Partially Hydrogenated Fats and Trans-Fats
by Shereen Jegtvig
When you look on the ingredients lists of your packaged foods, you may see ‘partially hydrogenated oil’ lurking there. Hydrogenation involves forcing hydrogen molecules into the polyunsaturated fat molecules of liquid oil. The addition of the hydrogen molecules changes the chemical structure of the fats and turns the liquid oil into a more solid shape (think about stick margarine). These fats are called trans-fats.
That’s a bad thing because partially trans-fats are worse for you than saturated fats. Trans fats raise LDL cholesterol (the bad kind), which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Eating too many of these artificially created trans-fats clogs your arteries and increases inflammation.
It’s so bad, that food manufacturers are required by the United States Food and Drug Administration to indicate how many grams of trans-fat are contained in each serving of their products. And New York City has banned the use of trans-fats in local restaurants. Read more
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Are Organic Foods Worth the Cost?
by Shereen Jegtvig
There’s a lot to think about when you buy foods at the grocery store. Does the food offer good nutrition? What kind of additives and preservatives are present? How many calories are there? And so on…
So here’s another question to consider. Is your food organic, and does it really matter?
If your main concern about the food you buy is good nutrition, then whether food is organic or not doesn’t really enter into it. A recent study looked at the research and concluded that organic food really isn’t any more nutritious than regular commercially grown food. An organically grown orange has pretty much the same amount of vitamins, minerals, fiber and calories as a regular orange. Same thing goes for other fruits, berries, vegetables, meats, dairy and grains. Read more
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Omega-3 Fatty Acids: What Role Do They Play?
by Shereen Jegtvig
Fats can be confusing. Some are bad for you, if you eat too much of them, like the saturated fats and trans fats, but some are good for you, like the polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. But you even have to be a little careful with the good fats, because all fats are high in calories. One gram of fat has nine calories, almost twice as much as the same amount of carbohydrate or protein. You need fats, but not a lot of them and some, like the omega-3 fats are essential – your body can’t make them for you – so you need to get them from your diet.
Omega-3 fats are necessary for good health – they’ll help protect your heart, slow down macular degeneration (the leading cause of blindness in the elderly), and reduce inflammation in your body. Your brain and nervous system need omega-3 fats for normal function, and in fact, it’s crucial for pregnant women to get lots of omega-3 fats during the third trimester of pregnancy as well as through the first three months of nursing, so that the baby’s brain and eyes develop normally. Read more
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Cutting Fat and Calories by Using Cooking Sprays
by Shereen Jegtvig
With obesity becoming a major health problem, it’s good to look for ways to cut calories – every little bit counts. One way to reduce the calories and total fat in your diet is to use cooking sprays instead of oil or butter when you cook. These cooking sprays work great for coating pans and bakeware without adding extra calories because you’re able to use just a thin layer of the product on your cookware.
How Cooking Sprays Work
Cooking sprays combine a small amount of oil with an emulsifier (usually soy lecithin) and a propellant. You simply spray the product onto your cookware. Some brands contain small amounts of silicone-based materials that appear to be harmless when ingested in these small amounts; however I don’t think they have the greatest flavor. Many also contain preservatives and even some artificial flavorings. The best cooking sprays keep the ingredients list short – only an oil, lecithin and a propellant. Read more
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