Say No to Trans Fats in Partially Hydrogenated Oils

Small sample of partially hydrogenated oil foods -nondairy creamer, brownie mix, Doritos and margarine

"Let a man avoid evil deeds as a man who loves life avoids poison" -Buddha

Now that you've learned to read food labels, take a closer look at all your packaged food to make sure there are no trans fats in them. Trans fats are worse than saturated fats - they clog up your arteries, raise your bad cholesterol levels while lowering good cholesterol, and contribute to Type II diabetes. They even lower your levels of Omega-3 oils. Imagine bacon grease clogging up a drain. That's how trans fats clog up your body pipes. Yuck. They are so bad that NYC has banned them from all restaurants! [Wait a second - I think I just figured out where my elevated cholesterol came from - decades of pigging out on partially hydrogenated snacks. Double yuck.]

So why do they exist? Trans fats are made when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil to make it last longer. That makes it cheaper for food processers. Hydrogenation hardens oil (and your arteries) so it has a longer shelf life. It also raises the cooking temperature so restaurants can reuse the oil multiple times to fry. Trans fats occur naturally in tiny amounts of cow and sheep products. But it's the manmade items we are worried about. The culprits - partially hydrogenated oils and shortening - are in all sorts of places.

What to do - Avoid Trans Fats

1. Check the ingredients list on all your packaged food. Look for "partially-hydrogenated oils" or "shortening." If you see them, put the item back on the shelf and don't buy it. It has trans fats.
2. Don't be satisfied if the Nutrition Facts says there are 0 Trans Fats. In the U.S., if the food has less than .5 grams, the FDA lets the company round down to 0. If there are any partially-hydrogenated oils or shortening, put it back.
3. Pay close attention to the usual suspects like packaged snacks, crackers, all baked goods (cookies, cake, muffins, etc.), margarine, non-dairy creamers and microwave popcorn. 
4. If you are eating out, watch out for all fried foods, fast food, donuts and baked goods. Don't order it. If you really want to, ask if they are using partially-hydrogenated oils or shortening. If the answer is yes, be mindful and definitely don't order it.

For more info on trans fats, one of the original U.S. movements to ban trans fats created an informative site (the health information is current, though much of the restaurant info has changed) and the University of Maryland Medical School published a 101.

   
Tip: Tell your children about the "Trans Fat Bogeyman" and where he lurks. Ask them to help be on the look-out. Kids will love the assignment, and besides, you don't want to start them off on the path to bad health so young.

What I ate: 2 bananas, 1 apple, 1 nectarine, 1 cup coffee, 1 piece Japanese cake, spaghetti + cabbage + seaweed, pickled vegetables, steamed Alaskan king crab, almond brittle, 2 cups milk, 6 squares chocolate, 2 cups shelled peanuts

Exercise: Ran 4.5 miles