READERS, DIGEST

Food. We all eat it. If we don’t – we die. Simple, right? Wrong. In fact, in society today, eating seems more complicated than ever! And so I’ve spent the past month facing some cold hard facts about food (that is if I’ve been able to separate the truth from the deep fried and candy coated lies).

So before you start reading this post, crack open a box of your favorite packaged and processed pleasures and eat up. Because you might find this info and those “foods” a little hard to swallow post read.

I used to think that trying to eat more fruits and veggies and counting calories was enough to ensure a healthy diet. Apparently that was wrong. Now my calorie counting comfort blanket is too small to cover all I need to know about food. So let’s throw a few words on the table to start our discussion: Organic, Trans-fat, Fortified, High-Fructose, Modified, Hydrogenated, Free-Range, Low Fat, Saturated, and then there’s the increasingly popular term that swims in and out of our headlines - the all-powerful fish oil (ie: the alpha and omega 3 fatty acid). So what of these and countless other things should I really be eating? How much? How often? Should I eliminate any of them altogether? And suddenly I stare quizzically at my cupboards.

One fact is sure: What many of us DO eat is killing us. We as a nation are starving, not for lack of food, but for lack of the RIGHT foods. So what are the right foods and what are the wrong ones? (Let the record show that if a Twix is wrong, I don’t want to be right.)

But what we should/shouldn’t eat is too complex to begin with. So let’s start with the obese…er…I mean the obvious. Pardon the Freudian slip! We as Americans have figuratively popped a can of Pringles. And we all know that once you pop - you can’t stop. In our case, we can’t stop eating, and this leads to FOOD FACT # 1: We eat too much food. SHOCKER! Ya, right. Deductive reasoning (or common sense) tells us that we need to eat less to be a healthier people. The solution is easy. Well, easier said than done I suppose. So if we fall into the category of people who need to eat less – we’re probably going to be hungry here pretty soon. So instead of hungry for food, it’s time to get hungry for answers. Read on and fill up on the facts, oh fellow hungry one.

Ok. So we’ve got the first point down, we need to eat less. Blah. But if eating less was all we had to do – this whole healthy eating thing would be a piece of cake. (Sorry for the cake reference, I must be having withdrawals already). So on to FOOD FACT # 2: There are some things we need to try to eliminate completely. In my kitchen, this boils down to three main ingredients: Trans Fats, Hydrogenated anything, and High Fructose Corn Syrup. This seems easy at first glance. Three things…that’s it? Kim - that’s all you’re trying to eliminate from your diet? Indeed, fictitious and inquisitive reader, this may seem simple, but eaters beware. Not many of us would sit down and scarf a whole bowl of only Trans Fats or slurp a bottle of straight corn syrup. Of course not – that’s gross! (Unless you’re Will Ferrell in Elf, “Is there sugar in syrup? Then YEESSSS!”) But take a look at the back of your typical cereal box or a carton of juice, and you might be in for a surprise. (and if said products have really been the bulk of your diet…please try not to get too worked up. Your heart won’t be able to handle the shock!) So let’s take a look at these three aspects of our diets.

TRANS FATS & HYDROGENATED ANYTHING

Most things in life are best managed by moderation. This is simply not the case with trans fats! We would do well to be a trans fat and hydrogenated free people. That is, unless the idea of diabetes, stroke, or coronary heart disease sounds like a good plan to you. In which case, eat up and avoid reading any further into this subtopic – it might be a little hard for you to swallow.

So instead of just summarizing all the info I’ve found re: trans fats, I figured it might be good to site some sources directly. That way you’re getting your facts from a more credible (albeit less blonde and sarcastic) source. Check out these excerpts from MayoClinic.com. (side note – I find it hilarious that a clinic that gives us health advise shares a nick name with the unhealthy and artery clogging mayonnaise. I’m just sayin…)

What is Trans fat? (“Now that’s the stuff - Hostess!” haha I couldn’t help myself. Sorry, back to Mayo)
Trans fat comes from adding hydrogen to vegetable oil through a process called hydrogenation. Trans fats are more solid than oil is, making them less likely to spoil. Using trans fats in the manufacturing of foods helps foods stay fresh longer, have a longer shelf life and have a less greasy feel.

Trans fat in your food
Commercial baked goods — such as crackers, cookies and cakes — and many fried foods, such as doughnuts and french fries — may contain trans fats. Shortenings and some margarines can be high in trans fat.
Trans fat used to be more common, but in recent years food manufacturers have used it less because of concerns over the health effects of trans fat. Food manufacturers in the United States and many other countries list the trans fat content on nutrition labels.

However, you should be aware of what nutritional labels really mean when it comes to trans fat. For example, in the United States if a food has less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving, the food label can read 0 grams trans fat. Though that's a small amount of trans fat, if you eat multiple servings of foods with less than 0.5 grams of trans fat, you could exceed recommended limits. (Kim’s input on this point: Be sure to read the ingredients on any of your packaged foods. If the words “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” appear in the ingredients – it most likely has trans fats. Regardless if the product claims to have 0g trans fats, these words in the ingredient list tell you that it probably has 0.5 grams per serving. The food industry can be so sneaky sometimes…yet so deceitfully delicious)

So now we know what trans fat is, how to know if it’s in our food, and we’ve figured out that it goes by the allusive alias “hydrogenated”...But what’s the big deal? Why should we stop eating it? Especially when it’s just so darn good. This better be a good argument or I’m headed to Wendy’s pronto! Hopefully the list below is enough to convince. (I’ll list the website for the full article at the bottom of this section)

According to the Harvard School of Public Health, trans fats:
• Double the risk of heart attack
• Are responsible for the deaths of 30,000 Americans every year
• Increase the risk of diabetes

Other research has shown that trans fats:
• Raise your body's level of bad cholesterol (LDL) while lowering the good cholesterol (HDL)
• Increase triglycerides and inflammation
• Interfere with vision in children
• Hinder liver detoxification
• Correlate with increased prostate and breast cancers
• Impede insulin function
• Interfere with reproduction in animals

Ok, fine. Point taken. Sans the Wendy’s trip. Anyone for an apple?

So if you’d like to know more about trans fats, check out the following sites. The first one made me laugh right out loud - love when that happens. I think you’ll find it to be a good read, that is if you’re not too cranky about having to curtail your fast food cravings. The second one talks more about hydrogenation and that’s where the list of risk factors came from. Eye opening (and mouth closing) for sure.

HILARIOUS ARTICLE ABOUT TRANS FATS:
http://www.acaloriecounter.com/trans-fat-foods.php

GREAT ARTICLE ABOUT WHAT “HYDROGENATED” MEANS:
http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/06/02/08/what-exactly-does-it-mean-when-foods-are-hydrogenated-and-what-risks-can-it-pose.htm

HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP

And on we move to high fructose corn syrup. Sweet! Well, maybe too sweet. This topic is controversial at best. Remember those commercials that came out a few years ago trying to encourage people to eat high fructose corn syrup? You know the one – a couple of moms standing around a sugary pitcher of punch talking about how it’s ok in moderation. So the media tells us it’s ok to eat it in moderation, but then comes the clamor of health gurus everywhere calling for a high fructose boycott. Who are we to believe? What are the actual facts? I wish I could tell you. I’ve had a hard time finding conclusive answers myself. But what I can tell you is that I’ve been limiting the amount of corn syrup I eat, and, lo and behold, I feel better and have a more steady flow of energy throughout the day. Important to note is that I’ve also tried to limit my regular table sugar intake – which has helped keep my blood sugar levels more stable too. I’m striving to have a more natural diet (less processed and scientifically altered), so eliminating high fructose corn syrup works for me. I think most all of us could stand to eat a little less sugar, and with high fructose corn syrup in so many packaged foods out there, we definitely have our work cut out for us. So if anyone has good articles or links about high fructose corn syrup…share the wealth.

Then last but not least we come to FOOD FACT #3: Most of us are lacking some key nutrients, and need to add them into our lifestyles. This section could end up being a million pages long. But thankfully for you (the stalwart reader who’s probably getting tired at this point in my novel of a post anyway) I won’t take the time to list ALL that we should or rather could be eating to ensure our best health. That would be biting off a little more than I can chew. So I think I’ll quote the well known nutrition author, Michael Pollan, as he sums it up simplistically and amazingly well. Pollan says everything he's learned about food and health can be summed up in seven words: "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants." I love this mantra because it’s easy to remember and simple in nature. For more than 7 words from Michael Pollan (12 pages to be exact) you can check out the link at the end of this section. He goes a little more in depth about our society’s relationship with food and it’s a really great read. As for what I personally have added to my diet? Well, I’ve upped my omega 3’s via extra virgin olive oil, flax seed in my smoothies, walnuts, and the occasional serving of fish. I’ve also added a more diverse array of ‘plants’ as Pollan called them (ie: fruits and veggies galore). I’m drinking more water and I’m exploring an array of legumes, nuts, grains and seeds to fulfill my needs rather than meats full of saturated fat and tempting but empty carbs. I’m trying to simplify my diet into mostly whole and natural foods in their purest forms.

A LENGTHY, BUT FASCINATING ARTICLE ABOUT OUR SOCIETY AND IT’S EATS (the one by Michael Pollan mentioned above)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/magazine/28nutritionism.t.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

THE FINAL BITE

All that said, I hope this post doesn’t add to the cornucopia of confusing and often conflicting ideas about health that we hear on a daily basis. Goodness knows that any average eater could be easily confused by the endless array of info on the vague and allusive topic of “healthy eating.” So, for what it’s worth, this post is simply my opinion about what would make for a healthier you, me, and society. Take it for what it’s worth. And if nothing else – consider it food for thought. And rest assured that this post is 100% Trans Fat, Hydrogenated and High Fructose Corn Syrup free! Way to go you healthy little reader you.