NNMC Toss the Junk: Beware Bars

If you go into any grocery store you'll see an extensive selection of bars. From granola to protein, they come in every shape, size, and flavor. It's important to realize that not all bars are created equal. In fact, some of them are more like a candy bar than anything. The key here, as always, is to read your ingredients list and the nutrition facts panel. Something loaded with sugar and trans fats is definitely not a health food. In addition, even if your do find a good bar or decide to make your own, these should not be the corner-stone of your diet. I see lots of people (and I've been guilty of it myself) who use bars as meal replacements daily or snack on them constantly. When you do this, you're pushing out things like fruits, veggies, and other whole foods that are much more nutritious and filling. Instead, use bars as an emergency snack like when you go to a sporting event and aren't allowed to bring in food (I'm the queen of sneaking in food. Yes, I often hide carrot sticks in my purse). In addition, make your own when you can. That way you can control the ingredients and can enjoy your own bars a little more often since they won't have any weird additives.

NNMC Toss the Junk: Ditch Trans Fat

You've likely heard about the danger of trans fats on the news or seen products that proudly display "0 grams of trans fat per serving" on their packaging. But what are trans fats and how bad are they really? First, we need to start with a little chemistry. Fatty acids can either be saturated or unsaturated. These terms refer to the carbon-hydrogen bonds in the fatty acid chain. When a fatty acid is saturated, each carbon in the chain has the maximum number of bonds (4) while unsaturated means that there are less than 4 bonds, resulting in double bonds. So, saturated fats are holding all of the hydrogen they can and unsaturated fats are not. These differences impact the structure of the fat and, therefore, the way it is processed in the body. Trans fats occur when the hydrogens in an unsaturated fat are across from each other rather than next to each other. While this does occur naturally in minimal amounts, the man-made kinds are the ones that have been found to be harmful. In fact, research published in the New England Journal of Medicine has shown that a 2% increase in calories from trans fat increases your risk of heart disease by 23%!

Man-made trans fats are created though a process known as hydrogenation. Oils are pumped with hydrogen to create solid fats, resulting in the production of trans fat. This is beneficial to food companies because trans fats are much more stable than other fats. This means that a product can last on the shelf for a longer period of time, reducing waste and saving money. This is, however, at the detriment to our own health.

So how do we avoid these unhealthy fats? Obviously, if you're eating whole foods this shouldn't be much of an issue. However, packaged foods are a whole different story. This is due to labeling regulations that can really mess you up. If a product has less the 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving, it can be listed on the label as having 0 grams of trans fat. So, if you eat 2 or 3 servings of one of these foods or eat several different foods throughout the day that fall into this category, you could be getting a significant amount of trans fat in your diet. Scary right? The way to avoid this is reading the ingredients list. This is where the true identity of a product always comes through. If you see the words "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" this is your sign that trans fats are present and you need to just step away.

Whipped topping that is "cool" and comes in a tub (you know what I'm talking about) is one product that contains trans fat. This is most frustrating because it is often marketed as healthy choice due to it's low calorie content. This is a perfect example of where is is important to remember that calories aren't everything when it comes to health and ingredient reading is important. Instead of using this product, I recommend making your own homemade whipped cream. Yes, it is high in calories, but if you use it as an occasional treat and don't go overboard, you should be fine. Plus, it will fill you up pretty quick due to the high fat content.

Homemade Whipped Cream

Ingredients

1 cup organic heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Add cold whipping cream to a bowl.

2. Whip cream with electric beaters (or by hand if you want a workout!) until it starts to thicken.

3. Add sugar and vanilla extract and beat until stiff peaks form.

National Nutrition Month Challenge: Toss the Junk

As we really get into the swing of things, this week of the challenge is all about clearing out the junk to make room for the healthy foods you'll be adding in. I find this is the best place to start, because it helps you start to shift your thinking and perspective when it comes to food. My general rule when it comes to the difference between junk and food is its origin. I have a strong belief in purchasing and eating foods that are as close to their natural form as possible. This means I'd rather have butter from grass-fed cows than a tub of "buttery spread" made from a mixture of oils and stabilizers. It's about learning to eat real food with limits on the more indulgent items rather than replacing those indulgent items with man-made products. Otherwise, you're not changing your preferences or the way you approach food. You are enabling yourself to operate within the same framework.

This stage of diet change can often times be the most difficult. It's not too hard to try a new food or switch up your lunch, but cutting out something that can be so integral to your daily routine or the way you think about food can be a little trickier. The tips for this upcoming week may be a real challenge for some, so I want to reiterate that if you need more time to adjust to a change, feel free to take your time with it. You might find that just one of the tips could be a month long challenge for you. It's all about committing to the process and understanding that it is just that: a process. Your path might not always be a straight line, but if you keep pushing in the right direction, you'll get where you want be.