Understanding Trans Fat
I recently explored this business of trans fat and it’s pretty scary. Now I look at the labels on products and am pretty horrified to find how many of them contain this chemically modified fat that is so foreign to the body that it simply ends up as unprocessed fat which clogs the circulatory system.
Here is a very informative site about exactly what hydrogenation of fat is: www.treelight.com. There is also great information there about good fats like coconut and palm kernel oils and why they’re actually good for you.
I came across this following article which is very informative:
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Trans Fat Survival Checklist
A healthy human diet should consist of a daily intake of water, carbohydrates, protein, fats and vitamins and minerals. Naturally all these have a daily recommended amount for the optimum functioning of our bodily processes. Just as in any other substance abuse, excess intake of fats will result in pathological conditions. Furthermore the result of excess fat intake varies according to the type of fats consumed. This means that there are different types of fats and also not all fats behave similarly in our body.
The major effect of excess trans fat consumption is heart disease. Studies have indicated that an increase of energy intake from the trans fat group increases heart disease risk by 100%! Trans fats develop coronary heart disease by both increasing LDL-cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and lowering HDL-cholesterol (good cholesterol).
Furthermore, excess trans fat intake also may reduce brain and eye functions by interfering with omega 3 fatty acid (another member of the fats group) metabolism that is important in brain and eye function. Trans fats have been linked to the abnormal development of babies in pregnant women who consume this. (more…)
There’s a book that was compiled from Yogi Bhajan’s lectures called The Ancient Art of Self-Healing, Edited by Siri Amir Singh Khalsa, D.C. I got a copy of it up at the Summer Solstice in New Mexico. Other than that it’s pretty rare to find. It’s a fantastic book with all kinds of rare Ayurvedic treaments and recipes. The great thing is it’s indexed for easy searching by what’s ailing you. It’s a very interesting book and this is one of the appendices– a guide to vitamins and minerals by the foods in which you can find them. Coconut seems to be the winner– nearly a perfect food. I actually heard tell of some yogi in India who lived on one coconut a day for his whole life. Not one French Fry?