Everyone hears about them, but no one really knows what they are. You see them on labels, store advertisments and magazine covers all the time.
So just what are trans fats anyway?
When you go shopping these days it’s likely that you’re going to see lots of items claiming they are low in or have no trans fats (or fat, or cholesterol, or whatever). Just what are trans fats? Trans fatty acids are made by heating liquid vegetable oils in the presence of hydrogen, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. The process is more commonly known as hydrogenation. It’s easy to figure out how hydrogenated an oil is—the harder the oil will be at room temperature the more hydrogenated it will be. So if you go into the store and you have a choice between stick margarine and a soft and spreadable margarine, you know the spreadable one is less hydrogenated, and therefore contains less trans fats.
Most snack foods and processed foods contain high amounts of trans fat. There are also a lot of baked goods that have high amounts of trans fat (usually french fries and fried chicken fall into this category as well). Prepared foods that have a long shelf life tend to be higher in trans fat as well, but this is not always the case. (For more on what Trans Fats are, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_fat.)
Trans fats are not good for your cholesterol level because they raise the level of bad LDL (low-density lipoproteins, which carry cholesterol from the liver into the rest of the body, and when there’s too much of it, it can be deposited on the walls of the arteries) and lower the level of good HDL (high-density lipoproteins, which carry blood back to the liver and processes cholesterol so that it can be eliminated from the system).
What are the health risks?
The primary concern associated with Trans Fats is Coronary Heart Disease(CHD). Basically, trans fats can collect in blood vessels around the heart and other areas of the body that can choke and congest arteries. Some studies have actually shown that eating a diet that does not contain any saturated or unsaturated fats have reduced the risk of CHD.
Other health risks may include: Alzheimers, Cancer, Diabetes, Obesity, Liver Dysfunction and Infertility. (Some of these are still in research phases, and not fully diagnosed as a direct link to Trans Fats yet, but the scare is there already anyway.)
Does this mean I should not eat any Trans Fats at all?
Well...in a word...yes. =-)
That would be my humble opinion. But it isn't as hopeless as it sounds. Hydrogenated food substances are in a large majority of the foods we eat today, but don't forget that there are trace amounts of Trans Fats found in many naturally occurring foods as well (mostly meats like fish and beef, but some vegetable matter as well). The bottom line is that small trace amounts of Trans Fats are OK, because your body can tolerate and eliminate very small amounts. The danger is only when a large amount is being consumed - that build up occurs quickly and can begin to show in various places in the body shortly after digesting the food.
What does this mean for my foods?
Eliminating trans fats where possible would be a wise decision, and I am sure your doctor would agree! Ultimately, you need to check with your physician to be sure, but being conscious of what you are eating is the place to start. Basically, Trans Fats occur because of a chemical process - all in all, chemicals do not belong in the body. Eliminating chemicals from your food wherever possible will lead to a healthier, and happier, life for you!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Using Your Time Effectively
Everyone is busy these days! Isn't it amazing that we have all sorts of technology to help make things more efficient for us, and yet our society in general is at an all-time high for stress and lack of spare time for the things we really want to do? I know that cell phones, microwaves, the Internet, computers and many other tools fall into this category (haven't you ever seen someone standing in front of a microwave, which will cook their meal in 2 minutes, tapping their foot in frustration going "come on, come on"). =-)
Here are some quick tips that I have read about in Positive Thinking books, seen on videos and listened to on CD's from professionals, millionaires and other very successful people, which I am practicing in my own life. Hopefully you can find one or two items here that can help you, too!
In everything you do, work smart! Chances are whatever task you are doing has been done before - research your more complex tasks in books, on the Internet, or from someone you know has done it already! They will have tips for you so that you can do it once, correctly, the first time!
Eliminate procrastination: the easiest way I know of to do this is to do it once, then move on! As soon as work comes into your hands, do it! If you put some paper work on the counter, or in your "In" box, you'll more than likely forget about it for an hour, a day, a week, or who knows how long? Get it done, now! You'll feel better for accomplishing a task, which will give you more energy to tackle the next one!
Focus on your strengths - outsource the things you hate doing, or are simply not good at! Tracy and I do this a lot - there are many tasks that she is great at and has no problem doing, that I just hate doing, or that if I do them, I do them poorly. She is great at it, it is already a strength, so go for it! And the same thing vice versa. If we focus on our strengths, and split the tasks to our strengths, each task becomes easy, takes less time to do, and also gets done at 110% quality. If neither of you have a certain task as a strength, see if you can get a 3rd party to do it instead.
Use technology properly: it is meant to automate tasks to free up your time to do something else. For example, you don't need to sit and watch the oven cook something. Set a timer, then go complete a different task - when the timer goes off, return to it! This is the same with software programs you may use - get a process running, and while it is working do your paper work, or use a different program! You don't need to watch the computer do "nothing" while waiting. Multitask and let technology take tasks off your plate!
The number one key is to remember that you may not always get it right. Don't worry about it! You make a mistake, waste some time - that happens to everyone! If you whine and complain about the task you forgot or messed up, then it is a real failure and it ends there. But if you learn from that failure and use it to make corrections the next time, it becomes a stepping-stone to your next success!
Andreas (& Tracy) Z.
Zimmermann Enterprises
http://www.zimenterprises.biz/
Here are some quick tips that I have read about in Positive Thinking books, seen on videos and listened to on CD's from professionals, millionaires and other very successful people, which I am practicing in my own life. Hopefully you can find one or two items here that can help you, too!
In everything you do, work smart! Chances are whatever task you are doing has been done before - research your more complex tasks in books, on the Internet, or from someone you know has done it already! They will have tips for you so that you can do it once, correctly, the first time!
Eliminate procrastination: the easiest way I know of to do this is to do it once, then move on! As soon as work comes into your hands, do it! If you put some paper work on the counter, or in your "In" box, you'll more than likely forget about it for an hour, a day, a week, or who knows how long? Get it done, now! You'll feel better for accomplishing a task, which will give you more energy to tackle the next one!
Focus on your strengths - outsource the things you hate doing, or are simply not good at! Tracy and I do this a lot - there are many tasks that she is great at and has no problem doing, that I just hate doing, or that if I do them, I do them poorly. She is great at it, it is already a strength, so go for it! And the same thing vice versa. If we focus on our strengths, and split the tasks to our strengths, each task becomes easy, takes less time to do, and also gets done at 110% quality. If neither of you have a certain task as a strength, see if you can get a 3rd party to do it instead.
Use technology properly: it is meant to automate tasks to free up your time to do something else. For example, you don't need to sit and watch the oven cook something. Set a timer, then go complete a different task - when the timer goes off, return to it! This is the same with software programs you may use - get a process running, and while it is working do your paper work, or use a different program! You don't need to watch the computer do "nothing" while waiting. Multitask and let technology take tasks off your plate!
The number one key is to remember that you may not always get it right. Don't worry about it! You make a mistake, waste some time - that happens to everyone! If you whine and complain about the task you forgot or messed up, then it is a real failure and it ends there. But if you learn from that failure and use it to make corrections the next time, it becomes a stepping-stone to your next success!
Andreas (& Tracy) Z.
Zimmermann Enterprises
http://www.zimenterprises.biz/
Monday, March 2, 2009
Spring Health Tips
We all know that Spring is just around the corner....right? =-)
Well, eventually. For those of you in other regions it may not be so bad, but here in Calgary, with Chinooks and the crazy Calgary climate, Spring will just get here when it gets here.
One of the nasty things about the changing of the seasons is the constant changes it does to our skin as well. Women know this much more than the men do, but it is really important for us all to know about! Gentlemen - don't ignore this!
Of most importance is our face. We have all experienced it when we are travelling - you walk off the plane in a warmer climate, or a more humid environment, your hair gets frizzy, and your skin either drys up or perhaps practically swells. The changing season does exactly the same thing - only it is much more gradual a change, so most people don't notice it (until it's too late)! It is the changing of the seasons when it is of most importance to keep up on that routine!
Ladies all have their daily routine to Cleanse, Exfoliate, Tone, Condition and finally Moisturize! And guys - this means you too! We shave our faces on a regular basis, and guess what? We're doing the same thing! We clean our face, apply shaving cream and start trimming away the hair (this is Cleansing and when cutting the hair, you are also Exfoliating your skin). Then we apply an after shave (usually a Toner base, with some fragrance thrown in), and possibly a smoothing gel and creme afterward (Conditioning and Moisturizing). For some guys there might be an additional step or two in there, but it all works down to the same thing! Men and ladies alike, it follows the same basic steps!
Sometimes you don't have time to go through the entire routine - you're late for work, or not able to get home before the big meeting, or simply just too dang tired to do it. But in the transition times of the seasons, give it that extra effort! Your healthy skin depends on it! =-)
Wishing everyone a great start to March! Welcome to Spring this month!
Sincerely,
Andreas (& Tracy) Z.
Well, eventually. For those of you in other regions it may not be so bad, but here in Calgary, with Chinooks and the crazy Calgary climate, Spring will just get here when it gets here.
One of the nasty things about the changing of the seasons is the constant changes it does to our skin as well. Women know this much more than the men do, but it is really important for us all to know about! Gentlemen - don't ignore this!
Of most importance is our face. We have all experienced it when we are travelling - you walk off the plane in a warmer climate, or a more humid environment, your hair gets frizzy, and your skin either drys up or perhaps practically swells. The changing season does exactly the same thing - only it is much more gradual a change, so most people don't notice it (until it's too late)! It is the changing of the seasons when it is of most importance to keep up on that routine!
Ladies all have their daily routine to Cleanse, Exfoliate, Tone, Condition and finally Moisturize! And guys - this means you too! We shave our faces on a regular basis, and guess what? We're doing the same thing! We clean our face, apply shaving cream and start trimming away the hair (this is Cleansing and when cutting the hair, you are also Exfoliating your skin). Then we apply an after shave (usually a Toner base, with some fragrance thrown in), and possibly a smoothing gel and creme afterward (Conditioning and Moisturizing). For some guys there might be an additional step or two in there, but it all works down to the same thing! Men and ladies alike, it follows the same basic steps!
Sometimes you don't have time to go through the entire routine - you're late for work, or not able to get home before the big meeting, or simply just too dang tired to do it. But in the transition times of the seasons, give it that extra effort! Your healthy skin depends on it! =-)
Wishing everyone a great start to March! Welcome to Spring this month!
Sincerely,
Andreas (& Tracy) Z.
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