FitSugar -- Healthy, happy you.

Burger King Ditches Trans Fat

FitSugar — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0700

If you're a big fan of an occasional Whopper, you'll be happy to know that Burger King will be cooking with trans fat free cooking oil. By Nov. 1, in all of its restaurants nationwide, every item on the menu including baked goods will contain zero grams of artificial trans fat. This is big news for the nation's number two hamburger chain, and it's sure to make customers feel better about eating there.

Hydrogenated oils contain trans fat. The reason this fat is so bad for us is that it's proven to raise bad cholesterol levels in the body, lower good cholesterol, and can increase a person's risk for heart disease. Companies use this type of oil to increase the shelf life of products, to preserve flavor, and in the long run to save money.

Many customers enjoying foods made with the trans fat free oil are noticing no difference in taste, or they say the foods taste even better. Although it's been a slow process for Burger King to get on the trans fat free bandwagon (Taco Bell, KFC, and Wendy's have already made the switch), I say it's better late than never.

Trans Fat Consumption Linked to Miscarriages

FitSugar — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 03:00:00 -0700

Trans fat has become a naughty word in my house. I try to avoid it at all costs, and it looks like pregnant women should as well.

A new study shows that eating trans fat may increase the risk of fetal death during pregnancy. This study discovered that the risk of miscarriage increased 52 percent for women who consumed a diet high in trans fat, about 4.7 percent of their total calories. Women, who ate less trans fast, about 2.2 percent of their total calories, had a 30 percent risk. Further investigation is clearly needed to learn more about the connection between eating trans fat and fetal deaths, but the evidence to avoid this artery clogging fat so far seems pretty clear. I would like to add, if it's unhealthy for pregnant women, then it seems everyone should be ditching the trans fat in their diets too.

These fats are found in many processed foods like crackers, cookies, cake mixes, soups, fast food, and margarine. So check labels and if you see partially hydrogenated oil in the list of ingredients, it's best to put down the package and walk away.

Source

You Asked: Is There Anything Wrong With a Fat-Free Diet?

FitSugar — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:00:00 -0700

You're asking and I'm answering . . .

Hey Fit,
I've been trying to lose these 15 pounds I seemed to have put on in the past year. I'm exercising regularly and have ditched all fat from my diet. So no meat, fried foods, nuts, peanut butter, oil, butter, baked goods, hydrogenated oils, and I only eat fat-free dairy products. I seem to be losing weight, which is great, but is there anything wrong with this kind of diet?

—Fat Free Fiona

I'm sure many people have gone on fat-free diets in an effort to lose weight, so you're not alone. I'm glad you're asking about whether it's a healthy way to slim down and the answer is yes and no. The reason is because there are both healthy fats our bodies need and unhealthy fats our bodies can stand to go without. So you don't want to ditch every amount of fat imaginable. To find out which ones to eat and which ones to avoid

California Law Puts the Ban on Trans Fat

FitSugar — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:30:00 -0700

It looks like California has just bought a ticket for the trans-fat-free boat. Just like New York City, the Golden State is banning trans fat from their restaurants and other retail food places. This includes prohibiting the use of any oil, margarine, or shortening that contains trans fat.

This unhealthy fat is worse than saturated fat because it reduces your good cholesterol levels and has been linked to heart disease. Although New York City, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Montgomery County, MD, have ordinances that ban trans fats, California is the first state to adopt this as a law. Signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, this law will take effect on January 1, 2010 for oil, shortening, and margarine used in spreads or for frying. When it comes to deep frying though, the law will be in effect a year later, Jan. 1, 2011. Violations could cost restaurant owners between $25 and $1,000.

I hope we can soon see other states adopting such laws banning trans fat. Do you think you'll eat out more often if you know that restaurant food is free of trans fat?

Source

How Much Trans Fat Is Too Much?

FitSugar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:00:00 -0700

With NYC banning trans fat today and Philadelphia to follow suit in September, trans fat has made it back onto our radar. We all know that trans fat is bad for us, but how much is too much?

NYC Trans Fat Ban in Full Effect Today

FitSugar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 03:00:00 -0700

If you live in the Big Apple or plan to visit there in the near future, you'll be happy to know that the trans fat ban will be in full effect by today, July 1. Exactly a year ago, all restaurants were required to eliminate trans fat from their cooking oils, margarines, and shortenings. This second deadline states that all prepared foods from restaurants, bakeries, cafeterias, salad bars, and food carts must contain less than .5 grams of trans fat per serving. Yep, by some FDA loophole, foods containing .5 grams can be labeled trans fat free. These various eateries do have a three-month grace period to comply with the trans fat ban; after that they can expect some hefty fines. Unfortunately, prepackaged foods sold in the manufacturer's original packaging at these restaurants, bakeries, etc. (like outsourced prepackaged salad dressing) are exempt from the ban. If so you'll still need to check labels on those foods.

If you frequent a fast food joint, here's what you can expect:

Dunkin' Donuts: Switched to a blend of palm, soybean, and cottonseed oil.
McDonald's: Eliminated cooking in trans fat oil last year. Now their cookies and apple pies are trans fat free too.
Burger King: In NYC chains, their fries, apple pies, and biscuits are trans fat free.

What can you expect from other chains? To find out

The 10 Highest Trans Fat Foods

FitSugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:00:00 -0700

I'm always looking for hidden trans fat in my foods and since labels can be so deceiving it's important to read the ingredients list. To make life a little bit easier on everyone who is looking to eliminate trans fat from their diets, Prevention has found the top 10 highest trans fat foods that you may want to reconsider before digging in. They are:

Cake mixes
Cereal and energy bars
Chips and crackers
Dried soups
Fast food
Frozen entrées
Margarine
Nondairy creamers and whipped topping
Packaged cookies and candy
Packaged doughnuts, pies, and cakes

I know that there are a lot of goodies are on that list, but the good news is that many companies are ditching the trans fat these days. Be sure to check for partially-hydrogenated oil (or a variation of it) in the ingredients before swearing off your favorite energy bar.

Source

Lose the Belly Fat Without the Crunches

FitSugar — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0700

Worried that your middle is starting to grow? AOL Body has come up with three simple belly-blasting tips, none of which are crunches, that anyone can fit into their normal routine. Here are highlights:

Don't Get Trapped by Trans Fats: To your waistline, what you don't eat is just as important as what you do. A recent study done at Wake Forest University has concluded that trans fat, which has been shown to increase the risk of heart disease, may also increase dangerous belly fat.
Get More Zs: Studies have shown that those who get less than four hours of sleep per night are 70 percent more likely to be obese than those who get seven to nine hours. Sleep deprivation lowers leptin, a protein that suppresses appetite and tells the brain when the stomach is full. Not catching enough Zs also inhibits the production of insulin, which regulates blood sugar. So, if you're constantly burning the midnight oil, you're interfering with your body's ability to burn off extra calories.

There's one more helpful tip so

Fast Food Trans Fat

FitSugar — Tue, 27 May 2008 10:00:00 -0700

Another fast food restaurant is joining the "a little bit healthier" club. Take this quiz to see if you are up on your trans fat news!

Source

Does It Contain Trans Fat or Not?

FitSugar — Mon, 26 May 2008 08:00:00 -0700

It should could come as no surprise that I am a label reader. Sometimes I am just shocked at what I find on the side panel of some very popular foods. Take this quiz to see if you know snack foods and their trans fat content.

Source

Name That Fat!

FitSugar — Thu, 15 May 2008 04:30:00 -0700

It's time for America's favorite game — Name That Fat. OK, well maybe "favorite" is an exaggeration. There are many kinds of fat in the foods we eat, some healthy, some essential, and some can clog our arteries. It's important to know the difference between them all so take this quiz to see what you know.

Source

Fat Confusion: Which Ones Are Healthy Again?

FitSugar — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 03:00:00 -0700

We all know that trans fat and saturated fat are major things to avoid, but what's the difference between the two? And what about unsaturated fats, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. Are they bad too? What foods contain them? Are you confused about all these fats too? Let's get these fats straight once and for all.

Trans Fatty Acids: Commonly called trans fat, these are "The chemically-altered fats." Most trans fat is a side effect of partial hydrogenation of plant oils (companies use them to increase the shelf life of their products). Trans fat are neither required nor are beneficial to our bodies, and eating trans fat can increase your risk of heart disease, among other health related problems.

Some trans fats can occur naturally (in small quantities) in meat and dairy products that come from ruminants (hooved animals that digest their food in two steps such as cows, goats, and buffalo). These aren't considered as bad for you as the chemically-altered kind.

Look out for:

Processed foods like crackers, snacks, breads, chips, and baked goods
margarine
shortening like Crisco
candy like caramels and chocolates (Ghirardelli)
dips
Some fast foods such as French fries and biscuits
frozen foods

If you want to check out the others, then

Trans Fat Ban Moves to Cooking Schools

FitSugar — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 02:00:00 -0800

We've all heard the news about restaurants banning artificial trans fats nationwide but now it looks like folks are starting to get to the food before it even hits the restaurants: at cooking schools.

I am all for the banning of trans fats at cooking schools like Johnson & Wales as well as the Culinary Institute of America because budding cooks may learn ways to cook without the bad stuff while still keeping the food tasty. If we — or rather the great cooks out there — learn how to cook well without the heart clogging stuff then we won't even miss it when it's totally gone.

What do you guys think about it all? Should aspiring cooks still be able to use artificial trans fat?

Source

Food Labels Revealed!

FitSugar — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 03:00:00 -0700

Recently I came across an interesting article on how to read between the lines on food labels. The most effective way to learn how to read a food label effectively is to learn what manufacturers may be doing to deceive us, the consumers. So here is a great list of deceptions from Mike Adams on NewsTarget.com:

One trick is to distribute sugars among many ingredients so that sugars don't appear in the top three. For example, a manufacturer may use a combination of sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup, corn syrup solids, brown sugar, dextrose and other sugar ingredients to make sure none of them are present in large enough quantities to attain a top position on the ingredients list (remember, the ingredients are listed in order of their proportion in the food, with the most common ingredients listed first).
Another trick is to pad the list with minuscule amounts of great-sounding ingredients. This trick is called "label padding" and it's commonly used by junk food manufacturers who want to jump on the health food bandwagon without actually producing healthy foods.
A third trick involves hiding dangerous ingredients behind innocent-sounding names that fool consumers into thinking they're safe.
Did you know that the name of the food product has nothing to do with what's in it? These names are designed to sell products, not to accurately describe the ingredients contained in the package. A perfect example is Krafts Guacamole Dip that contains hardly any avocado.
There is no requirement for food ingredients lists to include the names of chemical contaminants, heavy metals, bisphenol-A, PCBs, perchlorate or other toxic substances found in the food.
Food companies have also figured out how to manipulate the serving size of foods in order to make it appear that their products are devoid of harmful ingredients like trans fatty acids. The smaller the serving size, the closer they get to the 0.5 g loophole where they don't have to list trans fat at all.

Moral of the story: Read labels carefully, because what you see, may not always be what you get.

Fittingly Mad: Cool Whip Free

FitSugar — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 02:30:00 -0700

It was a hot day and I found myself grocery shopping. When I am with my girls, even when they are behaving themselves, I employ the "get in, get out" strategy: Take a grocery list, shop the perimeter, placate with a bagel when necessary, pay for the food and get out of the store. It was a hot day, so the three of us lingered, a little too long, in the frozen food section. We needed waffles, and I noticed some Cool Whip Free. Imagining I could use it to concoct some kind of healthy, low fat frozen dessert, I tossed some into my shopping cart.

When I got home and read the ingredients, I had to ask the question "Cool Whip Free? Free of what?" Cool Whip Free may be low in carbs and low in calories, but it is not free of a few things I try to avoid. The top four ingredients are: water, corn syrup, hydrogenated vegetable (coconut and palm kernel oils), and high fructose corn syrup.

The first ingredient is water. Fine. I have no problem with water. It only makes sense that a "lite" dessert topping would be made from something with no calories, but let us not forget that water really has no flavor. It is the next three ingredients added to the water that make me shudder. I love the fact that regular corn syrup is not enough to sweeten this dessert topping, that high fructose corn syrup was needed as well.

My favorite touch, however, is the asterisks Kraft added to the right of the ingredient "partially hydrogenated oil." The asterisk leads me to a little informational gem of a footnote that reads, "Adds a negligible amount of fat." Thanks, Kraft I feel so much better about the fact that you can use partially hydrogenated oil, keep the amount per serving to below 0.5 gram, and still claim your product is trans fat free.

Needless to say, once I read the ingredients of Cool Whip Free, I made myself free of it. I tossed it without even opening it. That night, for dessert we had fresh berries for dessert. Just berries, free of any high fructose corn syrup and trans fats. They were delicious!!!!

NYC Ditching Trans Fat - You Should Too!

FitSugar — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 10:15:00 -0700

Remember a while back I told you that New York City's restaurants had to get rid of all trans fat and post calorie counts (not that all the fast food joints are complying with this requirement) by July 1, 2007? Well, many fast food chains have already made the switch to healthier oils, which is awesome news for us health-conscious eaters. Restaurants won't be fined for violating this ban until October 1, 2007, but at least it's in the future.

Why are trans fats so bad? These are chemically altered fats and are NOT required nor beneficial to our health. Eating foods with trans fat (like partially hydrogenated soybean oil) can raise your LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and increase your chances of getting coronary heart disease.

Why do companies use trans fat? It's cheap and can increase the shelf-life of their products. Watch out for cookies, crackers, candies, margarine, dips, fast foods like French fries, and frozen foods - these processed foods almost always contain trans fat.

It's great that NYC is ditching trans fat from their menus. Hopefully it will jumpstart other cities and companies to do the same.

Fit's Tips: If a food contains less than .5 grams of trans fat, they don't have to tell you on the package. So be sure to read the list of ingredients - if you see hydrogenated oil in the list, put it back!!

Source

Applebee's Ditches Trans Fat!

FitSugar — Fri, 18 May 2007 09:14:17 -0700

Applebee's, the nation's largest casual dining chain of restaurants, has announced that it is no longer using trans fat frying oil at its more than 1,800 restaurants.

Trans fatty acid, also known as trans fat, is made when hydrogen is added to liquid cooking oils. This process turns the once free-flowing oil into a solid to be used for baking and to give products a longer shelf-life. These "partially hydrogenated oils," clog your arteries, and increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes and other ailments.

Applebee's is now planning on using a blend of 2 soybean oils, and claims that the taste, texture, and quality of its food won't be compromised. In fact, they said that in some cases, the trans fat-free oil actually enhanced the flavor. Nice!

In the next few weeks, Applebee's is working on replacing the pan and grill oil it uses to cook fish and shrimp. They are also working with suppliers to remove trans fat from the processed foods they use, such as some desserts and appetizers.

Well, I give Applebee's a thumbs up. Hopefully other restaurants will jump on the healthy bandwagon and ditch their trans fat too.

Source

Let's Get the FATS Straight

FitSugar — Tue, 01 May 2007 04:00:00 -0700

We all know that trans fat and saturated fat are major things to avoid, but what's the difference between the two?

And what about unsaturated fats, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. Are they bad too? What foods contain them?

Are you confused about all these fats too? Let's get these fats straight once and for all.

Trans Fatty Acids: Commonly called trans fat, these are "The chemically-altered guys." Most trans fat is a side effect of partial hydrogenation of plant oils (companies use them to increase the shelf life of their products). Trans fat are neither required nor beneficial to our bodies. Eating trans fat can increase your risk of heart disease.

Some trans fats can occur naturally (in small quantities) in meat and dairy products that come from ruminants (hooved animals that digest their food in 2 steps such as cows, goats, and buffalo). These aren't considered as bad for you as the chemically-altered kind.

Look out for:

Processed foods like crackers, snacks, breads, chips, and baked goods
margarine
shortening like Crisco
candy like caramels and chocolates (Ghirardelli)
dips
Some fast foods such as French fries and biscuits
frozen foods

If you want to check out the others, then

Ghirardelli: It's Gourmet With a Side of Trans Fat

FitSugar — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 17:15:00 -0700

I picked up a bag of one of my favorite treats last night - Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Squares with Caramel filling. I know, they're not at all good for you, but they taste amazing.

Since they are a popular brand of gourmet chocolate, it didn't even occur to me to check the label. Maybe I should have a long time ago because once I saw the dreaded words - partially hydrogenated vegetable oil - I just about had a sugar crash.

WTF!! I am NOT happy about this. Why can't manufacturers just stop putting this crap in our food? At least you have to eat 3 whole squares in order to get just .5g of trans fat, but still - I'm trying to avoid this stuff altogether.

Fit's Tips: Learn from my mistake. Always read the label and check for trans fat and other unhealthy ingredients before you buy it. Remember to look for interesterified oil too. You can't just assume something is good for you just because you want it to be!

The New Trans Fat: Interesterified Oil

FitSugar — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 08:45:00 -0700

As you know, I have been pretty thrilled about all the bans on trans fat happening worldwide, but of course food makers are finding a way to still make food cheap and unhealthy, without the trans fat. Enter Interesterified Oils.

Being confused about it myself, I decided to look to Mr. Seth Braun, natural health expert and author of healthyfastandcheap.com, because he's really done his research on this new type of oil:

Food manufacturers are getting around the trans fat labeling by mixing small amounts of fully hydrogenated oil with liquid polyunsaturate oils and calling “interesterified oil.” They claim that fully hydrogenated oil is healthier. Since there is less trans fat, they can sell this product to food manufacturers for use in commercial dressings, baked goods, candies and anything else that used to have partially hydrogenated oil in the ingredient list.

In plain english, interestification means mixing fully hydrogenated oil with liquid polyunsaturate oil to produce a consistency similar to partially hydrogenated oil, which is the source of trans fats. The solution to the trans fat problem; from the manufacturer perspective!

So what's the moral of the story? Read those labels folks. Food makers are in the business of not only making food, but also in the business of making money. If it has interesterified oils listed, chances are it has trans fat too.

Trans Fat Keeps Getting Worse and Worse...

FitSugar — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 04:00:00 -0700

As if trans fat are not bad enough for you, new research out of the Harvard School of Public Health has upped the stakes at how bad it really is.

Women who eat diets rich in trans fats (3.6 grams or more per day) have three times the risk of heart disease as those who don't (2.5 grams or less per day). While research had already proven trans fat is a major contributor to heart disease, the Harvard study includes an objective measure of trans fat intake (trans fat levels in red blood cells) rather than just relying on dietary information reported from participants.

As a reference point, a small order of McDonald's fries has 3.5 grams of trans fat, as does a Mexican Pizza from Taco Bell.

To ensure you're not getting a load of trans fat in your diet, check labels and look for 0 grams of trans fat AND make sure there is no hydrogenated oils listed in the ingredients.

Top Ten Worst "Trans Fat" Foods

FitSugar — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 11:00:00 -0700

My quest against trans fat seems to be ongoing, so you can imagine my excitement when I found a list of the top ten worst trans fat foods from eDiets.

Spreads. Margarine, for example, contains both trans fats and saturated fats, both of which can lead to heart disease. Other non-butter spreads and shortening also contain large amounts of trans fat and saturated fat.
Packaged Foods. Favorites such as cake mixes and Bisquick generally have several grams of trans fat per serving.
Soups. For example, Ramen noodles and soup cups contain very high levels of trans fat.
Fast Food. Those beloved French fries and other crunchy foods are deep-fried in partially hydrogenated oil.
Frozen Food. From frozen pies to pot pies to breaded fish sticks, frozen foods generally contain trans fat. Even if the label says the product is low-fat, it can contain trans fat.
Baked Goods. Commercially baked products contain more trans fats than any other foods. Examples include doughnuts, cookies and cakes.
Chips and Crackers. That crispy texture comes from shortening. Even reduced fat brands may contain trans fat.
Breakfast Food. Cereals and energy bars often contain trans fats, even if the labels claim to be “healthy.”
Cookies and Candy. Check the labels for the fat content. For example, a chocolate bar probably will contain more trans fat than gummy bears.
Toppings and Dips. Flavored coffees, nondairy creamers, whipped toppings, gravy mixes and salad dressings typically contain trans fat.

Check out the full article on eDiets.com.

Butter or Margarine?

FitSugar — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 04:00:00 -0700

Ditching Trans Fat: The Benefits Exceed the Cost

FitSugar — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 17:30:00 -0800

We're all excited about about how many cities, states and companies are banning trans fats, but how are they going to deliver the same beloved French Fries and fried chicken that so many of their customers crave?

This Chicago restaurant owner, Ina Pinkney, might have paved the way - she eliminated trans fat from her menu a few years ago, and made the switch to Canola oil. She says that going trans fat free was a recipe for success.

She feared that the partially hydrogenated vegetable oils used in her foods were endangering her customers' health. Using Canola oil is not only healthier for her customers, but it's cheaper for her - she says it cooks so much better, so she uses less oil.

The oil's "fry life" and taste are virtually the same, but Canola oil is about 30% more expensive than partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. That's why a lot of restaurant owners are reluctant to make the switch. They just need to talk to Ina since she thinks it is cost beneficial.

But in the end switching over to Canola oil will prove beneficial because if patrons know the food is healthier, they'll probably be eating it more often (and MORE of it).

Trans Fat Label Confusion

FitSugar — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 04:00:00 -0800

Have you ever noticed that even though a label may say there are zero grams of trans fat, you see in the ingredients that there is some form of hydrogenated oils? How could this be?

The reasoning is simple. As of Jan. 1, 2006, the FDA required food companies to list trans fat content separately on the Nutrition Facts panel of all packaged foods. This way consumers can easily see how much trans fats are in the foods they choose. Awesome.

However, food and beverage companies only have to list the trans fat amounts if one serving has 0.5 gram or more. Therefore, we should be aware that just because we see zero trans fat on the label of the product, this does not mean that the product is trans free. Don't be too worried because while there may be a trace amount of trans fat in each serving, researchers have found that the amount of partially hydrogenated oil is so small that trans fat content is nutritionally insignificant, unless large amounts of the food are consumed.

Trans Fat Round-Up

FitSugar — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 16:00:00 -0800

Here are the most recent leaders in the war against trans fats:

Los Angeles is strongly encouraging its eateries to cut out trans fat in the next 19 months.
Burger King announced that it has selected a new trans-fat free oil.
Marriott, the worlds largest hotel company, is banning trans fats from 2,300 of its hotels.

Trans Fat Round-Up

FitSugar — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 17:15:00 -0800

With all the buzz surrounding who is going trans fat free and when and why, I've decided to do a trans fat round-up.

So here is who is jumping on the healthy train this week:

Crisco, king of trans fat, is now trans fat free.
Philly, home of the cheese steak, is considering making the entire city free of trans fat.
Thin Mints, Samoas and Peanut Butter Patties, oh my! - Yup, Girl Scout Cookies are now trans fat free!
Crystal Cruise Lines claim to be the first to be trans fat free at sea.
After years of testing, McDonald's has finally selected a new trans-fat-free oil for cooking its famous french fries

King of Trans Fat Goes Trans Fat Free: Crisco

FitSugar — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 17:00:00 -0800

Even the products that were once essentially made from trans fats are going trans fat free.

Crisco, which was known as the first shortening product having lower saturated fat levels than butter, coconut oil, palm oil or lard is now reformulating its shortening products to be trans fat free.

The company has actually already introduced a zero grams trans fat formula (sold in a green can) once before but that formula was more expensive and has since been discontinued.

The new formula of Crisco uses less partially hydrogenated cottonseed and soybean oils and more fully hydrogenated cottonseed oil — which contains no trans fat. Hydrogenated oils are what gives shortening its semisolid consistency and high performance cooking attributes.

Don't go ahead and eat spoonfuls of the stuff -- Crisco will still have a small amount of trans fat but the FDA allows any product with less than 0.5 grams trans fat per serving to list zero grams trans fat in its nutrition facts.

Healthy Dose!!!!!

FitSugar — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 13:00:00 -0800

Get your Healthy Dose of the web. Here's some great stories I came across while surfing the web. Check them out.

Health Bolt lets us know where the trans fat comes from in your diet.

Complete Running shares some free expert fitness advice.

Vitabeat explains the connection between anti-depressants and brittle bones.

GrindTV has a great video of Girlie Snow Board Camp.

About.exercise answers the question "Can I still lose weight if I split my workouts throughout the day?"

Eating Well shares a great recipe for sweet potato fries.

NetSweat has some news on on how breathing exercises can improve your swimming.

YumSugar interviews Martin Yan and he reveals how he stays so slim, but you have to watch all the way to the end.

Trans Fat Cause Infertility Too!

FitSugar — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 04:00:00 -0800

Could the trans fat ban lead to a baby boom?

Recent research from the Harvard School of Public Health shows that women trying to get pregnant should avoid eating trans fats:

...trans fats can interfere with the activity of a cell receptor involved in inflammation, glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity, Chavarro and his team note in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Drugs that activate the receptor have been shown to improve fertility in women with a condition known as polycystic ovary syndrome.

Even if you're not trying to get pregnant it is a good idea to stay away from trans fats to save your arteries.

The FDA requires that food containing a half gram of trans fat per serving or more has to be listed on the label, but foods with less than a half gram can claim that they have zero grams of trans fat.

Fit's Tip: To truly cut trans fats out of your diet, read the labels and avoid foods with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils listed in the ingredients.

Starbucks: The Healthiest Place on Earth?

FitSugar — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 12:15:00 -0800

Starbucks has announced that it is going to be making its U.S. coffee houses free of an artificial growth hormone (rBGH) used in dairies to increase milk production.

Why should we care? rBGH is given to dairy cows to increase the level of another growth hormone in both cows and humans known as IGF-1, and the elevated levels of IGF-1 has been associated with increased cancer rates. Growth hormone supplements are also thought to be harmful to the dairy cows. The dairy products involved will include fluid milk, half-and-half, whipping cream and eggnog.

This follows the recent news that Starbucks is also moving to rid its stores of artery clogging trans fat.

Starbucks: Trans Fat Free

FitSugar — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 19:47:40 -0800

Seattle's very own specialty coffee powerhouse is going trans fat free in 10 states starting Wednesday.

Starbucks has announced they will be cutting trans fats from the doughnuts, muffins and other treats in half of its U.S. stores. The other half of the stores will follow suit eventually but it will take some time, as the company adjusts recipes with regional bakers and food suppliers. Apparently the decision has nothing to do with the recent trend in banning trans fats in NYC, theme parks and fast food joints, Starbucks says they've been working on getting rid of the trans fat for over two years now.

Now if they could only be a little more upfront about how brutally high in calories the seasonal drinks can be. Or how about lowering the prices a little?

I guess we can't always have it all, but this is a great start.

Universal Studios Bans Trans Fats

FitSugar — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 15:37:21 -0800

If you're planning on visiting Universal Studios anytime in the future, you'll still get a taste of the thrilling rides that attracts so many people each year. What you won't get a taste of? Trans Fats.

Like so many others, Universal Studios has jumped on the healthy band wagon and stopped serving trans fats in 90% of the food served at its parks in efforts to combat heart disease in America. Walt Disney Co., announced in October that it will serve more nutritious kids' meals and phase out the artificial fats at its resorts as well.

Universal Studios has even gone a step further and added healthy side options too, including salads and fruit bowls. If you still can't fathom going to a theme park and not having fries, then you still can, they just won't be nearly as bad for your heart. NYC has already made the decision to ban trans fats and Massachusetts is on its way to banning them as well.

Fit's Tip: For now, skip the churro, a Spanish fried-dough pastry, because they will not be trans fat-free until the end of 2007.

Trans Fats in Mass

FitSugar — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 12:00:00 -0800

In the wake of NYC putting a ban on trans fats there has been a lot of buzz over which city will be the next to ban trans fats. In the poll, you guys said it should be LA but surprisingly enough, it turns out that a bill has recently been introduced that would make Massachusetts the first U.S. state to ban fats. If the bill is passed then Mass, like NYC, will force restaurants in an entire state to stop frying foods in oils that contain high levels of trans fats.

I like it Massachusetts -- go for gold!

Source

The Skinny On: Vegetable Oil

FitSugar — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 15:05:00 -0800

A common misunderstanding is that vegetable oil comes from oily veggies. When really vegetable oil is the name typically given to any oil product that comes from a plant of any description (fruit, veggie, etc.). So oils like olive oil and sunflower seed oil are vegetable oils.

So is it good for you? Well, pure vegetable oils, such as olive oil, have been in use for thousand of years and their benefits to our diets are currently documented and understood. Vegetable oils are far better for you than animal oils.

The problem comes in when they are chemically altered, as hydrogenated vegetable oil (or partially hydrogenated) in the various forms like margarine, shortening and some liquid oils.

Check the ingredients for the chemically altered form.

Fit's Tip: A new trend in vegetable oil is to convert your car's gas tank so that you can run it on vegetable oil rather than gasoline.

Trans Fat D-List

FitSugar — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 09:00:00 -0800

In lieu of the recent events surrounding trans fats, eDiets.com has created a list of foods that you may commonly eat that contain some of the dreaded trans fat.

Breads and baking products
Biscuits made from mix
Biscuits/rolls made from refrigerated dough
Coating mixes for fish, meat and poultry
Stuffing mixes
Taco shells
White and wheat flour breads

Breakfast foods
Cinnamon buns
Danishes
Doughnuts
Muffins
Pastries/bakery items with frosting
Toaster tarts/strudels

Candy
Caramels
Chocolates
Fruit chews
Seasonal candy
Taffy-like candy

There's more, so

Denmark Still Enjoys Its Danishes

FitSugar — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 07:30:00 -0800

While I think NYC's ban on trans fats is fantastic, some people disagree arguing that their foods will just not have the same texture and taste without the added trans fats.

What skeptics may not know is that Denmark made it illegal for any food to have more than 2 percent trans fats (offenders face hefty fines or even prison terms) nearly three years ago. I haven't heard too many complaints coming from them. It has even been reported that:

The french fries are still crispy. The pastries are still scrumptious. And the fried chicken is still tasty.

Apparently, in the beginning the Danish bakers were having a hard time getting the right textures to their yummy traditional pastries such as, well danishes, but after some minor trial and error it's all been figured out.

The point is that no body is complaining and I don't see why they would -- Wouldn't it be nice to be hungry and be able to get anything, knowing it won't have any trans fats? Denmark proves to be a great example for NYC as they embark on cutting the trans fats.

NYC vs. Trans Fats, The Saga is Over

FitSugar — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 08:43:32 -0800

Did you know that the FDA estimates the average American eats 4.7 pounds of trans fats each year? Gross.

Well, not anymore if you live in NYC...

Health officials have made NYC the first city to ban trans fats in the United States. The final decision was made despite the 24,000 restaurants arguing against the ban saying that it is unrealistic to give them only six months to replace cooking oils and shortening and 18 months to phase out the ingredients altogether.

Restaurants will be barred from using most frying oils containing artificial trans fats by July and will have to eliminate the artificial trans fats from all of their foods by July 2008.

The Board of Health also passed another measure which applies only to restaurants that already report the calorie counts and requires them to display the numbers on menus and menu boards. The new law should affect about 10% of New York City restaurants, including many fast-food establishments. It's going to be hard to order that Premium Crispy Chicken Club from McDonald's when 680 calories is displayed right next to it!

Chicago is most likely the next candidate to ban trans fats citywide.

If you want to see what my friend Giggle has to say about all this click here.

Right on NYC!!!!!

I'm Lovin It!

FitSugar — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 10:00:00 -0800

We all know that health officials have banned smoking in several cities throughout the United States with more on the way because of the harmful effects of smoking on everyone. But did we ever think that they would be able to ban fat? To find out if they have,