bench Dips- This is another weight training exercise that I did for many
years and now regret. I routinely did this exercise with four 45 pound
plates on my lap. Little did I realize at the time that bench dips put your
shoulder in a very dangerous position and can eventually lead to serious
problems. While this exercise is useful in building muscle it is also
dangerous. If shoulder safety is a concern I recommend that you avoid
this exercise and stick with parallel bar dips for building muscle.

9) Concentration Curls- When it comes to weight training and building
muscle, everybody's favorite bodypart is biceps. Chin ups and barbell
curls are the best weigth training exercises for building huge biceps.
Concentration curls are not. This is a pure isolation movement which
supposedly puts a "peak" on your biceps. The only problem with that
is the fact that it is physiologically impossible to peak your biceps.
Muscles grow evenly along the entire length of the tissue from origin
to insertion. When looking at the effectiveness of an exercise one of
the key determinants in the results that it may produce is the amount of
weight that can be lifted. In a concentration curl it is very difficult to lift
a great deal of weight and thus it renders the movement ineffective. If
you want to build huge biceps, avoid concentration calls.

10) Bench Press to the Neck- (Incline Bench) This was a big favorite muscle building exercise of Larry Scott and Vince Gironda. It was supposedly a great
muscle building exercise for the upper or clavicular pectoral muscles.
The problem with this movement is that it will absolutely destroy the
shoulders and can easily lead to a pec tear. This is one movement
that you should stay very far away from in your quest to build muscle
fast.

11) Old School Pec Dec-This is the supposed muscle building exercise
machine which has you bend your arms ninety degrees while externally
rotating. You place your arms on the pads and then proceed to bring
the pads together in front of your body. This is not only dangerous for
the shoulder but is absolutely useless and will not build muscle at all.

12) Knee Break Squats- As mentioned earlier, the squat is the best
weight training exercise there is for building muscle. Some trainers and
coaches have advocated initiating a squat by first breaking at the knees
rather than the hips in an effort to put more stress on the quadriceps
muscles. The problem is that this also puts unnecessary stress on the
knees and severely limits the amount of weight that can be lifted.
Squats should be initiated by first breaking at the hips and sitting back
and down, not by breaking at the knees and pushing your knees forward
as you descend.

These weight training exercises are listed in no particular order.
Unfortunately there are many other weight training exercises that
are performed on a routine basis by many lifters that are also useless
and dangerous. Those listed above just so happen to be the worst.
If a weight training exercise causes pain, you should always avoid it.
If a weight training exercise is supposed to target a certain muscle
group in isolation and requires you to use extremely light weights it
is usually best avoided. The exception to this rule would be prehab
and rehab type exercises such as external rotation exercises for the
rotator cuff.

Train hard, train smart and focus on compound exercises and you will build muscle fast.Even if you are on weight loss programme, building muscle is a good thing. Muscle burns calories even when your doing nothing ! 

Doe's a personal trainer really make a difference ?

     

              According to the New England Journal of Medicine it is the single most important step one a can take when deciding to lose weight and get healthy, The National Weight Control Registry states: “if a person needs to lose 2 stone or more they have a 1% chance of achieving this thru exercise alone, a 10% chance by dieting alone but an 89% chance of reaching your goal when working with a Professional Personal Trainer (PPT).

              We have all heard the horror stories of someone who hooked up with an inexperienced, unqualified personal trainer. It is more than just a waste of money and time but often serious injuries can occur. Having been a PPT for over 30 years I do consider myself experienced and qualified. I would like to share with you a few examples of what sets me apart from the competition:

·         In 1985 I began using High Intensity Interval Training (this is not the same as High Intensity Training) with my clients to increase fat loss and improve fitness

·         1988 my clients began supplementing with Vitamin D and Vitamin E

·         1988 I designed my nutritional programme using the Glycaemic Index (GI) and Glycaemic Load (GL) format. Still to this day considered the gold standard of nutrition.  

·         1990 I began requiring that my clients use a heart rate monitor when doing their cardio work

·         1992 I introduced to my clients to the benefits of creatine monohydrate,L-glutamine and BCAA’s

·         1995 to insure that my clients got their daily dose of essential fatty acids they began using Udos Oil.

·         2000 after reading numerous peer reviewed research papers I immediately stopped using traditional sit ups,crunches,bicycle crunches and trunk twist for core exercises due to the extreme damage they cause to the spine  

·         2002 my athletes incorporated Myelin Tissue training into their training routine. This is specific combination of SAQ’s and plyometric training to improve performance

·         2005 I introduced Calendar Scoring as a quick and easy way for my clients to keep track of their progress

·         2010 after reading numerous peer reviewed research papers I immediately stopped using behind the neck pull downs,behind the neck shoulder press and upright rows due to the damage they cause to the rotater cuff    

                The point of this is to show you that the right PPT can save you years of struggle, money and serious injury. Not to mention the invaluable support you receive to get you through those difficult times. If you have made the decision to get the weight off and take control of your health, get professional help. It is the difference between success and failure.   

The Magic Hour

         We know that 1 hour of professional personal training (PPT) is still considered to be the gold standard of training and fitness enhancement.That 1 hour has huge value,you can dramatically change the the course of your life in1 hour. 
          Just think how significant 1 hour can be !
          I recently had a conversation with a few coaches and folks i like to talk to about training and fitness. We all agreed upon one thing.Maximizing your effectiveness in short bursts of time can lead to huge productivity. Sure we all say we are busy ( and it probably is true ) but some of us seem to get 10 times more accomplished than others . How ?
           I believe it is about how you focus and orient what you spend your most important time on...... your magic time ! Let's face it we only have so many hours in a day.....and we fill that time with meetings,email,phone calls or just life stuff.The list goes on and on. Having said all of that how much time do you have to waste trying to lose the weight , get fit and healthy. 
           The power of 1 hour is gigantic,we way ,way underestimate it. If in 1 hour a week you were able to increase your weight loss and improve your fitness by 100% this year...what would that be worth to you? If in 1 hour a week you were given a strategy ,guidance and support that moved you ahead by months...what would that be worth ? Now you can keep chugging along hoping and praying what your doing is going to work,or you can refocus and get the professional help you need to make that 1 hour more powerful,more strategic and productive than ever before !     

"thinking outside the box" Why ?

        Recently one of my rugby clients showed up for our training session with his laptop in hand and ask if we could take a few minutes for him to show me some training tips he found on line. He felt we should be "thinking outside the box" with his training,which surprised me a little since things were going so well. I told him " there is a reason there is a box" and that most people would  do really well to really familiarize themselves with the inside of the box. Coach John Wooden ( 10 national college basketball championships in 12 years,including 7 years in a row) has a great quote : "If you spend to much time learning the tricks of the trade you may not learn the trade" . Brilliant !. Coach Woodens approach to coaching basketball was amazingly simple. He would begin every season with a detailed explanation of how to put your socks on to avoid blisters. Very "inside the box thinking". You may think this is a waste of time but Coach Wooden felt players missing practice from blisters was the real of waste of time. The best coaches in the world focus on simplicity more than complexity.
         Mark Verstegen often uses the phrase "simple things done savagely well". Dewey Neilsen says " be brilliant at the basics". There is a Buddhist quote that says "in the beginners mind there are many choices,in the experts mind there are few". I think there is a reason why i agree with so many of the people i admire. Those who have attained expert level seem to think very much alike and react in very similar ways to new information. The experts are open to change and have great mental filters. As a result they seem to end up at the same place even when coming from different paths. I have spent more than 30years of "thinking inside the box". The truth is I can't tell you how often I give the same answer to a different question. I tell them to KISS. Stay in the box. Out of the box thinking should be reserved for thos who know the inside of the box like the back of their hand. The key is to become a "master of the box" well before we become "out of the box thinkers ". I personally experince this on a regular basis. Often when i sit down with a potential client and lay out what we are going to do and how we are goin to do it, i get "The Look". The look of "that can' be right. it cant be that easy ". Whatever your goal is ,stick to basic fundamentals. There is a reason the most successful people in the world "think inside the box"    

Are detox diets good for you ?

        Those colorful, expensive bottles of juice look healthy. But are detox diets good for you? Here's what the science says.
        Not to long ago, the only people who went on on detox diets were Hollywood stars and trend-obsessed editors at fashion and lifestyel magazines.These days it seems like everybody is doing them. The big question is: Are they good for you?         
At best...... maybe,minimally. Any small benefit you might get from a detox diet coild be overshadowed by the risk.

What is a detox ,anyway ?
 "dietary detox" has no universal definition. We know in the absence of science, people are usually left with confusion,superstition,and myth(plus plenty of people ready and willing to take your money).
Despite a lack of scientific support for any "detoxifying " dietary process, many "detox diets have emerged. Most prescribe: certain foods,special juices,teas or even colonics.Some simply promote fasting. The purpose of these interventions is to purge would- be toxins from our bodies in the interest of better health.By definition toxins are small peptides or proteins capable of causing disease on contact with body tissues. Toxins vary greatly in severity,ranging from minor to immediatly deadly.And,it's not as simple as "toxic " vs. "nontoxic". Most everything is toxic at some level.It's unavoidable.
Some toxins can be beneficial.  In relatively small amounts, many toxins can be processed easily and are actually good  for us. Examples :

Vitamin A : To much can cause headaches,drowsiness and anorexia.

Vitamin B :  Too much,and your neurological and liver function will   
                      suffer

Phytochemicals: Found naturally in plants,excessive amounts may be
                              toxic to the liver,kidney and intestine

Lectins : Found in grains and legumes can bind to cell membranes and 
                damage intestinal tissue

Glucosinolates:  Found in vegetables like broccoli,Brussels sprout,and 
                             bok choy .High consumption of these chemicals 
                             have been shown to contribute to hyperthyroidism

Alcohol: Heavy drinking can increase your risk of many health 
               problems               
  
Fortunatley,the body "cleanses" itself.
If we can't avoid toxins, doesn't it make sense to do some sort of detox ?
No. Because our bodies have very robust detoxification systems which include:

* digestive tract
* kidneys
* skin
* lungs
* liver
* lymphatic and respiratory system
 
These systems break down chemicals into other forms we can eliminate via the toilet,sweat or breathing. If the body is great at self-cleansing,why would anyone consider detoxing in the first place?
Detoxing does not promote weight loss. The reason people loss any weight at all is because they're "empty". They quickly lose body water,carbohydrates stores and intestinal bulk. It all come back a few hours after the detox ends. You can't stay empty forever.The fact is these folks lose very little fat if at all. You're not losing anything that won't come right back within hours after the end of the diet. Worse. You're putting you're health at risk to support the illusion. So,if weight loss is your goal, there are smater and more permanent ways to do it. Given that detox diets won't rid the body of impurities or lead to weight loss,are there any benefits? No. 

Some disadvantages of detox diets
The disadvantages of a detox diet are much more numerous than the potential benefits.Any diet will take some effort to organize, and detox diets are no exception.You will never put in as much work into eating less as you do into a detox diet.People with limited time ,money and resources won't enjoy juicing as much as seven kilograms of fruits and vegetable each day. Especially if they're feeling weak,listless or dizzy. Most juice diets are extremely low in calories. With the low energy intake  you'll often notice other things slowing down: you may feel colder,or sluggish,or notice digestion taking a while. Many of the negative side effects that people typically notice could be the result of overload. Their bodies are working  overtime to deal with a noxious cocktail of oxalates,nitrates,etc- all from fruit and vegetable juice. The very "detox" itself could prove "toxic". This brings me to one of my own theories. Many people get headaches whem they are on juice diets. I think this could be due to nitrates.
Many detox juices use a lot of celery and beets. Normally,we don't consume such high quantities of these. Many detox juices are rich in nutrates,which promote vasodilation. This can lead to some pounding headaches. Fruit juices can cause major swings in blood sugar - making them dangerous for people with diabetes, and potetially risky for many others. 
Extreme variations in fat intake can cause trouble for organs that process dietary fats,like the gallbladder. These things can cause potentially serious problems when a person starts eating normally again.  
Detox diets- the entire concept of "cleansing",in fact-can enable feast or famine style eating patterns. It's the classic dieter mentality. On the wagon,off the wagon,on the wagon,ad infinitum. It's always more harmful than helpful. You never learn to prepare real food and real meals that are both nutritious and delicious.Worst of all: You never feel truly happy with any of your choices .
When we eat solid foods,the foods must go through digestion in order for us to liberate nutrients When food is pre-chewed by a juicer or a blender, this decreases the work of digestion.You've heard of the thermic effect of eating.
The more digestion the more calories you burn digesting food.When you juice cleanse you burn significantly fewer calories via digestion.
At this point, there just doesn't seem to be a strong scientific case in support of detox diets. There are plenty of anecdotes in support of detoxing,especially from companies selling detoxing kits.But the vast majority of unbiased and nutrition experts say that a simple pattern built around whole nutritious foods with regular exercise beats a juice cleanse or detox diet every time.    

10 Exercises That People over 40 MUST Avoid

        

An active life is typically a healthy one and that is why gyms are so popular. However, you need to realize that the workouts you did as a kid won’t be the workouts that you need as an adult, especially as you eclipse that 40 year mark. So if you are over 40 take a look at these 10 exercises and make sure to avoid them if possible! We’ve included alternative options for those gym goers that need to get their lift in, irregardless of age!

Leg Press

The leg press is easily one of the largest cornerstones of the dreaded ‘leg day’. As you get older and hit that 40 year mark you certainly are going to start beginning to feel the effects that working out has on your knees and legs. So when we get older and still see the infamous leg press in our fitness training programs, we get understandably worried. The leg press, as it stands, is pretty terrible for your knees and the small of your lower back. The pressure you put on both of those body parts only echoes louder with age. Yeah, you’ll feel the burn after you work out and likely longer if you keep doing the exercise. Opt for kettlebell squats as an easy alternative. 

Behind Head Lat Pulldowns

As your eyes move down your newest online personal training programs you’ll likely come to the Lat Pulldown. While the Lat Pulldown can be an instrumental part of your workout, as you get older it becomes a bigger and bigger ordeal. More specifically, we take issue with the behind-the-neck version of the exercise. When you do behind the neck exercises, especially the Lat Pulldown with heavier weights, you will begin to put your shoulder and rotator cuffs into some pretty precarious positions. A common injury you’ll see recurring for people doing this exercise includes shoulder impingement, tears, and strains. If you just have to do this routine then perform it on lower weights with a slow, measured, in control repetition. 

Crunches

If you’ve seen a fitness video infomercial or searched for the latest online personal training courses then you’ve know doubt become accustomed to ab routines that have you doing hundreds of crunches and abdominal movements in a session. At face value there isn’t anything intrinsically wrong with crunches or sit ups but like all things, there is a bit of nuance involved. In order to do a crunch that effectively works your abs without damaging your body you need to stay completely ramrod straight with your spine. Think of a credit card as your back when you do a crunch: you don’t want that card to ever bend. When you start to lose form and bend then you’ll begin down the road of chronic back pain and poor results. Instead you can opt for planks, adding weight as you get more comfortable with the routine

Machine Assisted Leg Extensions

If you are heading to the gym today with the idea of working out your legs then avoid this exercise and never look back. While the Leg Extensions Machine is in every gym around the world, apparently, it is also one of the more damaging machines you can run into — especially if you are getting a little bit older and starting to have knee concerns. The problem with machine assisted Leg Extensions is that it puts too much wear and tear right on your knee as you perform the up and down movement at an unnatural angle with unnatural pressure. A lot of younger athletes that incorporate this machine into their workout will find themselves running into chronic knee pain down the line. Avoid it, get rid of it, and move on to some better lifts. Sure the burn might feel good today but you won’t appreciate it for the years down the line that it will follow you 

Deadlifts

Deadlifts are one of the core components of power lifters and bodybuilders all over the world. With proper form and mobility maintenance the Deadlift can stay in your repertoire for quite awhile. This is a compound lift that pretty much works your entire body and after three or four sets you will likely be streaming sweat. The issue with the Deadlift is more focused on when you get older. Proper form is hard to get down when you are starting to collect your own minor, nagging pains. Improper form when doing Deadlifts isn’t just a gym sin, it is also super dangerous. You’ll be putting serious pressure on both your knees and your back and any instability at your foundation will follow you up your spine. Skip barbell Deadlifts and opt instead for kettelbell or dumbbell Deadlifts instead at a lower weight. These options will still push you but you won’t get ground down quite so much  

Smith Machine Assisted Squats

Tell a hardened weight lifter to get into the Smith Machine and they’ll likely laugh in your face. No, they aren’t acting from a position of heightened gym snobbery (well, not exclusively) and they do have a point: the Smith Machine is a problem. Initially the Smith Machine was invented in order to help injured people build up their strength as they recovered from serious injuries. The success of the machine parlayed itself into a starring role in gyms across the country. Many people mistakenly think that they should use the Smith Machine instead of a squat rack. This is wrong. Smith Machine’s not only prevent you from using all of your muscles, as they effectively hold the bar up for you, but they also do major damage to your back. As you get older you need to pay more attention to your back and the Smith Machine won’t help. Trying to squat on a Smith Machine will force your back and spine to move in an unnatural motion, straight up and down, putting the brunt of the weight on your spine rather than your legs, neck, and shoulders. No good. 

Behind the Neck Military Press

The rise of Crossfit, which itself could be a whole other project, has made certain exercises more popular with people that shouldn’t be attempting them. One of the most dangerous exercises that people are doing at either too young, or too advanced, of an age is the Behind the Neck Military Press, or Overhead Press. The problem with this exercise is that you are putting a ton of weight behind your center of balance, while standing, and doing it in a swift motion. Without great stability and excellent form you are opening yourself up to a host of potential injuries to your back, spine, and shoulders. This is an advanced lift that is better left alone 

Extended Cardio

If you are anything like us then you don’t need to be convinced to skimp out on cardio. Cardio, in moderation, can be the cornerstone to a healthy body and a toned physique. Yet, many people start to think that more is better in relation to cardio — simply because it wears them out and leaves them sweating. Extended cardio sessions will lead to muscle breakdown, decreased ‘gains’, and increased production of free radicals that cause your body to age. Instead of doing prolonged cardio do your cardio in shorter sessions but higher intensity

Tricep Dips

Tricep Dips can make you feel like the offspring of a Greek God. When your triceps are rippling in the mirror it can get pretty intoxicating, so why does this exercise make our list? The problem with the tricep dip is that you are immediately setting your body up for failure due to the positioning of your arms. Putting your arms behind your torso and then putting the bulk of your weight on them is a recipe for pain and damage. There are a ton of small muscles in your upper arms and your rotator cuffs that will leave you in pain if you hurt them with this exercise. Opt instead for tricep pushups, close gripped chest exercises and even pushdown cable flies. You’ll get the same pump sans the injury risk 

Dumbbell Flies

The final exercise on our list, for all people to avoid as they get older, are Dumbbell Chest Flies. Chest flies are one of the most common and popular exercises out there because they are easy to do and they look impressive. The problem with Dumbbell Chest Flies is that they 1) aren’t very effective and 2) cause increased strain on tender muscles. The goal of chest flies is to hit your pecs but you can’t really nail them as hard as you’d like with dumbbells. Also, the fact that you are dropping your arms below your chest means you are straining your shoulders and causing heightened pressure. Instead opt for Wolverines on the cables. To do Wolverines you need to set the cables to their lowest position and then grab one handle in each arm. Step forward and emulate Wolverine bringing his arms up in front of his chest. Rinse and repeat. You’ll feel the burn without feeling the pain.

 

 

 

 

    
I

The truth about fats: the good, the bad, and the in-between

The Family Health Guide

For years, fat was a four-letter word. We were urged to banish it from our diets whenever possible. We switched to low-fat foods. But the shift didn’t make us healthier, probably because we cut back on healthy fats as well as harmful ones.
Your body needs some fat from food. It’s a major source of energy. It helps you absorb some vitamins and minerals. Fat is needed to build cell membranes, the vital exterior of each cell, and the sheaths surrounding nerves. It is essential for blood clotting, muscle movement, and inflammation. For long-term health, some fats are better than others. Good fats include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Bad ones include industrial-made trans fats. Saturated fats fall somewhere in the middle.
All fats have a similar chemical structure: a chain of carbon atoms bonded to hydrogen atoms. What makes one fat different from another is the length and shape of the carbon chain and the number of hydrogen atoms connected to the carbon atoms. Seemingly slight differences in structure translate into crucial differences in form and function.

Bad fats

The worst type of dietary fat is the kind known as trans fat. It is a byproduct of a process called hydrogenation that is used to turn healthy oils into solids and to prevent them from becoming rancid. When vegetable oil is heated in the presence of hydrogen and a heavy-metal catalyst such as palladium, hydrogen atoms are added to the carbon chain. This turns oils into solids. It also makes healthy vegetable oils more like not-so-healthy saturated fats. On food label ingredient lists, this manufactured substance is typically listed as “partially hydrogenated oil.”
Early in the 20^th century, trans fats were found mainly in solid margarines and vegetable shortening. As food makers learned new ways to use partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, they began appearing in everything from commercial cookies and pastries to fast-food French fries.
Eating foods rich in trans fats increases the amount of harmful LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream and reduces the amount of beneficial HDL cholesterol. Trans fats create inflammation, which is linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other chronic conditions. They contribute to insulin resistance, which increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Research from the Harvard School of Public Health and elsewhere indicates that trans fats can harm health in even small amounts: for every 2% of calories from trans fat consumed daily, the risk of heart disease rises by 23%.
An expert panel assembled by the Institute of Medicine expert panel concluded that trans fats have no known health benefits and that there is no safe level of consumption. Since 2006, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has required food makers to list trans fat content as a separate line item on food labels. As a result, the food industry has reduced trans fats in many foods, and some local governments have banned trans fats in restaurant foods. Today, these mainly man-made fats are fading from the food supply.

In-between fats

Saturated fats are common in the American diet. They are solid at room temperature — think cooled bacon grease. Common sources of saturated fat include red meat, whole milk and other whole-milk dairy foods, cheese, coconut oil, and many commercially prepared baked goods and other foods.
The word “saturated” here refers to the number of hydrogen atoms surrounding each carbon atom. The chain of carbon atoms holds as many hydrogen atoms as possible — it’s saturated with hydrogens.
A diet rich in saturated fats can drive up total cholesterol, and tip the balance toward more harmful LDL cholesterol, which prompts blockages to form in arteries in the heart and elsewhere in the body. For that reason, most nutrition experts recommend limiting saturated fat to under 10% of calories a day.
A handful of recent reports have muddied the link between saturated fat and heart disease. One meta-analysis of 21 studies said that there was not enough evidence to conclude that saturated fat increases the risk of heart disease, but that replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat may indeed reduce risk of heart disease.
Two other major studies narrowed the prescription slightly, concluding that replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fats like vegetable oils or high-fiber carbohydrates is the best bet for reducing the risk of heart disease, but replacing saturated fat with highly processed carbohydrates could do the opposite.

Good fat

Good fats come mainly from vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fish. They differ from saturated fats by having fewer hydrogen atoms bonded to their carbon chains. Healthy fats are liquid at room temperature, not solid. There are two broad categories of beneficial fats: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
Monounsaturated fats. When you dip your bread in olive oil at an Italian restaurant, you’re getting mostly monounsaturated fat. Monounsaturated fats have a single carbon-to-carbon double bond. The result is that it has two fewer hydrogen atoms than a saturated fat and a bend at the double bond. This structure keeps monounsaturated fats liquid at room temperature.
Good sources of monounsaturated fats are olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, avocados, and most nuts, as well as high-oleic safflower and sunflower oils.
The discovery that monounsaturated fat could be healthful came from the Seven Countries Study during the 1960s. It revealed that people in Greece and other parts of the Mediterranean region enjoyed a low rate of heart disease despite a high-fat diet. The main fat in their diet, though, was not the saturated animal fat common in countries with higher rates of heart disease. It was olive oil, which contains mainly monounsaturated fat. This finding produced a surge of interest in olive oil and the “Mediterranean diet,” a style of eating regarded as a healthful choice today.
Although there’s no recommended daily intake of monounsaturated fats, the Institute of Medicine recommends using them as much as possible along with polyunsaturated fats to replace saturated and trans fats.
Polyunsaturated fats. When you pour liquid cooking oil into a pan, there’s a good chance you’re using polyunsaturated fat. Corn oil, sunflower oil, and safflower oil are common examples. Polyunsaturated fats are essential fats. That means they’re required for normal body functions but your body can’t make them. So you must get them from food. Polyunsaturated fats are used to build cell membranes and the covering of nerves. They are needed for blood clotting, muscle movement, and inflammation.
A polyunsaturated fat has two or more double bonds in its carbon chain. There are two main types of polyunsaturated fats: omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids. The numbers refer to the distance between the beginning of the carbon chain and the first double bond. Both types offer health benefits.
Eating polyunsaturated fats in place of saturated fats or highly refined carbohydrates reduces harmful LDL cholesterol and improves the cholesterol profile. It also lowers triglycerides.
Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids include fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, and sardines, flaxseeds, walnuts, canola oil, and unhydrogenated soybean oil.
Omega-3 fatty acids may help prevent and even treat heart disease and stroke. In addition to reducing blood pressure, raising HDL, and lowering triglycerides, polyunsaturated fats may help prevent lethal heart rhythms from arising. Evidence also suggests they may help reduce the need for corticosteroid medications in people with rheumatoid arthritis. Studies linking omega-3s to a wide range of other health improvements, including reducing risk of dementia, are inconclusive, and some of them have major flaws, according to a systematic review of the evidence by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Omega-6 fatty acids have also been linked to protection against heart disease. Foods rich in linoleic acid and other omega-6 fatty acids include vegetable oils such as safflower, soybean, sunflower, walnut, and corn oils.