Hydrogenated Oils

From this day until the last Friday of February, I will focus on the top 5 ingredients one MUST avoid to have at least decent health and an optimum weight.

Today we talk about Hydrogenated Oils.

What are they exactly?

I will paraphrase from Eating Well For Optimum Health by Dr. Andrew Weil:

"To hydrogenate an oil, manufacturers heat it to high temperatures 248 - 410 degrees Farenheight with Hydrogen gas under pressure in the presence of metal catalysts (usually nickel, sometimes platinum) for 6 to 8 hours. This process is usually stopped before completion, resulting in a complex mixture of compounds, including trans-fatty acids."

My words: (These compounds called trans-fatty acids denotes the structure of the particular fat compound. Fats should be linear in shape. The more stable cis-fatty acids are used to build membranes and hormones. When the configuration is abnormal, let's say after hydrogenation, and the shape may be L-shaped or even pentagon looking, it will produce defective membranes and defective hormones. These trans-fatty acids promote atherosclerosis, damage the heart, and drive up production of cholesterol)

Do we understand now why Hydrogenated Oils are dangerous? If not, please email me directly, I will detail this subject more for you personally.

What products have this ingredient? Well, unfortunately many.

Biggest Culprits:
1. Margarine - Everyone should avoid this like the plague!!!
2. Vegetable Oil - NEVER, EVER cook with this stuff
3. Peanut Butter
4. Most Bread
5. Conventional Crackers (i.e. Ritz, Keebler etc.)
6. Conventional Cookies (i.e. Chips Ahoy, Oreo, really all the main ones)
7. Ready-made baked good of all sorts (cake, cupcakes, pie crusts etc.)

This is an abundant ingredient so it is challenging to avoid when you are first changing your health. The reason for it's prevalence has everything to do with $; food manufacturers discovered that this hydrogenation process extends the shelf life of the product which then turns them a bigger profit. This is an unnaturally occuring ingredient that did not exist in foods before the 20th Century.

Don't fret over avoiding this; as you begin your journey, you inevitably get into your groove and find your alternatives. The easiest way to avoid hydrogenated oils is by shopping solely at Organic grocers. That ingredient is not welcome in products at those stores.

Starting the first week of March, I will answer each 'Ingredient of Avoidance' from February with the 'Healthful Alternative'.

Peace to all,

~Turmeric