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Trans Fats and Your Kids

I know you have heard it before, avoid foods that contain Trans fats (which are labeled as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils). You can find these fats in most packaged or boxed food items. You may be wondering though, what they are exactly?

Trans Fats are nothing more than vegetable fats that have been changed chemically by a process called hydrogenation. This is the process in which food manufactures artificially added hydrogen to liquid unsaturated fats to provide a longer shelf life. In other words, to save money by allowing the food to sit on the shelf for a longer time. You still may be wondering what the big deal is..

Research has linked Trans Fats to cancer, Alzheimer’s, lower levels of HDL (the good cholesterol), just to name a few. The biggest issue with these fats is the damage it does to our children. Snack foods play a significant role in the diets of children and this is where these fats are found.

Chips
Cookies
Margarine
Frozen pizzas
Cake mixes
Donuts
Some peanut butter

Don’t just listen to the claim on the outside of the package either; food manufactures can claim No Trans Fats as long as there is less than 0.5grams per serving. Become an informed consumer and read the list of ingredients in the package, search out the words partially or fully hydrogenated. If your children are consuming these foods on a daily basis, the damage has already begun and unfortunately you can’t reverse it. The best option is to avoid it by eliminating these foods from your diet and instead eat foods in their natural state like fruits and vegetables.

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The action you need to take today is start reading food labels and start making the switch from the packaged foods to a healthier alternative. Educate yourself so you can prevent disease for your children. Trust me nothing tastes better than good health feels…….

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This is a question we have all asked ourselves. How many of you have wondered if your “in shape” enough to join that special group fitness class or if you look good enough to enter the gym? We are so hard on ourselves when it comes to getting back into shape that most times we just don’t do anything. Don’t allow your insecurities stop you at the door, everyone has to start somewhere and starting is half the battle. You can simply start re-conditioning yourself by simply adding in some walking and changing your dietary habits.

Aww did you shrug when I said change your dietary habits? This is where I lose most people!

Let’s face it, people just don’t want to change the way they look at food, even though that simple act produces the BIGGEST improvement in our health. The problem is we don’t want to cut back or sacrifice our sugar addiction, morning Frappucino, daily sodas, and fried foods- NOT even for a healthier, fit body. The truth is you cannot exercise your way out of it. No matter how many hours a day you plug away on that cardio machine, you cannot make up for bad nutrition.

Let me stop you before you start arguing your case about your best friend Jenny, who can eat whatever she wants and still wears a size 0. That’s a whole different article and we are discussing the average John and Jane here with average genetics, “you simply cannot out work a poor diet”.

The second change has to come with getting up off our tush more and moving more. We were designed to move our bodies NOT sit all day long. We are hunters and gathers by nature, we didn’t sit in our office plugging away at a computer screen 40 hours a week. We moved and added in short bursts of sprinting towards prey or away from predators, and we walked the rest of the time. Walking has many benefits; don’t dismiss it because it isn’t included in the newest P90X video. Walking burns calories, increases cardiovascular efficiency, easier on the joints, convenient, no fancy equipment is needed, relaxing, and a great stress reliever.

Everyone can do it, simply get up 30 minutes earlier in the morning and take a morning stroll, walk at lunch around the office building, park further from the store and walk, walk to run some errands, go for a hike, walk to the store, start a walking club, take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk to the mailbox or to your neighbor’s house. This is the easiest thing to add into your day and you can do it anywhere.

No excuses! Start making healthier eating choices and walking more. Start a new tradition and take a walk as a family after dinner instead of eating a dessert. Everyday is a choice, make the right choice today for a better disease free tomorrow.