You read about it. You hear about it. And certainly not a very exciting topic to talk about! But does it really sink in to your brain as to what they’re really talking about and why it affects you on a day-to-day level?
     Put as simply as one can without making it too complicated, trans fat is a fat product that is created through a process called hydrogenation. Ordinary vegetable oils (that are normally considered “healthy” for you) are put into tanks with a reactive metal and hydrogen gas is bubbled through the oil until the contents partially solidify. The product that results is called partially-hydrogenated vegetable oil.
     When this process was first created at the turn of the 20th century, it was hailed as the ultimate fat because they made food taste sooo good, last longer on the shelf, make crisp foods crunchier and creamy foods creamier – at a lower cost!
     But now, doctors are coming to realize that this “wonder fat” isn’t so wonderful. They’ve come to realize that trans fats can be quite damaging to the heart.
     Recent studies have found that trans fat products can:

•  Increase LDL (bad) cholesterol levels
•  Decrease HDL (good) cholesterol levels
•  Increase arterial plaque in the arteries (increasing risk of heart attacks)  
• Cause general digestive disorders

     In just about everything you eat! You can find them in most processed foods, including cookies (darn!), popcorn, margarines, shortenings, baked goods, crackers, doughnuts, chips, frozen waffles, french fries – all those yummy foods we love to eat!
     So how do we cut down or figure out what amounts we’re eating? Well, the good news is that the FDA has helped us out here by requiring all manufacturers to list the amount of trans fats in foods starting 2006.
     Shift from the fat-laden processed foods to the more natural, wholesome foods which have loads of disease-fighting nutrients. So it’s up to us to read the labels and make wise choices!

Are there no winter foods that are healthy?