Because you are supposed to eat no more than 2 grams of trans fat per day, you should be aware of every gram of trans fat you take in.  The fact that companies are given the right to put zero trans fat on a label when the product actually does contain some trans fat is wrong.  Why the FDA would allow this is beyond me.  It is just making us more unhealthy.  So next time you are grocery shopping and want to buy something with zero trans fat, look a little closer at the label.  If you see things such as, “partially hydrogenated,” or “shortening,” then you have found the trans fat they tried to hide from you! 

Also remember that saturated fat is unhealthy as well, and is not a good alternative of trans fat!

Saturated fats are natural fats contained in meats, dairy products, such as butter, cream, milk, cheese, and tropical oils, such as coconut, palm, and palm kernel. Humans need some saturated fats, about 20 grams a day, but we abuse the recommended daily amount and on most days eat much more saturated fat than our bodies need. This is bad because saturated fat can increase cholesterol.

Trans fatty acids are manufactured. They are unnatural fats made from oils, which are chemically altered so that they are solid at room temperature. Our bodies do not need any trans fat and we should avoid products that contain them. Trans fats raise LDL, or bad cholesterol and also decrease HDL, or good cholesterol.

The best way to lose weight and keep it off long term is by tracking the foods you eat and the exercise you get in order to notice any patterns that may be helping or hurting you. One great way to do this is a website http://www.thedailyplate.com/. It is a great way to track the foods you eat and any exercise you get. You can create a profile and track your weight loss and it has a great database of foods that you can look up for nutritional information! Since one of the best things you can do to lose weight is cut out foods with trans fatty acids, this site will come up with a diet that limits your intake of them. I hope this helps anyone who was looking for a way to easily track their progress.

Here is a list of the top ten foods to stay away from.  These foods are very high in saturated fat and trans fat so if you must eat them, eat them in moderation!

1. Spreads.   Margarine, butter, and shortening are all loaded with trans fats and saturated fats, both of which can lead to heart disease.

Tip: Look for soft-tub margarine, because it is less likely to have trans fat.

2. Packaged foods. Cake mixes, Bisquick, and other mixes all have several grams of trans fat per serving.

Tip: Add flour and baking powder to your grocery list, do it yourself baking is a better alternative

3. Soups. Ramen noodles and soup cups contain very high levels of trans fat.

Tip: Get out the crock-pot and recipe book. Or try the fat-free and reduced-fat canned soups.

4.  Fast Food- no surprise here. Fries, chicken, and other foods are deep-fried in partially hydrogenated oil.  Pancakes and grilled sandwiches also have some trans fat, from margarine slathered on the grill.

Tip: Order your meat broiled or baked. Skip the pie. Forget the biscuit. Skip the fries.

5. Frozen Food. Those yummy frozen pies, pot pies, waffles, pizzas, even breaded fish sticks contain trans fat. Even if the label says it’s low-fat, it still has trans fat.

Tip: In frozen foods, baked is always heart-healthier than breaded. Even vegetable pizzas aren’t flawless; they likely have trans fat in the dough. Pot pies are often loaded with too much saturated fat, even if they have no trans fat.

6. Baked Goods.  More trans fats are used in commercially baked products than any other foods. Doughnuts contain shortening in the dough and are cooked in trans fat.

7. Cookies and cakes (with shortening-based frostings) from supermarket bakeries have plenty of trans fat. Some higher-quality baked goods use butter instead of margarine, so they contain less trans fat, but more saturated fat.

8. Donuts have about 5 grams of trans fat apiece, and nearly 5 grams of saturated fat.

9. Cream-filled cookies have 1.9 grams of trans fat, and 1.2 grams of saturated fat.

10. Pound cake has 4.3 grams of trans fat per slice, and 3.4 grams of saturated fat.

If you want to read further into these foods and why they are harmful to your health visit: http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/ohe/library/fitness/10foods.htm

• Using saturated fats such as butter, but in much smaller amounts.
• Inventing another man-made fat that tastes good without ill health effects.
• Using saturated vegetable fats, including palm and coconut oils.
• Using a blend of monounsaturated or polyunsaturated vegetable oils to get the shelf-life, taste, and texture of trans fats.

“Scientists at Nabisco’s parent company Kraft were faced with the task of eliminating the trans-fats from Oreos and other products without altering the taste and feel of this culturally important food item.”  It is a good sign than big companies such as Nabisco and Kraft are taking the dangers of trans fat seriously and trying to eliminate it from their products.  Because they have successfully recreated the oreo with no trans fat, other companies are not following their lead.  Taco Bell, McDonalds, and KFC are all working towards eliminating trans fats in their foods.  

Unfortunately, trans fat cannot be cut out all at once, it needs to phase out.  Elimination of trans fat is not going to solve all health problems, such as obesity, but it is a start.

If you want to read more visit: http://www.lifeintheusa.com/food/transfat.htm

You can learn a lot about fats from medlineplus.gov.  As said before, not all fats are bad for you. It is only the trans fat and saturated fats that are more unhealthy than monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. These fats only came out recently.  They are found in all lard and snack foods. Fat is actually food for our bodies.  It gives us the calories we need for energy and the helps to absorb vitamins.  It also affects our cholesterol levels.  I know that by taking fish oil pills will help reduce cholesterol, but those are a little bit on the costly side.

If you want to learn more about the different kinds of fats and get information on how to be healthier, visit: medlineplus.gov 

Tans fatty acids are very  healthy for our bodies.  The American Heart Association recommends 2 g of trans fatter acids per day.  After learning how bad it is for our bodies, I recorded how much trans fatty acid I averaged over a three day span.  I was glad to see that I only consumed 1.34 g of trans fatty acid in my diet, but am aware that there are most likely many days when I exceed the recommended amount of 2 grams.  Trans fatty acids clog arteries, increase the amount of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), or “bad cholesterol,” and decrease the amount of high-density lipoproteins (HDL), or “good cholesterol.”  

Even if you believe that you are not overeating the recommended 2 g of trans fatty acids or less, you should try and stay away from foods that contain them all together.  They do not serve any good purposes in our body and it would be healthier for everyone not to consume trans fatty acids at all.  Urge yourself to cut out foods high in trans fatty acids such as cookies, cakes, pies, and crackers.

Monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids are the better typs of fat.  Eating monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids on a regular basis is very important for your health.  They can lower blood cholesterol levels in some people.  To get the right amount of monounsaturated fatty acid, you should eat plant foods and oils such as olive oils.  Polyunsaturated fatty acids are present vegetable oils, vegetables, flax, and fish oils.  You should be eating these types of foods on a daily basis.

The very unhealthy types of fats are Saturated fatty acids and trans fatty acids.  Saturated fatty acids are thought to cause heart disease, increase the risk of developing certain cancers, and increase blood cholesterol.  Foods that are high in saturated fats are dairy products, meats, and plant and tropical oils.  Trans fatty acids clog arteries.  To cut out the trans fatty acids from your diet cut out foods like cookies, pies, cakes, and crackers.

The term “fats” is actually a  bit misleading because there are actually different types of fats and some are better than others.  The different forms of fats are saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and trans fatty acids.