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Another supply of energy comes from the group called 'fats' and obviously if we don't use up the chemical energy that is contained in them our bodies try to build up a 'store' for future use - just in case we run out of them in our diets - this means we store them as 'body-fat'.

There are three kinds of fats:

      1) Saturated fats. Saturated fats are those which are solid at room temperature such as the fat seen in meat. Saturated fats are the chief cause of raising the cholesterol levels therefore increasing the risk of heart disease. Excepting for palm and coconut oils, saturated fats come from animals. Red meat, butter and cheese are familiar forms. Hydrogenated fats are those fats converted from liquid oils to a semisolid form, such as margarine and shortening. Eating a lot of hydrogenated and trans fats raise the total and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.

      2) Polyunsaturated fats (also called polyunsaturated fatty acids) and oils are those which are liquid at room temperature and remain in liquid form even if refrigerated. Examples are soybean, safflower, sunflower, corn and walnut oils. Another form of these oils, omega-3 fatty acids, comes from cold water fish such as sardines, mackerel and tuna. Several studies show that these oils may prevent heart disease by lowering triglyceride levels and reducing blood pressure.

      3) Monosaturated fats, the good-for-you kind, are liquid at room temperature but begin to solidify when refrigerated. Examples of these fats are canola, olive, peanut, and cashew oils, as well as olive, peanuts and cashews themselves. Cholesterol is actually essential for good health; it is vital to the function and structure of your cells and formation of certain body chemicals called hormones. So, we all have cholesterol and need cholesterol to live. It's when we have eat too much cholesterol that things become of concern.