Lately, the media has been abuzz with news about trans fats. In 2006, the US Government ruled that any product containing trans fat must be labeled as such. Since then, foods and restaurants have been scrambling to remove trans fats from their products. But what do you actually know about these harmful fats, and how they may be damaging your diet.

Trans fats are fats with an extra molecule added during a manufacturing process. You know saturated fat is bad – think of trans fats as super saturated fats. The chemical engineering process used to create trans fat makes the fat much more shelf stable. This makes trans fats an extremely convenient option for use in restaurants and snack foods, since they do not break down like traditional fat. However, this convenient fat becomes incredibly inconvenient when you take into account the damage it does to the human body. Trans fats are truly a dangerous food to be avoided whenever possible.

Trans fats act in a harmful way on your cholesterol levels. Trans fats raise your bad cholesterol. There are many types of foods that do this, such as eggs, breakfast meats, and fatty foods, so it may not seem like such a big deal. However, trans fats are worse for you than that plate of bacon, as they also lower your good cholesterol. This means that trans fats truly pack a double whammy they harm your body in two ways at the same time. Trans fat is an unnatural food that has an unnatural effect on your body.

Theres good news, however. Now, all foods that contain these harmful fats are required to state so on the label. This is leading to a fat revolution in America. Makers of snack foods and frozen dinners, as well as restaurant owners across the country, are revamping their recipes. This means that there are more healthy options available, and it is easier to spot foods that do contain these damaging fats.

Its easier than ever to remove trans fats from your diet. Take the time to read labels and information on restaurant menus. Look specifically to see how much trans fat your favorite foods contain. More and more foods are removing trans fat completely. If your favorite has not, it may be time to find a new favorite! Trans fats are dangerous, and need to be avoided at all costs cut them out of your diet today.

This article is for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, nor should it be interpreted or substituted as medical advice. Prior to making changes to your physical exercise routine and your diet, you should always consult your personal physician. Better safe than sorry.

Tags: Abuzz With News, America, Bad Cholesterol, Breakfast Meats, Chemical Engineering Process, Cholesterol Levels, Dangerous Food, Double Whammy, Eggs Breakfast, Fatty Foods, Frozen Dinners, Good Cholesterol, Harmful Fats, Healthy Diet, Healthy Options, Human Body, Manufacturing Process, Personal Physician, Saturated Fat, Saturated Fats, Shelf Stable, Snack Foods, Trans Fats, unnatural food, US government —

Losing weight is hard to do. Sure, there are some quick ways to get some weight off fast, but there are no ways to keep that weight off for good. It is difficult. Perhaps this is the reason that there are so many weight loss programs out there. If youre not careful and research the options, youre doomed to try many of them before one of them works, leading to loads of frustration. Here are some super tips for weight loss that can help you investigate the option out there for you or even to create your own diet program.

* Add good fats to your diet. Good fats promote a healthy brain, control your cholesterol levels, and add flavor. Some examples of good fats are sunflower oil, peanut oil, Enova oil (a brand name vegetable oil), and just about any oil of a tree nut or legume. Healthy fat intake decreases fat cravings, making it easier to resist some of those foods tat are a weakness fro some.

*Limit your bad fats intake. Bad fats come from animal fats and hydrogenated oils. These kinds of fats can lead to high blood pressure, heart problems, and high cholesterol. There are other options, however, than eating foods that contain bad fats. Try ground turkey instead of ground beef or lean pork loin roast instead of a fatty ham. If you must eat potato chips, try to get the ones that are reduced salt and cooked in natural oils. Some restaurants are even going to new oils for fried food that contain no saturated fats, which are a leading cause of heart disease and stroke in the United States.

* Aerobic exercise is essential to any weight loss program. Aerobic exercise allows and encourages the muscles use as much oxygen as possible. During these workouts, the heart has to pump faster to allow for increased blood flow, which strengthens your heart.

* Eat fat fighting foods such as healthy fats, nuts, beans, leafy greens, oat meal, and natural flavorings and spices. It simply makes sense that if you keep eating poorly, you will have poor results.

If you monitor your food intake and exercise, you will be successful in your weight loss goals. Remember to always consult a physician before you start any weight loss programs to avoid taking a plunge into something more advanced for you. Know your limits when it comes to exercise, and you will find success. Be patient and persevere, YOU WILL MAKE IT!!

This article is for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, nor should it be interpreted or substituted as medical advice. Prior to making changes to your physical exercise routine and your diet, you should always consult your personal physician. Better safe than sorry.

Tags: Aerobic Exercise, Animal Fats, Bad Fats, Brain Control, Cause Of Heart Disease, Cholesterol Levels, Diet Program, Food Int, food intake;, Fried Food, Good Fats, Ground Turkey, heart disease;, high blood pressure;, High Cholesterol, Kinds Of Fats, Leafy Greens, Lean Pork, Natural Flavorings, Oat Meal, oil;, Peanut Oil, Personal Physician, physician, Pork Loin Roast, Potato Chips, Saturated Fats, sunflower oil, Tree Nut, United States;, vegetable oil —

To encourage motivation as you lose weight, it is important to set goals. Setting goals that will stretch you allows you to improve both your exercise and eating habits consistently. Goals help you maintain focus as you strive to reach your target weight. Without goals and planning, youre setting yourself up for failure before you ever begin. Take the time to design a system of goals leading up to a stretch target to help you meet your fitness goals.

Stretch targets are goals that are designed to stretch you. When designing a stretch target, you need to plan a goal that you think is out of reach, and then set smaller goals to help you work towards it. For example, if you never exercise, you could make your goal to run a marathon in six months. You would then set smaller goals to get you there.

Goal setting is essential when you are attempting to make any lifestyle change. Take the time to design a stretch target, and smaller goals leading up to it. For example, you could begin by setting goals of walking each day with short bursts of running. Do this for 30 minutes per day for awhile, and then add more running each week. Eventually, by meeting these mini goals, youll be building up to running your marathon.

Be sure to encourage yourself along the way. As you design each goal, pick out a small reward that you will get when you achieve it. Set a much bigger reward for achieving your target goal. This gives you small incentives to work towards the bigger goal. If youre like most people, you require some sort of immediate gratification to keep you motivated. These rewards provide just that.

Goals are essential to any type of long term change, and weight loss is no exception. Setting goals leading up to a target that stretches you is a great way to encourage motivation. Tell others about your goal, so that they can encourage you as you begin. With dedication and hard work, youll be achieving your goal in no time at all. Be sure to choose a goal that really matters to you, so that youre even more motivated to work towards achieving it. Keep your mind focused on how proud youll feel when you finally reach your goal. Congratulations! Youre on your way to a better life.

This article is for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, nor should it be interpreted or substituted for medical advice. Prior to making changes to your physical exercise routine and your diet, you should always consult your personal physician. Better safe than sorry.

Tags: 30 Minutes, Dedication, Eating Habits, Exercise, Failure, Fitness Goals, Goal Setting, Healthy Diet, Immediate Gratification, Incentives, Lifestyle Change, Losing Weight, Marathon, Motivation, Personal Physician, Rewards, Running, Setting Goals, Six Months, Stretch Targets, Target Goal, Target Weight, Weight Loss —

The people who undergo gastric bypass surgery normally do so because they are sick and tired of being sick and tired, they want to live a healthier, more active lifestyle and in order to do that they need to lose significant amounts of weight. While some people may view weight loss surgery as an easy way out, the reality is that if this type of surgery is going to work you are going to have to be fully committed to making permanent lifestyle changes post gastric bypass.

This procedure will greatly reduce the size of your stomach which will make it virtually impossible for you to overeat, that in turn will lead to significant weight loss. Another thing that will lead to is a dramatic change in your lifestyle, especially your eating habits. It’s not just about how much you eat but also how often and what you eat. All of this will play a part in the success of your surgery.

Here are some specifics that can help ease you through this transition period:

1. You will be eating a lot of Jell-o and nutrition shakes after your surgery, about 30 days after your surgery to be exact. You won’t be allowed to have any type of solid food for a solid month after your surgery. Your body has changed dramatically and you will need to allow your body enough time to properly heal before you can eat any solid food.

Don’t worry, during this period it’s common to start wondering if you’ve made a huge mistake, this is a dramatic change for most people and it can be very unsettling, just hang in there and soon you’ll begin to see changes and you’ll realize that you made the right choice in having the surgery.

2. Your doctor will want you to take vitamins to supplement any nutrients you may not be receiving from your food intake, it’s very important that you don’t forget to take them. Your body must get enough fuel so that it can run properly and make it possible for you to heal.

3. After the first 30 days of a liquid only diet you will be able to start eating soft foods such as pureed vegetables. The changes you’ve undergone may affect the types of food you can tolerate. For example, some people find that they never want to, or can’t, eat a certain type of food again, like meat. With others they don’t notice any real differences in the types of foods that they can eat, they just have to eat less.

4. Once you’ve gotten past the first several months you will be able to start eating more ‘regularly’ again. That doesn’t mean you can go back to the old eating habits you had before the surgery, it just means that you will be able to eat more than liquid or soft foods. You will still want to stay away from too many carbs, fat, sugar, etc. It will be important for your body to continue to eat only whole, unprocessed food whenever possible.

These are just some of the lifestyle changes that you can expect post gastric bypass. The transition may be a little tough, most changes are at first, but in the long run the process will work if you’re willing to do your part and you follow the advice of your doctor.

Tags: Diet, Dramatic Change, Eating Habits, food intake;, food;, Gastric Bypass, Gastric Bypass Surgery, Jell O, Lifestyle Changes, Mistake, Nutrients, Nutrition, People, Period 1, Right Choice, Solid Food, Specifics, Stomach, surgery, Transition Period, unprocessed food, Vegetables, Vitamins, Weight Loss Surgery, Worry —