Have you heard the latest? Turns out, those backyard barbecues we’ve been enjoying so much all summer could be contributing to increased cancer risk. (Doesn’t it sometimes seem as if scientists are just out to ruin all our fun?) Fortunately, minimizing the risk is easy…and can even make your meats more tender and flavorful. I’ve got 5 tasty ways to make your barbecue safer in this week’s podcast. Read or listen to it here.
I’ve talked about the pros and cons of various oils and how to store oils in previous podcasts but several of you have asked me to talk more specifically about what happens to oils when you heat them up and which ones are safest to cook with. Find out how to avoid the formation of harmful chemicals when cooking with oil in this week’s show.
Note: This post was updated on 11/24/2013 to correct a typo in the temperatures required to isomerize fats.
Q. How exactly is trans fat created? If I bake with some (say, 1/4 cup) oil in a batter, does that make trans fats?
A. We’ve all read a lot about the dangers of trans fats. Most of the trans fat in our diet comes from artificially hydrogenated oils that are still widely used in food manufacturing. These “Franken-fats” are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that have been twisted into an unnatural configuration called a trans-isomer. This means that the molecule contains the exact same number and type of atoms as it did before, but they are arranged in a different shape.
But what a difference that small change makes! Polyunsaturated fats and their trans-isomers produce completely opposite effects in the body. While PUFAs help to improve cholesterol profiles and reduce your risk of heart disease, trans fats contribute to heart disease by fueling inflammation, raising bad cholesterol and lowering good cholesterol. Continue reading “Does Cooking With Oil Create Trans Fats?”
It’s not just kids who resist eating vegetables. The latest reports show that less than one-third of American adults are eating the recommended five servings fruits and vegetables every day.
Believe me, I know how this happens. Even as a professional nutritionist, I have sometimes struggled to follow my own advice! I’d load up my fridge with fresh produce with the best of intentions. But something always got in the way of actually eating them. I just never seemed to have time to make a salad for lunch. Then, we’d end up eating out for dinner while that day’s vegetables wilted in the fridge. On busy days, dinner is often the only meal that includes any vegetables at all, and how many servings of steamed broccoli can you eat at one meal?
But recently, I’ve discovered a couple of really simple strategies that have literally tripled the amount of fresh vegetables we eat every day. And I’m not talking about adding grated carrots to your oatmeal or switching from gin-and-tonics to Bloody Marys. Here’s what’s worked for us: Continue reading “Tasty Ways to Get Your Vegetables”