Crescent-News.com - Quick guide to anti-aging fats

Remember when all fats were bad? (This was around the time that jelly beans were viewed practically as a health food.) Fortunately for your taste buds -- and your heart -- that idea largely went the way of eight-track tapes. (The exception is for people with near total occlusion of an artery.) But there's still confusion about which fats to invite to your table and which need a bouncer. Here's all you need to know:

Embrace the "uns." There are two kinds of UNsaturated fats: monoUNsaturated and polyUNsaturated. The ones that help you stay healthy are omega-3 fats (polyunsaturated), found in canola oil, walnuts and walnut oil, avocados and flax oil and seeds. Many people believe other unsaturated fats -- such as the omega-9s that are prominent in olive oil and other nuts -- also help you avoid aging. Notice a theme in these good fats? Right: They all come from plants, and many plant-based fats are heart-healthy.

Watch the ratio. The subject of fats is very complex, but at the risk of your stopping reading because you think we're geeks, we'll go into it a little bit: Many docs believe you should avoid omega-6 fats from soybeans, safflower and corn. Many fat experts believe that all omega-6s do not help you stay young. This area is as controversial as how many decks of cards a gambling casino uses in blackjack. But there does seem to be an ideal, and that's an omega-3 to omega-6 ratio of at least 1-4. The typical American diet is 1-20. Translation: We eat way too many omega-6 fats.

Shun the solids. Unhealthy saturated fats are found in products from four-legged animals (most red meats, luncheon meats, butter, full-fat cheese) and also in palm and coconut oils. A key way to spot them is that they're generally solid at room temperature. Need something to spread on your sandwich? Skip the butter and try a moist flavor-booster such as mustard, hummus, avocado, tomato sauce or a crushed-olive tapenade.

Turn your back on trans. Trans fats are fats that have been hydrogenated, a process designed to keep fats from spoiling and becoming rancid. While hydrogenizing works -- trans fats keep foods stable at room temperature, increasing a product's shelf life -- these processed fats have turned out to be the unhealthiest fats of all. They raise lousy LDL cholesterol and lower healthy HDL. Exactly the opposite of what your body wants.

Our bottom line: Omega-3s make your physical age younger than your calendar age, so include a handful of walnuts and maybe other nuts in your daily diet; cook with as little fat as possible and use canola oil when you do; include fish oils and avocados in your diet. Most scientists -- but not all -- include olive oil in the healthy group. Saturated fats and trans fats definitely turn on some genes that make your body age, so avoid these to keep your RealAge as young as it can be. And omega-6 fats sneak into so many foods that it's worth trying to avoid oils rich in them (soybean, safflower, corn and vegetable blends).

Finally, all fat makes you feel fuller longer -- but you only need 70 calories' worth (6 walnuts, for example) to release a hormone known as CCK (cholycystokinin) that works on the brain to decrease the desire for food. It takes about 25-30 minutes after you eat 70 calories of fat on an empty stomach to work. Dr. Mike's favorite technique: Have a little avocado on a celery stalk or a few walnuts, a glass of water, a glass of your favorite wine, plus a 30-minute walk prior to dinner. And keep in mind that even healthy fats are high in calories, and calories still count. Enjoy, but not in excess.

The YOU Docs -- Mike Roizen and Mehmet Oz -- are authors of the best-selling "YOU: The Owner's Manual" and "YOU: On a Diet." To submit questions and find ways to grow younger and healthier, go to www.RealAge.com, the docs' online home.