Time To Touch on Fats Again

I've had several questions about fats recently, so I feel the need to write about them one more time. First I have to say that all fat is not bad. What you have to do is begin to read labels, when it says "Fat Free" what does that mean, what is actually in the product.

The three fats we hear about are unsaturated, saturated, and trans fat. The unsaturated can be good as can some of the saturated fats. The trans fats are a result of processing of the food and are like sticking poison into your system. Even just a little trans fat is very unhealthy for your body. So be sure you're reading the labels.

Now that I've beat into you reading the labels, here's somethings to be aware of. If a label says "zero trans fat" that does not mean there is no trans fat in the food. In fact according to labeling guidelines, a manufacturer can put zero trans fats if there is less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving. Your maximum amount of trans fat per day should be no more than 2 grams totally according to the American Heart Association, but for me that is too much. If trans fat is poison to my system why would I want to put any amount into my body?!

Here are the things to watch for on the label: partially hydrogenated oil, shortening, and any food with an extended shelf life. See my postings on fat starting September 6, 2008.

Trans Fats

Since I've been talking about triglycerides, I thought I would mention a few things about other fats as well. The buzz these days is really about trans fats. If you look at cholesterol numbers, then what trans fats do is raise the LDL (bad cholesterol) and lower the HDL (good cholesterol). They differ from plane saturated fats in that saturated fats just raise the LDL.

Trans fats are present in meat and dairy products naturally. But the majority of trans fats that we consume in our diets are created by processing of food today, which turns liquid oils into solid fats. the trick is that you don't need to cut out meat and dairy, the best thing to do is to read labels and cut out processed foods that contain trans fats.

Trans Fat Free

If the label says "Trans Fat Free" do you still need to read the label? In a word, Yes! The reason is that the product can contain partially hydrogenated oil. You can label the product as Trans Fat Free as long as a serving size has less than a half a gram of trans fat. Now if you routinely eat 2 servings of the product ( this may be as little as 2 teaspoons), you are getting more than half a gram.

I can't emphasize enough how very important it is to read the labels. You want products with no partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated oils in them.