HEALTH + WELLNESS
— 2 — ELIMINATE TRANS FATS , COMPLETELY
During an interview on Larry King Live , Andrew Weill , MD , Director of the University of Arizona Integrative Center for Medicine , was asked what the one thing Americans could do to improve their health . He replied : “ Eliminate trans fats from the diet .”
Trans fats are made by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil through a process called hydrogenation . This process makes the oil less likely to spoil . Trans fats are then added to foods in the manufacturing process to help them stay fresher longer and to have an extended shelf-life . Scientists believe that these trans fats can ’ t be eliminated by the body and are stored in the cells in the same way as saturated fat . This storage appears to increase your bad cholesterol and deplete your good cholesterol more than other fats . Because of these health concerns , food manufacturers have reduced trans fats in prepared foods . Any amount of trans fat , however , is too much . These fats have an additive effect in the body , so even though one serving may be less than the 0.5 gram amount , multiple servings throughout the day would exceed the limit . If the product doesn ’ t say “ No trans fat ” then check the label . Look for words such as “ partially hydrogenated “ vegetable oil .” This is another term for trans fat . The easiest way to avoid trans fats is to avoid all processed foods .
— 3 — ELIMINATE HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP
High fructose corn syrup ( HFCS ) is an industrialized food product and doesn ’ t occur naturally in the environment . It is not completely clear how the product is manufactured , because this has been kept under wraps , but it is known that HFCS is made of a higher ratio of fructose to glucose . Fructose is sweeter than glucose and HFCS is cheaper to produce . HFCS
People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and New Year ’ s but they really should be worried about what they eat between New Year ’ s and Christmas . — Author unknown
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