Many skinny individuals feel that they have to eat a ton of "everything" in order to gain muscle weight.



Basically, trans fats (or trans fatty acids, as they are called), are an unnatural fat that is formed or created whenever you fry or overheat oil, like vegetable or corn oil.

When the elements that make up these oils are heated to an extremely high temperature (like when you fry), they mutate and turn into "trans" fats.

Also, manufacturers of different foods and snacks use a process in which they take vegetable oil and convert it to "hydrogenated" oil, which turns the oil into a solid that can be used to make certain snacks.

That "hydrogenation" process turns a normal oil into a trans fat.

So what does this have to do with trying to build muscle mass and gain weight???

Check these little facts out:

Harvard scientists estimate that trans fats may contribute to more than 30, 000 premature deaths each year.

Since trans fats aren't found naturally in "nature", your body has a very difficult time processing them.....meaning it will cause damage to the heart.

Trans fats raise your bad cholesterol and lowers the good one in your blood.

Trans fats are a major risk factor for developing diabetes.

Trans fats may actually promote muscle loss and could even increase the risk of cancer.

In an 80, 000 person study, Harvard found that getting just 3% of your daily calories from trans fats increases your risk of heart disease by up to 50% (this is the equivalent of eating a single order of french fries).

The FDA estimates that most supermarkets carry more than 42, 000 products that contain trans fats.

Here are examples of everyday foods that contain trans fats:

chicken pot pie = 72 trans fat calories

2 biscuits = 72 trans fat calories

1 large order of french fries = 63 trans fat calories

1 cinnamon roll = 54 trans fat calories

6 fish sticks = 45 trans fat calories

1 order of nacho cheese = 45 trans fat calories

1 tablespoon of stick margarine = 45 trans fat calories

6 Oreo cookies = 36 trans fat calories

1 waffle = 36 trans fat calories

1 small movie-theater popcorn = 30 trans fat calories

1 slice of apple pie = 27 trans fat calories

1 pack of cheese and cracker sandwiches = 27 trans fat calories

2 homemade chocolate chip cookies = 27 trans fat calories

5 pieces of chicken tenders = 25 trans fat calories

1 brownie = 25 trans fat calories

1 jelly donut = 18 trans fat calories

Anything that is fried is full of trans fats.

Also, if in the ingredients you see "hydrogenated oil" or "partially hydrogenated oil" (except peanut butter), you can be sure it has lots of trans fats.

Everybody wants to blame "carbs" or "sugar" for all the health problems issues people are facing today.

But the truth is that a moderate amount of carbs aren't the problem, nor is regular fat, to a certain extent.

Trans fats are the real enemy!

Be sure to eat a lot of calories, but watch out for the trans fats if you are working on gaining muscle weight!

Copyright (c) 2006 Jonathan Perez