I wish I had some catchy mnemonic or easy trick that I could share with you to clearly explain how to tell a healthy fat from an unhealthy fat, but the reality is that fats are complicated.

We have to throw out all of the over-simplified facts that we’ve been taught about fats. For instance, we can no longer say the following.

• Saturated fats are bad for you. Nope. In fact, coconut oil is a saturated fat that has many health benefits. Even butter is getting good press nowadays thanks to the popularity of products like Bulletproof Coffee.
• All saturated fats are solid at room temperature. Not all of them. MCT oil is a saturated fat but stays in liquid form even when it’s refrigerated.
• Polyunsaturated fats are best. The truth is polyunsaturated fats comprise some of the worst fats (i.e. vegetable oils) and best fats (i.e. omega-3 fatty acids).