During your medical weight loss program in Chandler or Scottsdale, it is important that you are aware of the contents of your food choices and that you make healthy choices to optimize your weight loss. One thing you’ll want to avoid during your weight loss are foods containing trans fats. These foods contain harmful fats that could potentially derail your weight loss efforts.
What are Trans Fats?
Trans fats are fats created in a process called hydrogenation. This process adds hydrogen to vegetable oil so that it will last longer and taste better. Unfortunately, the consumption of this fat increases your LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and lowers your HDL (good) cholesterol levels. This can increase your chances of developing health issues such as:
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Type 2 diabetes
Trans Fats in Your Food
The FDA has promoted consumer awareness about the dangers of trans fats and require that it be listed on nutrition labels, this caused manufacturers to reformulate products or reduce or eliminate trans fats. Despite this, there are still many foods that contain trans fats. It is important to be aware of the trans fat content in your food so that you can stay on track with your weight loss goals.
Trans fats are likely to be found in foods such as:
- Cookies
- Crackers
- Chips
- Pie crusts
- Pizza dough
- Stick margarine
- Some shortenings
- Fried foods (French fires, doughnuts, chicken nuggets, etc.)
- Candy
- Popcorn
- Frozen dinners
Make sure to fully read the nutrition labels thoroughly for trans fat content, and also be aware of foods that are listed as containing “partially hydrogenated” vegetable oil—this is another term for trans fat.
How to Avoid Trans Fats during Weight Loss
To avoid trans fats, you must be conscientious about your food choices and read nutrition labels carefully. Avoid highly processed foods and stick to whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables, Try and avoid premade meals and cook at home more often. With these steps you can avoid harmful trans fats and continue on your path to wellness during your medical weight loss program.