I've heard a bit of news this week about trans fats and their role in increasing LDL cholesterol. Mostly, I've heard of trans fats being in doughnuts, pop tarts, french fries . . . those things that I would never allow to enter my temple . Anyway, I'm wondering if someone(s) can offer any advise on how to best eliminate trans fats from the every day diet and any experience with the effect of eliminating trans fats from their diet (ie the ldl reduction, etc.).
I, too, am trying to remove all trans fat from my diet, particularly because I am struggling to get my HDL level up where it should be.
When buying groceries, read all the labels. Even if the nutrition label says the product has zero grams of trans fat PER SERVING, make sure the words "partially hydrogenated" or "hydrogenated" oils are not listed in the ingredients. NO amount of trans fat is safe.
Eating out is trickier. Most restaurants fry foods in trans fats. Avoid fried foods. Most baked goods, unless they are homemade, contain trans fats. Avoid eating pancakes and biscuits at restaurants; they contain trans fats. I love Hardee's biscuits, but had to give them up.
I have had no success raising my HDL level by avoiding trans fats. However, my LDL level is reasonable (104) and overall cholesterol is good (165). I don't know that I can attribute that to eliminating (or reducing) trans fats, though.
Humor me (us) Lenin . What about my weekend visit to the Chinese Restaurant???? If you say no more won ton soup, sushi, fried rice . . . i'm a goner for sure .
I know you didn't ask me, but I will answer. If you are serious about eliminating simple carbs, won ton is made out of white flour, and fried rice is made with white rice - both high on the glycemic index. As for trans fat content, who know. That's the problem with eating out. You don't get to read the ingredients list. But I do know the fortune cookies contain trans fat. It's a cheap fat and the shelf life is long, so no wonder most food chains use it in about everything. Lenin?
I appreciate the post on the Chinese. Of course, you could have broken the news a little easier . That was almost as good news as the dentist telling me a need a root canal yesterday. You're right about the diet too. Plus, a little knowledge can be dangerous. I went to see my brother in the hospital this evening, missed dinner and found myself pulling in for an old fashioned hamburger (single at least . Oh well, maybe I'll skip the doughnuts tomorrow morning and I did take my Vytorin when I got home.
I think you find that McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken and other fast food chains still use trans fats in their oil.
I recently heard that both KFC and Taco Bell are phasing out the use of trans fats in their foods, although Taco Bell admitted a couple of items would still contain trans fat. McDonalds SAID they were going to eliminate trans fats but have yet to do anything about it. I have also written several foods companies asking them to eliminated trans fats from their products (such as Duncan Hines cake mixes), but I have never received a response.
I appreciate the post on the Chinese. Of course, you could have broken the news a little easier . That was almost as good news as the dentist telling me a need a root canal yesterday. You're right about the diet too. Plus, a little knowledge can be dangerous. I went to see my brother in the hospital this evening, missed dinner and found myself pulling in for an old fashioned hamburger (single at least . Oh well, maybe I'll skip the doughnuts tomorrow morning and I did take my Vytorin when I got home.
The hamburger (minus the white flour bun) is actually better for you than a doughnut. Studies show that some saturated fat intake WITHOUT the high carb intake is NOT harmful. Recently, there was a report about a study that showed low-carb diets (which are basically low REFINED carb diets) are NOT harmful to heart health.
Lenin, you are on a roll. I guess I understand why we always called it Taco ****: . I thought of going to my local chinese restaurant and asking about trans fats but I'm not sure how much information I would get . I questioned whether the sushi was made daily or was made with boiled fish for a longer shelf life. The chef /owner was not amused .
Iajc, connie, chj and nhone; thanks for the fast food and grocery advise. Hopefully, I can stay away from the trans fats a bit better now. It makes good sense because my even when my total and ldl were low (with Crestor) my hdl was not rising. My hdl consistenly stays low and I consistently eat junk food .
Judge, I stopped eating junk food and trans fats and I still could not get my HDL level to rise. So far, nothing has worked; therefore, I am accepting this as "normal" for me.
Have you tried Niacin? Actually, Slo-Niacin at 1000 mg hasn't brought mine up either. Regular exercise is the best (I hear) . Mine stays consistently between 37 and 39. I'm taking Vytorin 10/20 (1 month trial) and will have my labs at the end of the month. Vytorin's webpage claims a boost in HDL. We'll see .
I am taking Niacinamide (slo-release Niacin), but I do not believe I could tolerate straight Niacin. I'm hot natured to begin with, so the thought of flushing does not appeal to me. My doctor actually told me that few people can tolerate the flushing.
I do regular aerobic exercise as well as resistance training. I've lost weight. Nothing helps.
Have you tried Niacin? Actually, Slo-Niacin at 1000 mg hasn't brought mine up either. Regular exercise is the best (I hear) . Mine stays consistently between 37 and 39. I'm taking Vytorin 10/20 (1 month trial) and will have my labs at the end of the month. Vytorin's webpage claims a boost in HDL. We'll see .
You see what happened to the people that boosted their HDL cholesterol with Pfizers new wonder drug???/ If your doctor thinks the zetia part of vytorin works in the intestines, he is dead wrong. Zetia attaches to the NPC1 Like 1 protein...and causes it to malfunction. I think the problem with some of these cholesterol medications (zetia) and possibly the others..is that it hides the cholesterol inside the cells. It is unesterfied cholesterol..it becomes toxic to the cells. In fact I don't think, I know...its just a plain old chemical process. If you mess with the NCP1 protein , you are going to have symptoms and side effects similiar to Niemann-Pick. One of its main problems is heart disease...especially at the junctions of the arteries....walking disorders, and brain damage, especially in the cerebellum.
They are just NOT the same thing. Slo-niacin is chemically VERY different from niacinamide.
TRY any slow release formulation of niacin in a 500 mg. dose. Take it at bedtime with your aspirin and it WILL raise your HDL...the only question is how much.
It is VERY unlikely to cause any flushing.
I cannot BEAR regular niacin; even 100 mg. causes me agony, but I have treid two different slow release formulations (not the hexanicotinoate though) and get a valuable 25% increase in my HDL with no flushing.
. Anyway, I'm wondering if someone(s) can offer any advise on how to best eliminate trans fats from the every day diet and any experience with the effect of eliminating trans fats from their diet (ie the ldl reduction, etc.).
. What about my weekend visit to the Chinese Restaurant???? If you say no more won ton soup, sushi, fried rice . . . i'm a goner for sure
.
. That was almost as good news as the dentist telling me a need a root canal yesterday
. You're right about the diet too. Plus, a little knowledge can be dangerous. I went to see my brother in the hospital this evening, missed dinner and found myself pulling in for an old fashioned hamburger (single at least
.
