Thursday, April 7, 2011

Tips For Identifying And Avoiding Trans Fatty Acids

By Katherine Crawford


Trans fats are arguably the single most health damaging nutrient to have been mass produced in the western world. They are responsible for an endless amount of cardiac events in the US alone.

Even more horrific is the fact that many companies are still hiding trans fats in their foods with deceiving marketing tactics.

So here is a guide for avoiding these hidden fats:

1. Be careful with processed foods: Processed foods, especially those that have a very high shelf life, are more likely to have trans fats. Things like chips, crackers, pies, cookies, popcorn, among many others, are likely to have trans fats. So try to avoid these packaged foods as much as possible.

2. Don't rely on the shiny packaging for the truth: Because more often than not, what the packaging claims is only part of the truth. You see, there is a loophole that companies can take advantage of which lets them claim zero trans fat in big, bold letters even if the product has trans fats.

3. Check the list of ingredients every time you are purchasing an unfamiliar product: The companies have to list what's in their products on the ingredients list, there is no way around this. So take the extra time to read the list of ingredients and if you see the word "hydrogenated" do not purchase the product.

4. Do not eat fast food: Even the so called healthy Boston Market has endless dishes with hidden trans fats. And it's a pain in the neck to figure out which dishes do and do not have trans fats in them. So your best bet is to simply avoid fast food all together.

5. Be smart with butter substitutes: Some people need to have that buttery or margarine flavor in their diet. If this is the case with you, choose a product that is as healthy as possible. My personal recommendation is earth smart balance spread.

Not only do trans fat seriously hinder any fat loss goals, but they also decrease longevity. Pretty soon they will be illegal in the US. So take action here now to save your health.




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