Recently a commercial promoting the Web site sweetsurprise.com raised a good point.
The commercial makes the argument that consumers avoid foods with high-fructose corn syrup without knowing what high-fructose corn syrup is.

But the practice of avoiding food based on hearsay is not limited to the corn industry. Many people avoid foods based on trans fats, saturated fats and unsaturated fat, all noted as bad. But does anyone know why?

Freshman nursing major Alyssa Groeki said she avoids trans fat because it is the worst fat, but admits she doesn’t remember why it is the worst fat.
“I heard it in a cooking class,” Groeki said.

An article by About.com nutritionist Shereen Jegtvig states that most trans fats are made artificially by a process called hydrogenation. According to Jegtvig, artificially created trans fats are the unhealthiest of fats, even worse than saturated fat.

Therefore, it is beneficial to avoid trans fat. But avoiding other types of fats and sugars may not be beneficial. People tend to avoid food they perceive is unhealthy, but avoiding some food could cause an unhealthy diet.

“I look at calories and fat [intake], just to keep track,” said Julie Montalbano, freshman elementary education major.
This is a common and perfectly logical concern. Not all fats are bad, and some are essential for the body to work.

There are unsaturated fats that help lower blood cholesterol, but should still be limited.
As the commercial promoting sweetsurprise.com and high-fructose corn syrup suggests, almost anything in moderation is okay and may actually benefit you. But the key term is “moderation.”

The American Heart Association suggests that quick-weight-loss diets can emphasize one particular food or type of food. These diets violate the first principle of good nutrition. Eating a balanced diet should always be the priority.

This rule of thumb applies to everyone, regardless of whether they resort to fad diets or not. People should never avoid or eliminate one food group completely, unless it is absolutely hazardous to their health, because being unbalanced is simply not good nutrition.

Keeping track of what you eat is essential to maintain good nutrition. But if you’re unaware of why you avoid something, it is likely you may not reach the intended goal.
Simple solutions to this are knowledge and goal strategies.

Those concerned with what they are eating should set a goal and then become informed on healthy ways to obtain it.
Always be aware of why you’re avoiding any type of food.

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