Trans fats are BAD, increasing one's risk of heart disease, sudden death and diabetes. They are basically found in only one place in nature--animal products. The food industry, however, has found a way to synthetically create these TOXIC fats by hardening vegetable oil in a process called hydrogenation which rearranges their atoms to make them act more like animal fat. So, now not only do we get trans fats from animal products, but we also get them from processed foods. To avoid these toxic chemicals, read the ingredient list....any mention of hydrogenated oil or partially hydrogenated oil, AVOID the product LIKE THE PLAGUE!!
Once the medical research proved that trans fats are extremely bad for us, a law was passed mandating the labeling of trans fats...as a matter of fact, New York City banned the use of hydrogenated oils. However, the food industry found a loop hole. Foods that contain .5 gr of trans fats per serving is allowed to be listed as...you guessed it.... ZERO grams per serving...who eats one serving of potato chips?? Even if you did, you are STILL GETTING the trans fats. This false labeling is legally allowed. Again, protect yourself, read the ingredient list as mentioned above.
That's just the processed foods....what about the animal products? Any product that comes from an animal has trans fats in it. According to the official USDA nutrient data base, cheese, milk, yogurt, burgers, chicken, turkey, and processed meats, (hot dogs, bologna, sausage, pepperoni, etc.), all come packaged with artery-clogging cholesterol, saturated fat and trans fats. Not to mention, the extremely high risk of cancer from eating the processed meats...but that's a whole different story. The National Academies of Science, the most PRESTIGIOUS scientific body in the United States concluded that the ONLY SAFE amount of trans fat intake, irrespective of the of the source, animal products or industrial, is ZERO.
Because trans fats are unavoidable on the ordinary Standard American Diet, (SAD), getting down to ZERO percent of trans fats would require SIGNIFICANT changes in patients in their eating habits. One of the author's of the report, the Director of Harvard's Cardiovascular Epidemiology Program, stated that they didn't recommend a "vegan" diet because it's "too extreme"!!! The report concluded this, "It is recommended that trans fatty acid consumption be as low as possible when consuming a nutritionally adequate diet". Remember, ZERO percent is recommended.
TOO EXTREME? In my opinion, "too extreme" is having your chest split wide open for bypass surgery to be performed. Too extreme is having a surgeons hands into your chest handing your heart. Too extreme is taking arteries from your legs and putting them in your chest while you are hooked up to a machine because they stopped your heart. Changing your diet does not seem "too extreme" at all!!
And these are educated people giving "their recommendations". The study results are right in front of their eyes...trans fats CAUSE heart disease, but, the "experts" will not recommend a "vegan" diet because it's too extreme. Now, the experts didn't actually lie, but they also did not come right out and state EXACTLY what the report concluded...when following a Whole Food Plant Based diet, there is ZERO TRANS FATS being consumed!! No, they just recommended what happened to be their own opinion.
I wonder if the meat and dairy industries are funding their research??? After all, if the American public started eliminating meat and dairy, who would suffer?
Here's a recipe that is fast, easy, and uses vegetables that are in season...best of all, NO cholesterol, no saturated fat and no TRANS FATS!!
GARDEN PASTA SALAD
Whole wheat rotini (or any whole wheat pasta)
Vegan mayo (recipe to follow)
1 T red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
salt
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup yellow or red pepper (or both)
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup scallions
1/2 cup of chopped kalamata olives
1/2 cup fresh basil, slivered
pepper to taste
Whisk mayo, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper until smooth, taste and adjust accordingly. Add pasta and toss. Add tomatoes, peppers, carrots, scallions, olives and basil.
VEGAN MAYO
12 oz. package of silken tofu (found in any grocery store)
2-3 T Dijon mustard
2 t white vinegar
lemon juice to taste
Agave nectar to taste (natural sweetener found in any grocery store, usually in the baking aisle)
In a blender or small food processor, blend tofu with Dijon and vinegar until smooth and creamy. Add a few drops of lemon juice and a few drops of agave nectar and blend again. Taste and add more lemon, agave or Dijon as needed. Chill until you're ready to use.
Once the medical research proved that trans fats are extremely bad for us, a law was passed mandating the labeling of trans fats...as a matter of fact, New York City banned the use of hydrogenated oils. However, the food industry found a loop hole. Foods that contain .5 gr of trans fats per serving is allowed to be listed as...you guessed it.... ZERO grams per serving...who eats one serving of potato chips?? Even if you did, you are STILL GETTING the trans fats. This false labeling is legally allowed. Again, protect yourself, read the ingredient list as mentioned above.
That's just the processed foods....what about the animal products? Any product that comes from an animal has trans fats in it. According to the official USDA nutrient data base, cheese, milk, yogurt, burgers, chicken, turkey, and processed meats, (hot dogs, bologna, sausage, pepperoni, etc.), all come packaged with artery-clogging cholesterol, saturated fat and trans fats. Not to mention, the extremely high risk of cancer from eating the processed meats...but that's a whole different story. The National Academies of Science, the most PRESTIGIOUS scientific body in the United States concluded that the ONLY SAFE amount of trans fat intake, irrespective of the of the source, animal products or industrial, is ZERO.
Because trans fats are unavoidable on the ordinary Standard American Diet, (SAD), getting down to ZERO percent of trans fats would require SIGNIFICANT changes in patients in their eating habits. One of the author's of the report, the Director of Harvard's Cardiovascular Epidemiology Program, stated that they didn't recommend a "vegan" diet because it's "too extreme"!!! The report concluded this, "It is recommended that trans fatty acid consumption be as low as possible when consuming a nutritionally adequate diet". Remember, ZERO percent is recommended.
TOO EXTREME? In my opinion, "too extreme" is having your chest split wide open for bypass surgery to be performed. Too extreme is having a surgeons hands into your chest handing your heart. Too extreme is taking arteries from your legs and putting them in your chest while you are hooked up to a machine because they stopped your heart. Changing your diet does not seem "too extreme" at all!!
And these are educated people giving "their recommendations". The study results are right in front of their eyes...trans fats CAUSE heart disease, but, the "experts" will not recommend a "vegan" diet because it's too extreme. Now, the experts didn't actually lie, but they also did not come right out and state EXACTLY what the report concluded...when following a Whole Food Plant Based diet, there is ZERO TRANS FATS being consumed!! No, they just recommended what happened to be their own opinion.
I wonder if the meat and dairy industries are funding their research??? After all, if the American public started eliminating meat and dairy, who would suffer?
Here's a recipe that is fast, easy, and uses vegetables that are in season...best of all, NO cholesterol, no saturated fat and no TRANS FATS!!
GARDEN PASTA SALAD
Whole wheat rotini (or any whole wheat pasta)
Vegan mayo (recipe to follow)
1 T red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
salt
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup yellow or red pepper (or both)
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup scallions
1/2 cup of chopped kalamata olives
1/2 cup fresh basil, slivered
pepper to taste
Whisk mayo, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper until smooth, taste and adjust accordingly. Add pasta and toss. Add tomatoes, peppers, carrots, scallions, olives and basil.
VEGAN MAYO
12 oz. package of silken tofu (found in any grocery store)
2-3 T Dijon mustard
2 t white vinegar
lemon juice to taste
Agave nectar to taste (natural sweetener found in any grocery store, usually in the baking aisle)
In a blender or small food processor, blend tofu with Dijon and vinegar until smooth and creamy. Add a few drops of lemon juice and a few drops of agave nectar and blend again. Taste and add more lemon, agave or Dijon as needed. Chill until you're ready to use.
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