This is a blog that many people can relate to. Here we will give you all the latest weight loss solutions as well as health tips, diet tips, and the real facts on how to lose weight the healthy way.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Knowing What To Look For When it Comes to Trans Fat
No matter how much we hear about how bad Trans Fat is for us, most people simply do not know what to look for. Here is what you need to know about trans fat:
1. Look for the grams of trans fat on the Nutrition Facts label. Any number, even .5 is a red flag. Remember, the daily goal is as low as possibly, ideally zero. If you ate 2 foods at every meal with .5 g per serving, you could end up with 4 grams per day.
Here’s a good way to put that number in perspective: trans fat is considered more harmful than saturated fat, and 4 grams of saturated fat is 20% of the Daily Value (i.e. 20% of the maximum healthy adults should have per day). The reason saturated fat has a %DV is because you can’t avoid it altogether—it’s naturally found in some of the healthiest foods on the planet. One Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil provides 2 g of saturated fat. Fortunately, unnatural trans fats can be eliminated.
2. Even if the label list 0 g of trans fat, scan the ingredient list. By law, foods that contain less than .5 grams per serving can claim zero. In other words, free or zero isn’t always what it seems—if the food contains .49 grams of trans fat, the label will say 0 g, but if you eat 4 servings of that food, you just racked up nearly 2 grams. If the words ‘partially hydrogenated’ show up in the ingredients, there’s at least some trans fat in the product.
3. If you’ve checked #1 and #2, you’re not in the clear yet. A product can also be labeled trans free if it’s made with fully hydrogenated instead of partially hydrogenated oil. Technically, fully hydrogenated oils are trans free, but they may not be risk free. Eating products made with interesterified oil (a.k.a. fully hydrogenated oil, a trans-free alternative to partially hydrogenated oil) lowered HDL, the good cholesterol and caused a significant rise in blood sugar (about 20%). If you see the H word at all (hydrogenated), even if partially doesn’t come before it, or if the ingredients include interesterified oil, you may just be trading one bad fat for another.
Bottom line: when it comes to trans fats, always use zero as your benchmark, but don’t forget to check those ingredient lists to scope out hidden fragments and their sneaky cousins!
Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway ::
6:21 AM ::
0 comments
