Fat? Good for you? Watchu talkin' bout Willis?

Got fat? The more I hear, the more I feel like I haven't been paying attention. When did the world realize that all fat is not all "fattening". Why didn't anyone call me?

I can remember Susan Powter's "Stop the Insanity" infomercial where she knowingly held up five pounds of crystallized fat and proclaimed something kitschy like "Five pounds of fat... It can't form on your hips if it doesn't cross your lips." Whatever she said, it made sense, in an oversimplified kindergarten kind of way.

But now people are getting sophisticated. According to the National Academies Institute of Medicine recommendations for healthy eating, adults should consume between 20-35% of their daily calories from fat to meet daily calorie requirements and minimize risk for chronic disease.

Typical sources of fat in a diet include butter, margarine, vegetable oils, visible fat on meat and poultry, whole milk, egg yolks, and nuts. Look closer, and you find out it is not only best to minimize the amount of saturated and trans fats in your diet, but critical to consume the good fats in order to functionn (and, ironically, to lose fat).

Good fats, are monounsaturated fat and essential polyunsaturated fats (often called EFA's, essential fatty acides.) I personally take a teaspoon of the following sources of EFA's every morning and right before bed in order to get enough of the good fats into my diet every day: Coconut Oil, Codliver Oil, Lecithin, and Bee Pollen.

Ever since I started this regimen, I have noticed that my metabolism is running faster (i.e., I don't gain weight as easily) and I hardly ever get headaches anymore. I've read about that consequence a number of places due to the anti-inflammatory effects of EFA's.

Research is showing that EFAs help you burn excess fat, restore health to the cardiovascular system, relieve arthritis pain and inflammation, and strengthen the immune system.

Sounds good. I wish they made cheese out of the good fats. But for now, I'll continue to take my teaspoons of fish and coconut oil, bee pollen and lecithin. If you want to achieve a healthy Beachbody, I highly recommend you do some research and make the investment into some EFA's from trusted, quality sources. Not all sources deliver the same quality. So ask around, search the net. And get fat. Well... Get essentially fat so you get thin and healthy. You know what I mean.