There has been a lot of talk about trans-fats in the news lately. New York city started the ban on trans fats in its restaurants a couple years ago, and now the entire state of California has imposed a ban. Numerous other US cities have done the same, with Canadian cities and schools following suit. So what exactly are trans-fats and how is it that they are so bad, the government sees fit to intervene?

Trans-fats are processed, man made fats used to increase the shelf life and flavor of foods like Twinkies, french fries, cookies, pizza and donuts. Trans-fats are an inexpensive alternative to butter and lard, created when liquid fats (unsaturated) are converted into solid fats (saturated) by the addition of hydrogen atoms. Although they certainly can be convenient and cheap, they have also been shown to increase LDL (bad cholesterol) and decrease HDL (good cholesterol), leading to an increased risk of heart disease.

The bottom line is that trans-fats are not at all good for us and in fact can be very dangerous.
We all should be smart enough to realize however that even without the use of trans-fats in food preparation, french fries, cakes and donuts are STILL not good for us. They weren’t healthy choices 20 years ago, and they won’t be healthy choices 20 years from now. I’m not saying the ban on trans-fats is pointless. It most certainly serves a purpose, but we have to understand that the alternative to using trans-fat is replacing it with butter or lard or creating a different processed fat.The reason Trans fats came to be about in the first place was because of their ability to remain on the self for an extended period without going rancid, so it is not likely that trans fats are going to be replaced with natural fats that spoil very fast. Whether your pastries are made with butter, trans-fat, or some other yet to be named man made fat, they are still pastries. Tasty yes, but healthy no.

If you truly care about the health of your heart and the look of your abs, the best choice is to eliminate these foods in all circumstances. I am realistic and am not saying you can never have a doughnut, I intend to eat some myself, but choosing processed and high fat food very rarely is definitely do-able. It has to be, your health depends on it.

I read an interesting quote from a cardiologist today that said “Children that consume a steady diet of pop tarts, hamburgers, pastries, donuts and candy are at an increased risk for heart disease later in life.” Well, no S**T. If that is what the average child is consuming on a regular basis then of course it’s no wonder we have the health crisis of today. You don’t have to be a cardiologist to figure that out.

We shouldn’t need our government to tell us we are not allowed to eat certain things. We should simply know better. I am not sure where the idea that you have to have these foods in your house if you have kids came from but it is B******t. Get back to basics and eat some real food. When it comes to processed, high fat foods, don’t buy them, don’t serve them and don’t eat them, trans-fats or not. Your physique and your heart will thank you for it.

Leave a Reply