Trans Fats
January 21st, 2010
What are trans fats?
Trans fats are fats that have been chemically altered from their liquid states into a solid (shortening). This process is called hydrogenation. These fats will lower your HDL (good cholesterol) and raise your LDL (bad cholesterol) all at once! The Nurse’s Healthy Study of 80,000 women found that a 2% increase in trans fat consumption increased their risk of heart disease by 93%. Another study showed that about 40% of the food found on supermarket shelves contains some form of trans fat.
How do you spot trans fats?
We all need to watch out because companies are crafty. They know that many of us want to make healthier choices so they label their products with “zero trans fats per serving”. In reality, as longs as a product has less than .5 grams per serving the FDA will allow a company can still legally make this claim. Even though these products only contain a “small” amount per serving, the total amount of trans fats ingested can add up quickly with multiple servings. Avoid these items and your heart will thank you.
In most cases, trans fats are only found in junk food (frozen pizza, cookies etc). When reading product labels you should look for hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. Fully hydrogenated oils become saturated fat and do not contain trans fats. The key is to read your label and make sure that you are doing most of your shopping around the perimeter of the store. This is where most of the healthy items are located.
Have a healthy day and a healthy heart!
As always, please let me know if you have any questions.
William
Boot Camp Instructor
I have over 10 years of experience from working with clients ranging from weekend warriors to world class athletes. I have taught strength and conditioning at Lincoln University (PA) where my students learned how to incorporate fitness into their everyday lives. While at Lincoln I coached both cross country and track and field. My experience has allowed me to spend time at a major national gym as the Assistant Fitness Director. My ability to construct a complete program that is tailor made to each specific person allows me to get the best results possible from anyone. Each workout is different and challenging enough to produce the desired results, but not so challenging that you become discouraged. I am certified by The National Federation of Professional Trainers and a 13 time NCAA Track & Field All-American. My CPR certification is through The American Safety & Health Institute. Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/trans-fats-1762293.html
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