At the time Umbach was in Afghanistan, about a decade since US-backed forces captured Mazar-e-Sharif, most people's lives had regained some sense of normalcy. Men were back to their jobs as farmers or factory workers, and girls could go to school.
Dietary fats and oils. Dietary fats and oils are the most concentrated form of energy as they yield 9 calories/g, whereas, carbohydrates and proteins yield only 4 calories/gm. Nuts and oil seeds are good sources of fat. Beside rich in energy, dietary fats are incredible sources of essential fatty acids, vitamin E in addition to act as the transport vehicle for fat-soluble vitamins/hormones. There are two types of dietary fats, visible and non-visible fat.
A good working understanding of just what they are and how they work is an essential part of any well conceived diet. Fats and oils, certainly as much and perhaps more than any other single dietary component, directly impact our health in profound ways. The difference between fats and oils is in their melting point. Fats tend to be solids at room temperature; oils tend to be liquid at room temperature. To turn a fat into an oil, merely raise its temperature above its melting point.