Fats are an essential and important part of our daily diet

Saturated sources are mainly from animals. They are solid at room temperature such as butter and lard. They usually become liquid when heated. This type contains triglycerides which are dangerous in the blood so should be consumed in small amounts.

Transfats are man made and completely unnatural to the body. Although they are found in many foods since they increase the shelf life of most processed food products.

Unsaturated includes polyunsaturated and monounsaturated versions and are liquid at room temperature. Examples of these include olive oil or corn oil, flax, safflower, sunflower and pumpkin oils. They contain something called phospholipids which are first rate sources of essential fatty acids or EFA's. EFA.s maintain cells and are necessary for hormone production, healthy brain function and a host of bodily functions.

To find out if what you are eating contains essential nutrition, check the nutrition label. I do this with just about everything I buy because you just can't be careful enough these days. I like to know what is in my food before I eat it, and before I give it to my kids to eat.

Remember that you should not get more than 25% of your daily calories from this source of nutrition.