First, don’t fall for all that packaging declaring something is “fat free”. It may be fat free, but has the food been processed within an inch of its nutritional life?
Second, be wary of claims that saturated fats are always the bad guys (they’re not). According to some of the latest research, coconut oil and even butter and lard can be good for you in moderate amounts—and they’re definitely better for you and your family than all those highly processed trans-fats (and inter-esterified fats) found in some margarines, various spreads, and many baked goods and packaged foods. Third, know what you’re buying and eating. Research shows that some oils (olive oil and flaxseed oil, to name just two) can be totally terrific. But even good guys, can quickly turn into really bad guys. Fats and oils can be oxidized (turned rancid) by heat, air, and light; eating oxidized fats and oils introduces unnecessary levels of free radicals into your body. Unfortunately, oxidation can occur in the refining process before the oil ever leaves the plant, right on the shelf in the grocery store, in your cupboard at home, and in your pan on the stove. So, what does all this me
