Thursday, April 26, 2012

Questions - Trans fats

What makes Trans fats so bad?


Trans fats are bad because not only do they raise our LDL “bad” cholesterol but they also lower our HDL “good” cholesterol. Manufacturers like to use it because it increases the shelf life of a product. It is normally liquid at room temperature but they have chemically altered it to make it stay solid at room temperature. This is how stick margarine holds its shape and why you don’t see oil floating on top of regular peanut butter.
 
It is typically found in prepared foods like pie crust, crescent rolls, crackers, icing, mixes, and cookies. The FDA does not require the manufacturers to list trans fats if there is less than .5g per serving. We recommend no more than 2g/d if any at all. If you eat 4 servings at .5g then you’ve reached your limit…which is not hard to do if the servings sizes are small.

Play food detective…look at the ingredient list for the word “partially hydrogenated” and that means they do include trans fats. 


I’ve heard that eating an apple can make you hungrier?


I haven’t heard that but if you pair that apple with some protein, for example, a piece of string cheese or 1 tbsp of natural peanut butter or a handful of nuts, it will keep you fuller longer and prevent blood sugar spikes which may make you hungry.


Protein takes longer to digest…so pairing it with high fiber (which an apple is) is a great combination.

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