Tweak: Replace Trans Fats with Healthy Fats

February 18, 2009 · Posted in Replace Trans Fats

I started to avoid trans fats in 2004 and I believe that it has played a big part in improving my health. Over time, as I gradually replaced or slowly eliminated the major trans fat culprits in my diet, I noticed that I was eating far less processed food — another big plus. Almost all of the foods we eat at home now are fresh “real” foods instead of packaged, factory-produced foods.

But this was a gradual change. I didn’t turn into a health nut overnight, and I didn’t stop eating processed foods entirely (I still eat them occasionally — perfection is boring). Doing the healthy thing most of the time — not 100% of the time — has paid off.

Fat has gotten a bad rap. Once upon a time, I thought that the sure way to weight loss was to eliminate as much fat as possible from my diet (remember Susan Powter?). But that just made me tired, have dull skin and hair, and I frequently got sick. Good fats give you a lot of bang for your energy buck because they can actively improve your health, especially the Omega-3s, as you’ll see below.

Trans Fats: What Are They and Why Are They Bad?

What’s the problem with trans fats? Study after study has established that consumption of trans fats increases the risk of heart disease, increases total blood cholesterol and reduces the “good” cholesterol.

Trans fats (trans-fatty acids) are created when oils are processed in such a way that they become solid at room temperature (hydrogenation).

Trans fats are not found in significant quantity in nature — they are produced by commercial food processing. Therefore, processed, factory- or restaurant-produced foods such as some commercial baked goods (crackers, cookies, etc.), fried foods (doughnuts and french fries), shortening and margarine are the foods to look out for. Check ingredients labels and look for the words “partially hydrogenated.”

Healthy Fats: Why Are They Good?

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, on the other hand, lower the risk of heart disease by reducing the total cholesterol and also the “bad” cholesterol in blood.

Omega-3 fatty acids (a particular type of polyunsaturated fat) are particularly healthy. Omega-3s decrease the risk of heart disease, protect against irregular heartbeats and lower blood pressure.

Examples of Foods Rich in Healthy Fats

As I turned away from foods with trans fats, I increased my intake of healthy fats. For example, I snack on almonds instead of potato chips and I make carrot cake or banana bread at home occasionally, with sunflower or canola oil, in place of buying packaged cake.

Here are some good sources of healthy fats:

Monounsaturated fat: Olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, avocados, nuts and seeds.

Polyunsaturated fat: Vegetable oils (safflower, corn, sunflower, soy and cottonseed oils), nuts and seeds.

Omega-3 fatty acids: fatty, cold water fish (e.g. wild salmon, sardines, mackeral and herring), flaxseeds, flax oil, walnuts, Omega-3 eggs.

I’d love to hear ways that you’ve made the switch to reduce trans fats and increase healthy fats, so go ahead and leave a comment!

Read all the posts about replacing trans fats with healthy fats here.

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