So what is trans fats you ask?

Trans fats raise your bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and lower your good (HDL) cholesterol levels.

Eating trans fats increases your risk of developing heart disease and/or having a stroke.

Trans fat is made by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil through a process called hydrogenation, which makes them solid and less likely to spoil.

Using trans fats in the manufacturing of foods helps foods stay fresh longer hence the foods have a longer shelf life.  Actually they will outlive you!  Oh yippee…

Another name for trans fats is “partially hydrogenated oils.”

Look for them on the ingredient list on food packages.

Scientists aren’t sure exactly why, but the addition of hydrogen to oil increases your cholesterol more than other types of fats.

It’s thought that adding hydrogen to oil makes the oil more difficult to digest, and your body recognizes trans fats as saturated fats.

Commercial baked goods — such as crackers, biscuits and cakes — and many fried foods, such as doughnuts and frozen chips — may contain trans fats.  Most margarines are high in trans fat.

Basically processed goods should always be suspect so check the labels.

Before 1990, very little was known about how trans fat can harm your health.

But during the 1990s, research began identifying the adverse health effects of trans fats.

It was absolutely devastating news for mankind that this man-made rubbish, for want of a better word, was introduced into the food chain.

Of course some food manufacturers would rather you not know this fact.

Research the subject; don’t just believe what I am saying.

“Foods with trans fats” is a good phrase to put into Google search.

 

 

 

 

Here’s a photo of Sam filling in a giant pothole that rapidly increased in size after the snow, ice and rain.

He says he nearly lost the truck down it!!

 

Alex died eighteen months ago today, 24 June 2013.

There are no words to describe how I feel.

But I am so fortunate to have a  very close family.

How absolutely sad it is for those who are all alone, with no children or grandchildren handy.

I count my blessings everyday.

It’s 5am as I write and I can feel the cold air wanting to push through the glass doors and engulf me.  ah ah.

Sam has both fires roaring so the house is nice and cosy.

I won’t be venturing outside today until it reaches at least two degrees.

We missed the snow which has affected so many during the past few days.

My heart goes out to the poor farmers trying to keep their stock alive or rescue them from huge snow drifts.

I can only imagine the stress they are under trying to keep the animals alive, whether it be rescuing them from snow drifts or basic feeding out.

I  have been affected by weather conditions many times during my twenty-two  years here on the Orchard.

One year when Sam was a toddler and Ruby a baby in the mountain buggy, we had a nasty snow storm.

The  weight of the snow split many branches and threatened many more.

Alex’s job was to knock the snow off the trees and my job was to cut the split branches before they took more of the tree out.

Aunty Belle was in the old orchard vehicle wrapped up in blankets.

I can still see her grinning from ear to ear as it was such an adventure!!!!

Sam had his own stick and and would whack anything in sight. His bright yellow coat enabled me to keep track of him.

A rain cover over the buggy  kept Ruby safe from the snow that would spaspodicaly fall in her direction every now and then.

She smiled and laughed the whole time.

I think Sam posted a photo of  Ruby and I  taken during this time on his blog or his nostalgia photos recently if my memory serves me correctly.

I must find it…