It turns out that polyunsaturated fats are not all equal, and some of them actually increase the odds of cardiovascular disease and death.

Introduction

Ever notice how a particular food can become all the rage – only to drop out of fashion a few years later?

And how the food or nutrient that our doctors told us to get more of in 1990 can morph into the one they are warning us against in 2013?

It’s enough to harden a person’s arteries.

With so much conflicting information out there, it can be tough to figure out what to believe.

But as you’ll learn in this article, health is about balance. Too much or too little of any nutrient can lead to trouble.

Keep that in mind as we explore the complicated world of fats and their role in heart health.

What fats should I eat?

In the last half of the 20th century, doctors and nutrition professionals agreed: too much saturated fat was bad for the heart.

The recommendations were clear: If you want to avoid heart disease and keep your arteries free of build-up, you should increase polyunsaturated fats and decrease saturated fats in the diet.

That’s what they told us – and most of us listened.

But lately, there’s been a shift in scientific understanding.

• Saturated fats don’t seem to be as bad for us as doctors used to think.
• Polyunsaturated fats are not equal in their effects.
• And the type of polyunsaturated fat you eat may be just as important as how much of it you eat.

KEEP FATS REAL

Here’s one simplified way to understand the relationship between some different fat types.

*photo credit Precision Nutrition Textbook

Notice that generally, fat type alone doesn’t determine the healthiness – rather, healthy fats are found in whole, unprocessed foods, while unhealthy fats are found in processed foods.

For example, you’ll notice that naturally occurring saturated fats (such as coconut) are important in a healthy diet. On the other hand, artificially created saturated fats (fats that start out unsaturated and are then chemically processed  – for instance, through hydrogenation — to become saturated, such as margarine) are not as healthy a choice.

Our bodies know what to do with real food. They don’t know what to do with the other stuff.

KEEP FATS IN BALANCE

We recommend the following guide for fat intake:

• 1/3 of your fatty acids from saturated fats;
• 1/3 from monounsaturated fat; and
• 1/3 from polyunsaturated fat (with a good amount of omega-3 fatty acids)

Of course, these should mostly come from whole, unprocessed foods. (We’ll give you some ideas below.)

Finding fatty acids in the grocery store

Now you know which fats you should eat in what proportions. But there’s no “fat” aisle at the grocery store, and most nutrition labels don’t classify fats beyond telling you whether they’re saturated or unsaturated.

Here’s how to recognize what kind of fats you’re buying and eating.

• Saturated fats come mostly from animal fats (e.g. butter, meat fats) and tropical oils (e.g. coconut oil). They’re usually solid at room temperature.
• Monounsaturated fats come mostly from avocados, nuts, and olive oil.
• Most other oils are polyunsaturates.

START WITH WHOLE FOODS

If you’re looking to add good fats to your diet, start with whole food-based fats in their natural, least-processed state. This includes things like:

• fatty fish and seafood; sea vegetables
• raw nuts and seeds
• avocados
• fresh olives
• fresh coconut; raw cacao
• pastured butter and full-fat dairy
• fatty meats if pastured / grass-fed

CHOOSE COOKING OILS WISELY

Unless you’re grinding and pressing your own olives or seeds, remember that all oils have undergone at least some processing.

Look for “cold-pressed” or “extra-virgin” varieties of oil where possible.

The table below (source) breaks down the fatty acid composition of different types of oils that can be used for cooking – along with butter, for comparison. Highlighted oils are lower in omega-6 fatty acids.

Notice the smoke point of the various oils. That’s the temperature at which they begin to burn.

When you’re cooking, you want to prevent oil from burning because overheating causes chemical deterioration and produces toxic compounds that circulate in your body and lead to inflammation. Not good. Cooking with fats high in Omega-3 fatty acids is not good as they are especially sensitive to heat and break down intro trans fats easily.

So next time you add some fat to your diet, be sure to get a good variety, don't burn your olive oil, and keep it fresh!

Today's WOD:

50 Double-Unders
30 HSPU (reg standard)
20 TTB
50 Double-Unders
20 HSPU
15 TTB
50 Double-Unders
10 HSPU
10 TTB

Strength:

1) Every 40 seconds for 4 minutes:

1 Power Snatch + 2 Behind-the-Neck Push Presses @ 80%

*Notes: This should be completed as a complex. The bar should be lowered to the back rack after the Power Snatch, and the Push Presses should be performed with a Snatch grip.

2) Every 40 seconds for 4 minutes:

2 (touch and go) Power Cleans + 1 Push Jerk @ 75%