Last week we learned about what makes hydrogenated products bad for you. It isn’t necessarily because they are fatty. Fats aren’t really the problem, rather the processing and chemical alterations of the fats are the issue.

The health dangers of hydrogenated products (trans fats) include:

• They are free radicals.
• They not only raise LDL (bad) cholesterol, they lower protective HDL (good) cholesterol level.
• They decrease `good’ prostaglandin formation (more on that later).
• They are suspected of being a major contributing factor to cancers and heart disease.
• They increase body weight.
• They alter numerous reactions within the body, creating havoc. This can lead to disease.

How Hydrogenation Works:

The process of hydrogenation is primarily used to extend product shelf life and is a process that polyunsaturated fatty acids (liquid oils) go through to turn them into fats that are solid at room temperature, i.e. margarine and shortening. In terms of hydrogenation, often the cheapest products available are used, such as soy, corn, canola, or cottonseed. Often times the cheaper products also mean they are GMO.

These cheaper oils are typically already rancid from the extraction method. Also, metal particles (usually nickel oxide) are added to the oil mixture. Then mixture is subjected to hydrogen gas in a high pressure, high temperature reactor. This forces the breaking of the existing double bonds between the carbons (C’s) and therefore, forces the addition of extra hydrogen (H’s), hence the term hydrogen-ation. (Remember the mini chemistry lesson with the H’s and double bonds.)

Next, soap-like emulsifiers and starch are added into the mixture to give it better consistency. It is then subjected to high temperatures again when it is steam-cleaned to remove its unpleasant (rancid) odor. Margarine’s natural color (an unappetizing grey) is removed with bleach cause who would buy it looking that way? Lastly, dyes and strong flavors are then added to make the product resemble butter and be more appealing to the customer.

The most common place you’ll find hydrogenated fats (also known as trans fats) are in oils, both cooking oils and salad dressing oils. Remember, hydrogenated oils aren’t problematic because of the source plants they come from (unless they come from plants that are genetically modified), they are typically an issue because of how they are prepared and preserved.

This is where olive oil becomes quite confusing and it is a great example to discuss. Cold pressed olive oil is great but not for cooking. As we learned last week, oils become rancid in varying degrees of heat and olive oil is no exception.

“Well, I thought olive oil was supposed to be healthy for you.”

It is, when processed correctly and used for salad dressings and such. However, it is not a cooking oil. Luckily there are a number of heat safe cooking oils you can choose from such as: grapeseed, coconut oil or avocado oil.

The biggest step you can take to reducing your hydrogenated fats is switching your oils. Fats/oils I avoid are canola, corn, vegetable and soy plus margarine (what is this stuff anyway?).

Week 12 action step:

Kick those hydrogenated fats to the curb by replacing them with good fats. Remember, the body needs good fats for prostaglandin metabolism.

Prostaglandins are precursors to hormones that are vitally important for the regulation of

• Inflammation, pain, and swelling
• Blood pressure
• Heart function
• Blood clotting and platelet (red blood cell) aggregation (stickiness)
• Gastrointestinal function and secretions
• Kidney function and fluid balance
• Allergic response
• Immune response
• Nerve transmission
• Steroid production and hormone synthesis

Low levels of this Omega-3 fatty acid have been linked to mood changes, memory loss, and visual problems. In a Swedish study, elderly patients with Alzheimer’s disease were found to have lower levels of EFAs than healthy older people. Studies at Purdue University showed that children diagnosed with ADHD had lower levels of essential fatty acids.

Get your family/children who are picky eaters to obtain their EFA’s by:

• sneaking an avocado or chia seeds in a fruit smoothie,
• make a homemade salad dressing with 2 parts EVOO, 1 part vinegar (any that you prefer) and 1 tsp of agave or honey (per serving) to sweeten.
• Include wild fish once a week.  When’s the last time you ate sardines?  You can buy in water without the bones or heads so they aren’t so scarey.
• Find a local farmer selling eggs from chickens that you can see free ranging & eating grass and bugs.
• Whip up some chia seeds and sneak them in oatmeal (after it has cooked).

Share with us in the comments below how you’ve added in more good fats or removed some bad fats.

In week 9 of the 52 weeks of wellness program we learned about the importance of essential fatty acids and started trying to identify fact contain foods in our diets.

Essential fatty acids must be supplied through our diet because our bodies cannot supply these for us. Humans evolved eating fish and seafood but now the majority of us are deficient in essential fatty acids and our health is suffering. There are two solutions, essential fatty acid supplements or diet modifications.

The good news is essential fatty acids are present in a wide variety of foods such as:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil Cold Pressed or Expeller Pressed (do not cook this or heat it up as it will destroy the nutritional content and can turn carcinogenic)
• Grapeseed (can be cooked with)
• Coconut oil (can be cooked with)
• Avocado oil (can be cooked with)
• Butter or ghee, organic only
• Flax seed or flax seed oil (cold use only)
• Chia seeds (cold use only)
• Hemp seed (cold use only)
• Wild seafood such as salmon, herring, trout, mackerel
• Avocado
• coconut oil – raw
• Walnuts, almonds, pumpkin, sunflower
• Eggs, free range and organic only.  Conventionally raised eggs contain little or no nutritional value plus are full of hormones and antibiotics

Note: Oils I strictly avoid are canola, corn and vegetable oils.

The FDA unfortunately does not provide a recommended daily allowance for good fats but the USDA does recommend them. I use 2-3 tablespoons or eat essential fatty acid containing foods daily.

Week 10 action step: Incorporate essential fatty acid containing foods daily, preferably in place of any bad (trans-fats or hydrogenated oils) fat containing foods.

Avocado’s are very portable. Just cut one in half, squeeze some fresh lemon juice  on it and you have a healthy snack. I also “butter” my toast with coconut oil. My favorite way to use coconut oil is to sauté greens with it or cook it with quinoa.  Smoothies are a painless way to include nutrient rich foods, chia or flax seeds are part of my daily green smoothie ingredients.

What are some of the 1st essential fatty acid containing foods that you’ll incorporate into your diet this week? Tell us in the comments below.

Week 8 of our 52 Weeks of wellness entails the big three sugar free/ chemical sweeteners to avoid which are: aspartame (Nutrasweet), sucralose (Splenda) and high fructose corn syrup. These may be calorie free but they are NOT healthy or SAFE.  All are derived from chemicals which adds more toxins to the body.

Combine the chemicals, additives, preservatives, hormones, antibiotics, over-the counter meds and pharmaceutical drugs that we subject our body to and we wonder why we don’t have energy, have stomach issues or other chronic disease.  Because disease is just that, an accumulation of toxins.

When we flood our body with chemicals, how can it perform its normal function to help protect, heal and keep us healthy? Plus, we just aren’t designed to be consuming these chemicals or the large amounts of sugar found in processed foods these days.

Our hunter gather ancestors consumed the equivalent of 20 teaspoons of sugar per year, not per day.

The sweet chemicals do harm

Looking specifically at aspartame and sucralose, according to Neurosurgeon, Dr. Russell Blaylock, M.D. these have been labeled excitotoxins because they over stimulate neural (brain) cells to the point of killing them.

“What are excitotoxins? The word excitotoxin is derived from two words, excite and toxin. A ‘toxin’ is a poison. So excitotoxin is a poison that excites any brain cell it encounters until it dies. These substances are usually amino acids – sounds rather natural and harmless but when these react with specialized receptors in the brain in such a way as to lead to destruction of certain types of brain cells.” Quote source and much more excitotoxin info can be read here.

Splenda contains chlorine and high fructose corn syrup is now found in virtually everything, in such abundance that some correlate it to the obesity crisis in America.

“Products with HFCS are sweeter and cheaper than products made with cane sugar. This allowed for the average soda size to balloon from 8 ounces to 20 ounces with little financial costs to manufacturers but great human costs of increased obesity, diabetes and chronic disease.” Quote source and much more high fructose corn syrup info can be read here.

Week 8 Action Step: Read the ingredient labels of everything first! Check your bread (Arnold Sandwich Thins), cereals (Fiber One), yogurt (most all), to learn how many of these “foods” contain chemicals. What did you find or were surprised to find? Tell us in the comments below.

Remember, adults have a blood brain barrier to protect us from some of the influx of chemicals, but a child’s is not fully developed yet. This is why it is especially important to read labels and keep these away from our kids and ourselves.

Look for safer alternatives to replace these products for your family and post any questions you have if you need help.

I turned 50 years old the year I wrote this and after removing chemical additives from my diet, I think clearer, remain focused and sharpened my memory more than when I was in my 30’s. Let’s not get older, Let’s get better!