Q: hi mike whats the difference between saturated fats and unsaturated fats

A: Chemically speaking, saturated fats are those that have maximum number of hydrogen atoms bonded to each carbon atom in the carbon chain, while unsaturated fats have double-bonds between some carbons leaving fewer bonds for hydrogens. Of course, this is not very relevant to fitness and health :)

More to the point is that saturated fats are a component of all animal fats (and some plant fats as well) and have been blamed for a whole host of health problems -- everything from obesity to heart desease. Even though this is conventional wisdom it is based on some questionable research and more and more current research shows that saturated fats may have been falsely blamed.

Unsaturated fats include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (poly include omega-3 and omega-6). Unsaturated fats are generally considered healthy and you should especially focus on monounsaturated (olive oil, avocados) and omega-3 polyunsaturated (flax, fatty fish like salmon). Soybean and most other plant oils, peanuts, salad dressings are all rich in omega-6 and very few people don't get enough omega-6.

The MOST IMPORTANT thing when discussing fats, however, is that you should always avoid trans fats. Trans fats are kinda like good fats gone bad and they are truly bad for you. Fats go bad at high temperature and become trans fats which is why frying with oil is bad for you -- by the way, saturated and monounsaturated fats are better for cooking than polyunsaturated. Another name for trans fats is hydrogenated oil which is extremely common in all processed foods. Trans of hydrogenated fats are definitely the worst for you and should be avoided.

So, what should and shouldn't you eat? Most importantly, eat natural, real, minimally-processed foods. If a food has a long list of ingredients, pass on it. Extra virgin olive oil is better than Caesar salad dressing. Butter is better than margarine. Natural peanut butter is better than Jif or Peter Pan. Raw or dry-roasted nuts and seeds are better than chocolates and ho-hos. Instead of focusing on avoiding saturated fats worry more about avoiding trans/hydrogenated fats. And do not use oil in frying -- if you have to, use only a little, fry at low temperature, and use butter or olive oil.