Fat is an essential part of our diets. It helps to keep us satisfied and keeps our blood sugar stable.  Remember the low-fat diets of the 90's?  We ate alot of processed carbs (Snackwell Cookies were my personal favorite) and steered clear of any fat.  The result?  A huge craving for.... you guessed it.  More processed carbs.  The bottom line is our bodies need fat, and the best thing we can do for our health is protect our hearts with the good kind of fat.

The easiest way to remember which fats are heart healthy is to keep in mind a few rules.  The heart healthy fats are 1) natural (meaning not man made) and 2) not from an animal.  What are some excellent choices?  Olive oil, canola oil, nuts (unsalted, dry roasted), natural nut butters, avocado, fish oils and flax oil.  This leads us to the "not so healthy" fats such as bottled salad dressings, mayo, butter and the fat found in red meat.  These fats are either man-made or from animals, and can clog our arteries. 

So do your body a favor and aim for the heart healthy fats!  Here's a few easy ways to getting in the heart healthy fats.

-On your sandwich or wrap, choose avocado in place of cheese or mayo.  Or have mustard on your sandwich (fat free) or hummus in place of fattening toppings and a small handful of nuts like almonds on the side for good fat

-On your salad, make your own balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing in place of creamy dressing

-Have salmon once or twice a week or take fish oil supplements

-Choose natural peanut butter or almond butter in place of Jiffy or Skip (they contain hydrogenated oils).   It's excellent in smoothies and mixed in oatmeal

-Add flax seed oil to your protein smoothies

-cook with olive oil or canola oil in place of butter

A good rule of thumb is to aim for the heart healthy fats for the majority of your meals throughout the day.