One of the most important things you can do for your health is to have your cholesterol checked. If your cholesterol is deemed high by your doctor, eliminate or reduce foods high in natural or man-made trans fats, which pose serious health risks to the cardiovascular system. Mary Beth Sodus, a registered dietitian with the University of Maryland Medical Center, has helped lead the U.S. Federal Government to require the amount of trans fats on labels of products.
Fats from Animal Products
You'll find trans fats in animal products. Avoid meat with high fat content, including marbling that is in prime beef. Trim excess fat on steaks and chops before cooking them. The skin on chicken, turkey and duck is also high in fat. Organ meats are loaded with trans fats that are detrimental to your health. Almost all of the processed meats are made with trans fats.
Dairy Products
Many dairy products contain the types of fat that you need to eliminate. Avoid large amounts full-fat dairy products, such as cream, whole milk, butter and cheese.
Cooking Fats and Oils
Certain types of oils and fats used for cooking are high in trans fats. Some of these include coconut oil, vegetable shortening, lard, some margarines, palm kernel and palm oil. Read the labels of any cooking oil for the amount of trans fats.
Processed Foods
Many processed foods are loaded with trans fats. You'll find trans fats in many of the popular cookies, crackers, frozen fried foods, canned biscuits, packaged pizza dough, and anything else with partially hydrogenated oils. Frozen dinners, unless stated, generally have a high trans fat content, making them much more unhealthy than if you were to prepare the same meal from scratch.
Fast Foods
Most fast food restaurants have a large assortment of fried items on their menus because they are quick and easy to prepare. Some of the fast foods you need to eliminate from your diet are fried chicken, fried fish sandwiches, French fries, biscuits, fried pies and all other fried desserts.
Convenience Breakfast Foods
To avoid unhealthy fats, stay away from doughnuts, muffins and many breakfast cookies. Request an ingredient list from your favorite coffee shop before ordering any of the designer beverages.
